The Third Beer of Christmas

For the third beer of Christmas our trusty assistant brought us Troegs Brewery's Java Head.  Sure, the original gift was to be Four Loko but it's hard to find these days.  The cool part of this stout is not that it's brewed with coffee beans - lots of stouts are brewed with coffee beans.  The guys at Troegs use beans roasted in the greater Harrisburg, PA area.  St. Thomas Roasters in Linglestown, PA roasts the beans.  The beer is good so we assume St. Thomas beans are pretty good as well.

Java Head comes in a 22 ounce bomber, which is our preferred container for beer these days.  It pours dark like a coffee stout should.  The head is short, thick, and cafe mocha in color.  There is clearly a roasted coffee aroma with a hint of chocolate.  It's a smooth beer that's on the lower half of the carbonation continuum.  There is certainly a heavy, mealy start to this one but it fades as your palette adjusts.  You can definitely taste the coffee with just a bit of sweetness but the finish is a bit bitter.

It's a pretty good beer and we're a bit sorry we didn't pick up a couple of bombers.  That said, it's not the most memorable.  If you're in the mood for a solid stout you can't miss with Java Head but it is not the kind of beer your going to seek out for special occasions.