CROSS TO THE DARK SIDE
While coconut usually suggests summer, this rich brew goes down a treat with a hearty winter stew
THE best thing about cooler weather is that it is the ideal time to enjoy dark beers – well that’s my philosophy and I’m sticking to it. Being a bit partial to the darker brews, I found myself drawn like yeast to sugar when Victorian brewer Mountain Goat sent through a bottle of its Silence of the Rees coconut porter.
It is the latest in the brewer’s In-Breeds limited release range and was “devised” by brewer Alana Rees (hence the name).
Now coconut isn’t something you would naturally associate with porter but it does add an interesting quality to the brew without taking anything away from it.
As far as porters go, this one has a little more body than many I have tried, but in winter that’s what you are after – something to warm you from the inside out.
This drop is dark chocolate in appearance with a milk coffee coloured head. The nose does pick up on the coconut but it isn’t overbearing.
You will also detect some chocolate aroma due to the generous amount of malts used.
The initial mouthful will detect the coconut as well, but that gives way to a smooth roast chocolate flavour with just enough bitterness in the aftertaste to have you ready for more. There’s plenty of body and it doesn’t come across as a dark beer that has had coconut added to it, but rather is a rich blended brew where the coconut just gives it a little something different.
At 6.3 per cent, this is a strong beer and as such provides a wonderful warmth going down. It is very more-ish and would be easy to have a few bottles, but it is a rich brew so expect it to be “filling”.
It would go well with a hearty stew or casserole or just as a well-earned nightcap to send you off to sleep.
Being limited, it won’t be around for that long so if you do get some, I wouldn’t be shouting out about it (maybe only to close friends).