Lagunitas Cappuccino Stout

     Review Date 12/2/2006

For me, it seemed a dream come true. I love beer. I love coffee. So naturally, a beer made with coffee was a sure bet. To be sure, I’ve tasted such concoctions before. But when I saw a bomber bottle of Lagunitas Cappuccino Stout, well, I knew I was in for a treat, since all of their beers are just so darned good.

This is a limited release product from Lagunitas, released in October and sold until it’s gone. Per the label, its “brewed with Sebastopol’s own hard core coffee”, has an original gravity of 1.076 and has 7.99% alcohol by volume. The alcohol content is deceptive here, because this didn’t seem as strong as it is as I sipped.

I’ve always thought coffee stouts (and chocolate stouts for that matter) to be natural pairings made in heaven. After all, they all derive their flavor from the roasting process of the base ingredient, be it barley, cocoa beans, or coffee beans.

Lagunitas Cappuccino Stout pours to an inky black color but it’s not completely opaque; in fact if you hold it up to the light, some will pass through and the beer will take on a brownish tinge. I noticed this as I poured the beer, too. The nose hints at mocha but surprisingly enough lightly so. A huge creamy tan head forms atop the liquid, and a thick coating of Brussels lace sticks to the sides of the glass as the beer descends.

The palate is medium bodied for stout, and I immediately remarked that the beer could use a bit more body. Mouthfeel is moderate here. On the flavor front, though, there’s plenty going on. Immediately, there’s a creamy dark chocolate and espresso flavor that grabs the tongue and screams to be accompanied by a rich dessert like Tiramisu.

The coffee and chocolate flavors continue right into the finish, which rounds out the beer with a bittersweet chocolate note. A touch of roasted character is here, like a good cup of Joe would offer, but the beer isn’t overly bitter (though there is some hop bitterness present, too).

This is one of those beers that people who claim they don’t like beer (but like coffee or chocolate) definitely need to try. Sure, it’s packed with rich and complex flavors, but these are rich and complex flavors you probably already enjoy. Definitely worth picking up, and a real bargain at about $3.50 a bottle. My only criticism (and the sole factor keeping this from getting five stars) is that I think it needs a tad more body. Still, this is a real treat for stout or coffee lovers.

Now if I could just decide whether to drink it at night, or in the morning…..