Archiving my Beer Writings...

Philadelphia Brewing Company- Coffee Joe Porter
What is it about drinking a beer before noon? There’s a feeling of independence, freedom, and/or defiance that comes along with every sip. Growing up, I got the impression that individuals who drink before noon would be considered “alcoholics.” What I learned later in life is that alcoholics continue to drink for the rest of the day. Beer enthusiasts, on the other hand, have a beer or two with brunch and continue the day with mostly normal functionality.

But still, the stigma of pre-noon drinking has resonated with me causing an ever so slight sense of guilt when I sip on a beer at brunch. It’s like eating cake for dinner- It tastes so good… but you’re pretty sure your mother would never approve.

A few brewing companies have helped break the stigma of morning beer guilt by releasing coffee based porters. Philadelphia Brewing Company and Flying Fish have altered my brunch beer drinking experience, not forever, but at least until the taps run dry.

In January of this year, Philadelphia Brewing Company released a limited supply of Coffee Joe Porter (5% ABV). Personally, I prefer my coffee with soy milk, raw sugar, and some vanilla powder. I gleefully ruin good coffee by making it sweet- For this reason, I was apprehensive about how my taste buds were going to react to this PBC concoction. But I asked myself rhetorically, “Just how strong could the coffee flavor be in this beer?”

The answer, simply put, is: VERY. I figured a coffee flavored beer would involve “hints” of coffee- Coffee Joe Porter tastes like a cool glass of high quality coffee touched with alcohol. The 75 pounds of Peruvian Free Trade coffee used in the brewing process dominates the beer in the best way possible.

Does your mom still not approve of you drinking a beer in the morning even if it’s made with coffee? What if you told your mom that the coffee used in this Porter was purchased from Fornesca Café, a cafe created for the “purpose of providing medical and material aid to the people of Central America?” If anything, this should be a valid excuse to order a 2nd glass, am I right?

Although I enjoy the PBC Coffee Joe Porter, I have not yet become a fan of this new(ish) brewing company’s regular beers. The Porter is the first PBC beer that I’ve wanted to pack my refrigerator with, but it’s not available in bottles. C’est la vie.

Flying Fish Imperial Espresso Porter-
To fill the void created by PBC, I bought a four pack of Flying Fish’s Imperial Espresso Porter. Only available in limited supply from January 15th and April 1st, I won’t have the opportunity to over do it with this beer- although I’d very much like to. One significant difference that should be noted: Flying Fish Imperial Espresso Porter packs a 8% ABV and you’re probably better off drinking just one or two.

The complexity in this Porter is perhaps the reason I prefer Flying Fish over PBC in the coffee porter department. Roasted coffee, licorice, and toffee tickle your nose. Creamy coffee, chocolate and a twinge of fruitiness (?) paint your tongue. This poor attempt at poetically describing the Imperial Espresso Porter is the result of bliss at first sip. I am perhaps even more in love with this beer because generally speaking, I’m a fan of Flying Fish’s seasonal beers and it delights me that they could release such a perfect winter time beer.

With spring right around the corner, I’m sad to see these dark delicious coffee porters go. I’ll remember them fondly and hope to meet them again next winter. In the meantime, I’m preparing my taste buds for the season of farmhouse, hefe weiss, and various other styles that can in no way be compared to an oil slick. *sigh*