Big Shot Espresso Stout

Boulder, Colorado’s Twisted Pine Brewing has been wowing local drinkers with their distinctive beers since 1995. Partnering with a local coffee roaster, they have created a seriously dangerous beer, Big Shot, boasting a shot of espresso in each bottle. Aromatic in the extreme, this beer floods the room with loads of dark, burnt espresso and background notes of gooey hot fudge, leading Lee to comment that, “The best part of waking up is Big Shot in my cup.” He heaped praise on the beer’s intense coffee aroma and even detected a hint of cream underneath it all. Complimenting the pungent dark roast coffee aromas, Rick noted an engaging blend of caramel and warm French toast. Deep, dark and opaque brown in the glass, this beer throws a massive mocha-colored head reminiscent of the crema on a classic espresso. Powerful coffee dominates the flavor, and the beer character does struggle a bit to get itself noticed. Drifting beneath the coffee are wafts chocolate and even a bit of hop flavor. The somewhat low bitterness took Nick by surprise, but he noted that the sharp coffee flavor worked to balance the sweet residual maltiness. Contrarily, Tim found the overall flavor to be nicely integrated, with the coffee playing a starring role without smothering everything else. Beer lovers and coffee lovers alike should seek out this intriguing brew – just beware of the slightly jittery caffeine buzz that comes in every bottle.