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Coffee Hidden Pipe Porter

North Carolina
United States
Coffee Hidden Pipe Porter Raleigh Brewing Beer
Judges Ratings 
1 Review
79
Aroma:
23 / 24
Flavor:
30 / 40
Appearance:
6 / 6
Mouthfeel:
8 / 10
Overall Impression:
12 / 20
Description 

Great cities have great legends. Here’s one of Raleigh’s: at the Civil War’s end, Thomas Briggs hid his money from Union troops by stuffing it into pipes which he buried underground. He later uncovered his riches and built a thriving hardware store in downtown Raleigh. Now it’s your turn to unearth a treasure trove of aromatics and flavors, including cocoa, creamed coffee, espresso, molasses, and a hint of blackberries. It’s all balanced by a moderately high bitterness. We use Oak City Roaster’s Kabum bean to really drive up the coffee in this beer! 

Beverage Profile
ABV: 
6.3%
IBUs: 
26
Served at: 
40° - 45° F
Hops: 
East Kent Goldings
Malts: 
Brewers Malt, Munich II, Caramel 45, Chocolate, Black Barley
Judges Review 
Josh Weikert's picture
Judges Rating:
79
Aroma:
23 / 24
Appearance:
6 / 6
Flavor:
30 / 40
Mouthfeel:
8 / 10
Overall Impression:
12 / 20

This beer had one of the nicest aromas I've put my nose into in quite a while, which made the come-down in the flavor all the more disappointing.  

First things first, though – this is a very pretty beer. It pours a quite clear, rich, red-brown mahogany color with a moderate, tan head that was fairly persistent. And that aroma: rich notes of butter cookie, dark chocolate, espresso beans and toffee. Really impressive.  

And then you take a sip. Simply put, the beer tastes hollow. There's almost none of the aroma to be found in the flavor, to my great regret. There's a bland, stale coffee flavor, medium bittering and no real character malts shining through, nor any hop flavor. Even the finish is dull: balanced, with a faint coffee aftertaste and a slight buttery note.

The beer is a let-down. The aroma is lovely – truly one of the best in my recent experience – but it's all downhill from there. Not a dumper, but not one to stock up on for a good snowstorm party either.

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