We decided to kick off a little series of stouts to feature local coffee roasters, and selfishly, to observe the results of different beans in beer. We kept the ABV relatively low, the body chewy and voluptuous, and let the coffee do most of the talking.

This variant features a blend of two coffees, roasted by our friends in San Diego – Modern Times: Ethiopia Amaro Natural (tasting notes are juicy, agave, and berries) & Bourbon Barrel-Aged Ethiopia Hambela Natural (tasting notes are mixed berry, milk chocolate, and oak). Velvety and rich, with a sweetness that’s rounded out by mild bitterness and tons of coffee flavour up front, and behind, and everywhere.

What it smells like, what it tastes like: This batch of stout was conditioned on 1.5kg of freshly roasted coffee beans per hL, lending flavours of dark berries, melted chocolate, chewy caramel, oak and bourbon.