Cranky Reviews

Big City Grind

Coffee Porter

Beer Type

15 to 20

15 to 20

Super Suds

Rating

IBU 25

Other Info

Big City Grind

Full City

Forked River Brewing Co.

5.5% Alcohol

This big city brew started out as foam city. The pop gave way to a push and more flow than ebb and next thing you know, overflow. Nothing serious, I didn’t spill the beans, so no major ounces wasted and no coffee cleanup crew required. As for the beer name Full City it’s a type of coffee roast,* something I know even less about than beer. Farmer Steve is a caf-fiend but I think he is more of a volume roast toaster than a grind guru.

Forked River tell us they love coffee, and they get their daily grind from Patrick’s Beans. They also love beer, who doesn’t, so they have brewed a porter that they claim is the best of both worlds. Once we work our way through a forked river foam fest we will hopefully validate their claim.

As implied previously, it was heads up, and up and up with this pour. A macho mocha head delayed the inevitable quaff but eventually the tide receded allowing me a beachhead to attack from.

A super dark coffee bean brown pour. An aroma of roasted malt and cocao with some coffee in there but no extreme espresso or jolting java. First swig yielded a very tasty roast malt cocao. It was a bit bubbly and fizzy which was surprising but maybe shouldn’t have been after the frothy pour. The coffee is in there but well balanced in the body and a bit more prominent in the aftertaste.  As progress was made it started to smooth out a bit but the fizz did not relent.

The coffee is just right. A little sweet starts to show up through the bubbles.  Great flavour, I haven’t decided whether the bubbles help or hinder.  I know I’m supposed to give a brew time for the bubbles do their job, but of all of my virtues, I don’t have time for any patience. More carbonation than I’m use to in a porter makes for a filling and less smooth quaff, but the great flavour more than makes up for it. What they did so well, and just swell, do tell, is make the coffee part of the team rather than the main attraction.

*Editor’s Comment: City roast is a style that originated in New York City. Full City is the name given to a coffee with beans roasted between first and second cracks.

Final Rating: A Just Right Coffee Bean Sweet 16 out of 20

Coffee Porter

Beer Type

15 to 20

15 to 20

Super Suds

Rating

Other Info

IBU 25

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