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Brewery’s Description: Our first formulation of this beer was the first UK brewed beer to carry the Fairtrade logo, and although we have reformulated it to create an even better blend better the malt and roast coffee flavours and can no longer get enough coffee in each bottle to qualify for Fairtrade status, we are still using the same Faitrade Araba Bourbon beans from Rwanda’s Abuhuzamugambi Co-operative. At the Meantime Brewing Co we love flavour, so it wasn’t exactly difficult for us to see how the scents and aromas of coffee and barley would create a perfect match like just like mint and lamb, toffee and banana, peaches and cream, peanut butter and jam. Serve lightly chilled with as many chocolate truffles as your conscience allows. Available in 330ml bottles only. Cold fermented and lagered.

Having recently brewed a Breakast Stout (oatmeal stout with cocoa nibs and coffee added), this was an obvious choice for my first Artisanal Imports beer review. I should also note that despite having had access to and hearing great things about Meantime Brewery’s beers for quite a long time, Coffee Porter was my first Meantime beer.

True to the porter style it poured dark brown in color with  red along its edges and was topped by a  light brown head, which quickly dissipated. On the nose roasty coffee notes mixed with semi-sweet chocolate and a hint of fresh roasted pecans and hazelnuts. While subtle at first the nuts became more pronounced as the beer warmed up and added a welcomed complexity.

The taste profile was much like the aroma with the coffee and chocolate notes blending together quite well. Before the nuttiness of the aroma came into the taste, the beer’s flavor profile reminded me of Founders Brewing Company’s Breakfast Stout, one of my favorite Fall/Winter seasonal beers. As with the aroma, the nutty finish of this beer is what helped it stand out as a unique and well crafted porter.

One factor that I think would take this beer to a higher level is a fuller and creamier mouthfeel. Meaning, despite the flavors being spot on, a richer body would enhance the overall drinking experience, and more specifically the richness of the chocolate and coffee flavors of this beer.

Food Pairings: pecan pie, chocolate desserts, brunch meals like eggs w/ toasted bread and hash browns, and home made pancakes and waffles.

Rating: 7.5/10