Ca Phe

Cà Phȇ​ by Urban South Brewery is a Vietnamese Coffee Stout that is being judged as 30A-Spice, Herb or Vegetable Beer with 16A-Sweet Stout as the base style. In the aroma, this beer is definitely all about coffee. Fresh and clean with a high-quality coffee aroma. Notes of toffee and chocolate permeate, along with a milk-type note. Balanced overall. Great aroma! It’s a deep brown black and opaque, with a creamy tan head. Flavor-wise, this is distinctly a sweet/milk stout at the base, though it stops short of being too sweet. Fresh and clean-tasting with the coffee still present, though more subdued than in the aroma. I would say that a bit more bitterness could help to support the sweetness overall. The beer is creamy and medium-full-bodied with moderate carbonation. Overall, this is a well-made and well-interpreted expression of this style that could use a touch more bitterness to help balance it out.