Beer - #640 - Coronado - Blue Bridge Coffee Stout

Indeed, Coronado - Blue Bridge Coffee Stout. Coffee Beer, StarSailor (which is close to Starbucks right), 5 stars and sitting under the stars.

A dry stout with the addition of local Cafe Moto dark roast coffee from San Diego

This is a really well presented bottle of 650ml size, and 5.4% ABV,  it is listed as a quite mild  27-30 IBU things, and at 162 calories a serve size, I make this to be 2.77 standard drink units.

Coronado Brewing Company in the style that is Dry Stout and they are in Coronado, California  USA

[caption id="attachment_11555" align="alignleft" width="300"] A beer to make anyone smile[/caption]

Just as the iconic Coronado Bay Bridge connects our island home to the mainland, this java-tinged dry stout, brewed using dark roasted coffee beans from a local San Diego artisanal roaster, provides a bridge uniting craft beer drinkers with CBC’s rich, flavorful SoCal brewing traditions.

So what could possibly go wrong?

A lot of coffee in the aroma on opening, as it did with a vigorous hiss.  Brilliant!

Pour seems to be a beer that isn't pitch black, a lot lighter and perhaps this is why it didn't seem 'thick' but what a head. I'm on a roll.

Aroma is still a lot of coffee, very intense. Coffee grounds.

It's very carbonated, and I feel that this reduces your ability to taste directly on the tongue. Green earthy coffee is the first thing, and  a nice middling dry finish.

What's missing though is some of that deep fruit thing that you might get. But are you confusing Porter and Stout again?  I think I am.

I had to get up and leave this sitting for a few minutes, I came back and it really is a lovely coffee ale.  Soft, yet rich and in an odd way refreshing.  Forget the fruit thing, I have no idea what I was thinking of.

Does it matter that it's not 'thick' or coats the palate, not at all, it might be the better because it makes it a beer that you could have a few of without being exhausted or overloaded and jaded, particularly if you like coffee.

It is quite rewarding, deserves a bit of praise and wider enjoyment, which I might add it has already.

The pdubyah-o-meter rates this as 8.5 a of its things from the thing. This might be the perfect stout to session on, it's not sweet, it's not dry, it's not heavy on aroma, but it has all those things, and it looks pretty, and you know that pretty beers are nice to drink.

The double dip review

Am I enjoying it? I am !
Would I have another? I would !
Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights? Indeed, this is nice on a colder evening, and I think would make a long lat drink session. A favourite.

Music for this is the quite delightful  Starsailor. Their album 'all the plans' you can listen here on the Spotify, or all the other places mostly

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwB4YlsJbDA

as an aside other reviews for this beer are at  : 365Blog 

Dry Stout

The “Irish-style” stout is typically a low-gravity stout with bitterness ranging between 30-45 IBUs. Roastiness is present, but restrained, and there should not be hops in either the flavour or aroma. A little bit of acidity can be present. Often, this type of stout is serving via nitrogen, with all the effects that has on a beer – low carbonation, extra-thick head, lifeless palate and muted flavour and aroma

Beer - #233 - AleSmith - Speedway Stout

Indeed, a highly regarded beer, the AleSmith Speedway Stout, Brewed by AleSmith Brewing Company in the style of a Imperial Stout and that all happened in the place with a Zoo, San Diego, California USA.

Speedway Stout is a HUGE Imperial Stout, with pounds and pounds of coffee added during conditioning for a little extra kick! This is a limited-edition Formula and it'll definitely get you racing! It is available in 750 ml. champagne bottles.

• Appearance: Jet Black, with a toast-brown head.


• Flavor: Starts with a strong coffee and dark chocolate sensation, then fades to a multitude of toasty, roasty and caramelly flavors. Finishes with a nice fullness but dry enough not to be cloying.


• Aroma: COFFEE! And some other stuff. And coffee.


• Mouthfeel (body/texture): Velvety smooth texture. Clean and crisp, full-bodied. Warmth from the high alcohol content lightens up the feel a bit. Still, you won't fool your taste buds -- this beer is HUGE!

750ml bottle of a 12% ABV beer. In NZ thats 7.1 standard drink units., the US 5.1 and in the UK 9.  As far as I can tell this has an IBU of around 70.

Peeve is that although this is presented with a foil wrap over the cap, it's a plain gold cap, no printing, just a plain old ten-a-penny cap. Just a peeve, doesn't make it taste better.

worryingly the foil has a chocolate aroma, I hope the cap was sealed.  It's ok it hissed, and a lovely deep chocolate/coffee aroma made me smile.

Intensely dark beer, with a nice head of dark brown fluffiness. Aroma is more subtle that the intense burst from the smaller neck of the bottle, more muted coffee than anything.

Big big mouthful of flavours, very full, the underlying bitterness is easily and generously compensated by the bag full of sweetness that this delivers.  Bittery tang on the length but it's in a good way.

This is really one of those beers tastes that you sit after drinking and are still marvelling at the taste profile, it really is a full on experience.

The notes above are somewhat pretty accurate, and I'm getting each and every one of those things. I can see why is is so highly regarded and rated, they say what it is and then it is what it is.

The pdubyah-o-meter cracks up to an easy 9.75, and I'm taking the quarter off because this might, for me, just be a little too sweet. Picky picky. But that's a 10 by any other name.  More Awesome than Great. #HappyFace.  I put the glass down and the pdubyah-o-meter ticked up the 10. Like it wasn't going to.

This is, though, to sum up, a really really good beer, the coffee/chocolate thing is awesome, the low bitterness is more than balanced, and the length of flavour and the whole profile is stunning.  The idea that this is one of the best beers "in the world" isn't so far fetched. From fond memory the Epic Coffee and Fig stout would give this a fair run for the money, and I do have a current year version coming up to try.

If this "is" and therefore sets the bar, then woe betide the pretenders.

Related articles

• Beer Week Wednesday: Speedway Grand Prix (utsandiego.com)


• Beer Bucket List: 25 Beers You Must Try (coolmaterial.com)