Evolution Rise Up Coffee Stout
A couple of months ago, I came across a bottle of Evolutions Bourbon Barrel Aged Rise Up, a wonderfully robust beer that I thoroughly enjoyed. After sampling this bottle of the company’s standard Rise Up Coffee Stout, I can see why I really liked that barrel-aged variant so much. This 6.7% ABV (40 IBU) stout couldn’t have been a better base for spending some time in barrels. It displays that robustness and full flavor that easily support outside influences.
Rise Up presents a solid amount of dark roast coffee, a touch of chocolate and earthy grain notes. Some coffee stouts are smoother than others while others present too much of that acrid black coffee roastiness. Evolution’s stout is somewhere between those extremes, showcasing a robust character and roasty nature that still mixes cohesively with the flavors that was over the palate with a slight viscosity. A good amount of hop bitterness forms late as the full-bodied beer makes its way to the lasting finish.
A barrel-aged beer is only as good as the base beer that goes into said barrels. Evolution have themselves a solid platform with Rise Up Coffee Stout. The beer’s flavors, overall robust character and full-bodied mouthfeel are not only idea for barrel aging, but also just simply for drinking as is. The experience may not be for everybody, but for me personally, I love a robust stout. The addition of coffee is only icing on the cake.
This is a review of a promotional sample.