So, I know you’re not supposed to drink before 10am, unless it’s brunch, but shouldn’t coffee beer be some sort of exception to the rule?

Santa Fe Brewing Company
Imperial Java Stout
8% ABV

Color: Black coffee. And not that weak shit your grandma makes, but the hardcore shit the trendy kids drink. It stops light, and its head looks like the foam on the top of a perfectly brewed cup-o-joe.

Aroma: Smells just like coffee and sweet grains with hints of cocoa and caramel folded in.

Taste: Tastes like a strong, roast-y cup of coffee and then a pungent, alcoholic stout with a lingering coffee aftertaste.

Mouth Feel: This beer is more than a mouthful. Velvety coffee washes over your tongue and takes a seat like a bum at a Starbucks, it ain’t going anywhere soon. Then as you swallow, the imperial characteristics start plucking at your taste buds, and round out the brew with alcoholic serendipity.

So, I know you’re not supposed to drink before 10 AM, unless it’s brunch, but shouldn’t coffee beer be some sort of exception to the rule? I certainly think so, which is why I had no qualms about cracking open Santa Fe Brewing Company’s Imperial Java Stout as soon as the birds started chirping. It was better than any cup of coffee I’ve had all week, but that’s probably because it wasn't coffee, it was beer, and the buzz that followed had nothing to do with caffeine, and everything to do with 8% ABV. Alcohol content aside, this beer was so packed with coffee it’s almost impossible to think about drinking it in the afternoon.

Every flavor in the brew is pronounced, from the coffee, to the roasty-warm malts that definitely deserve the “imperial” moniker. The smooth java almost tricks you into thinking you’re just drinking a carbonated ice coffee, but then those rich flavors melt away into a stout, alcoholic punch. As the, “Holy shit I am drinking a beer,” realization sinks in, you’re left with a sweet, mocha aftertaste that makes you want to reach for a donut. Even though the can strictly forbids such a pairing.

The Imperial Java Stout is not for the faint of heart, but anyone who likes to flirt with deviancy will certainly enjoy this bold paring of robust coffee and more stout than anyone should be able to handle. With this beer, the jingle should go, "The best part of waking up, is coffee beer in your cup."