Ryan: I had this beer on tap at Paddy Long’s in Chicago about two weeks ago. I lucked out, it was one of the last few pints remaining in the keg. This beer was specially brewed for the Craft Brewers Conference last month and is an off-shoot on the regular Domaine DuPage, a Biere De Garde. The coffee version is cold filtered through ground coffee.
This beer arrived mud brown in color with a finger or two’s worth of white head.
The nose is full of coffee and caramel, but the coffee smell is not overpowering. It’s actually kind of faint. You really have to get your nose in there to get a good whiff of it. It has more of a light blend or breakfast blend aroma than that of a full-bodied french roast.
The coffee flavor is just as muted in the taste as it was in the smell. Which isn’t a bad thing. Just don’t go in expecting a bitter coffee bite and you won’t be disappointed. Everything about this beer is mellow; the coffee, the cocoa and caramel.
Domaine DuPage is an easy drinking beer and remains that way even with the addition of coffee. If you can find it anywhere I’d suggest ordering a pint or two.