Starr Hill Toasted Coconut Double Bass
Now that the colder months are upon us, it’s time for Starr Hill’s annual Box of Chocolates Stout Pack. This time around the company has employed toasted coconut, mocha, raspberry and orange in the four beers on offer with the variety release.
As a not-so-big-fan of coconut, I decided to start off with the one that I figured I, personally, wouldn’t be a supporter of. The Toasted Coconut Double Bass, however, had other ideas and surprised me with its mellow coconut character, chocolate, smooth coffee notes, mild sweetness and soft hop bitterness. This 7.8% ABV stout was nicely balanced with a flavor that I actually enjoyed quite thoroughly.
Generally, I don’t like the flavor of coconut, but I’ve found that, when toasted, I tend to enjoy it more. It provides an interesting nuttiness that I find works nicely with porters and stouts. Starr Hill must secretly know this about me as well. This brew is a great variant of their pretty dang good Double Bass and it fits nicely into a package like this seasonal offering.
While, I did enjoy this version of the stout, it’s not my favorite of the quartet – that review to come soon.
This is a review of a promotional sample.