It’s November, and I should be writing that it is perfect stout weather. But I’m not. With highs still in the 80s here, we have been setting records the past few weeks. This week I’m going to feature an Imperial Porter from Sixpoint. 5BEANS has a big roasty flavor and clocks in at 10% making it seem like the perfect cold-weather beer. However, it drinks a lot like a standard porter meaning it’s not inappropriate if the weather is still warm where you are.
5BEANS pours a deep mocha brown with a massively thick whipped-cream head. The head slowly subsides leaving a nice layer of lacing. The aromas detected after the pour are those of coffee, vanilla, dark roasted malt and chocolate with just a bit of cherry, apple, and dark fruit.
The mouthfeel is lighter than expected for a 10% beer, but, as predicted by the frothy head, it does have a nice creaminess. The apple and dark fruit noticed lastly by the nose is tasted first on the tongue. The hops are found down the middle of the tongue as the sides first detect dark chocolate and vanilla before a more dominant coffee flavor. The coffee and bitter dark chocolate flavors blend with a distinct hop bite on the back of the tongue; however, these flavors are more segregated in the aftertaste with the bitter coffee/chocolate lingering on the middle and the hops on the back.
Even knowing that the distinction between this year’s 5BEANS and last year’s 4 is the addition of cardamom, I did not detect a contribution from this in either aroma or flavor.
Beyond the aromas and flavor of 5BEANS, I absolutely love Sixpoint’s cans. The tall, skinny 12 ounce cans seem just perfect for tagging along outdoors. And the increased surface area increases the thermal conduction between the beer and ice; i.e. it cools quicker.
So no matter if it is warm or cold where you are, or if your adventure is outdoors or in, Sixpoint’s 5BEANS can be your go-to beer. Even though fall seems to be running very late, the days are definitely getting shorter and there is more darkness. It seems time my beer selections show that too.
Cheers,
Alex
Outdoor Friendliness (about as good as a can gets)…9/10
Aroma (more subtle than expected but the coffee and chocolate are easily detected)…7/10
Flavor (nice balance of multiple flavors)…8/10
Style-Appropriateness (would prefer a bit more mouthfeel in an Imperial but that helps to distinguish from an Imperial Stout)…8/10
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