With the days becoming slightly warmer, it’s that time of year to start stocking the fridge with lighter, hoppier beers. There’s just something about that first couple of warm weekends in early Spring that really gets me excited for some IPAs — as evident by the number of bottles of Stone IPA, Stone Ruination, Victory HopDevil and more packed full in the basement fridge.
That being said, I still have a few porters and stouts packed away for when the mood hits. My last bottle of Kona Brewing Pipeline Porter succombed to just such a moment this weekend. Brewed with 100% Kona coffee beans this porter proved itself to be a rich, complex and enjoyable brew.
Appearance
The Pipeline pours nearly black without much of a head to speak of with this particular glass. Earlier bottles revealed a large, dense light mocha colored head.
Aroma
While it’s not like walking into your local coffee shop, the aroma on this one is pretty strong and rich with coffee notes. It’s got a deep roasted malt nose that also reminded me a bit of a dark leaf cigar. There was a very light sweetness present, as well.
Taste
I found this one pretty smooth and rich, yet not quite packing the coffee flavor I was expecting. Oh, don’t get me wrong, the coffee is certainly there, but not as strong as I was anticipating. It’s got a roasted malt/coffee flavor with a slight, tart bitterness in the finish, but wasn’t too unpleasant.
Overall
I enjoyed this one, but for some reason expected more from it. That said, I still found myself enjoying the six pack greatly. It’s a well rounded porter with a rich flavor and medium bodied presence that served its purpose well over the colder winter months. I’ll definitely be picking this brew up again next year.
Rating: 3.5/5
March 24th, 2009
Damien said:
I quite enjoyed this one. It seems that so many attempts at coffee porters and stouts fall flat on their faces because they add brewed coffee to another brewed liquid, effectively watering down both into a substandard product. I’ve been let down so many times by such beers that I tend to expect the worst before I take my first sip. So with this beer, I think I approached it from the opposite position than yourself, and walked away pleasantly surprised!