Coup Beans

Coup Beans Coffee Oatmeal Stout
Growler, $10 and 5.2% ABV

Purchased at the Brewery, Woodbridge

coupIt’s really weird that I’m beginning to write this page and I’m like, “Damn, it’s a shame I have to blast New England Brewing for this beer because I love them so much and everything they do.” What’s weird about that? The fact that I’m still giving this beer a B and I’d buy it again and my wife loved it. With so many A and A+ efforts from the NEBCO boys, a B beer feel like a failure. Sniff.

I’m also wondering if I’m docking them a half a letter grade for the name Coup Beans. I don’t know why, because it is somewhat clever… And NEBCO is known for some of their brilliant labeling and naming efforts… But again, something about “Coup Beans” falls short for me. Too cutesy? Too much of a stretch? Yeah, a bit of all of that.

This is the second coffee-forward NEBCO beer I’ve had. The first was their Stout Trooper cask with coffee beans from their tap takeover event a couple months prior. For me, they took a perfect beer (IST) and turned it into an alcoholic coffee drink. That think was PURE coffee. A “coffee bomb” as we beer reviewers say.

image001Well, NEBCO loves their coffee. (Note: I love coffee too.) The Coup Beans smells like a cup of coffee. It’s a bit overpowering. And again, for me, it’s just a bit too coffee-forward. Although, since they sourced their coffee from Bean & Leaf’s cold brewed Sidamo, I guess it’s fine to highlight the java.

I made a special trip to the brewery to pick this up. I sometimes feel like the brick building in Woodbridge is my “local” package store, even though it’s 40 minutes away. By the way, if you’re reading this and you post on the NEBCO facebook page things like, “What time are you open” or “where can I get a six pack of Fuzzy Baby Ducks” you are an idiot.

Take a moment – literally, like 2 seconds – and click on their about page. Or read their wall posts. Stop asking the same dumb questions over and over again. Argh. I want to stage a NEBCO facebook wall coup.

If you can’t see it clearly above here, that’s a coffee bean outfitted like a soldier in a coup. Like a Sandinista. Get it? Did you know that Daniel Ortega is still President of Nicaragua? I didn’t.

Bottom line: I like my coffee stouts to taste like stout first, coffee second. This one is almost equal parts stout and coffee flavor, and definitely more coffee aroma. I’m a traditionalist, what can I say?

Overall Rating: B
Rating vs. Similar style: B-

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