Early Riser Coffee Porter is a porter brewed by Boulevard Brewing that is infused with a coffee from Cauca, Cajibia, Colombia, roasted by Maps Coffee Roasters.
Welcome to my Table, here in the corner of this cafe. Today we’re sipping Early Riser Coffee Porter, from Boulevard Brewing Company in Kansas City, Missouri. Feel free to pull up a chair.
THEDETAILS
style: Porter
abv: 5%
ibu: 28
color: Black
stemware: Tulip
CUPPINGNOTES
The look of Early Riser Coffee Porter is fantastic – one of the better-looking coffee porters I’ve seen, really. It’s black, with no reddish hues even when held up to the light, and it’s topped with a thick, foamy, tan head. Surprisingly, the head has pretty good retention, not dissipating nearly as quickly as I thought it would.
The aroma is pleasant enough, but subdued; there’s not much to it. It’s moderately roasty, with scents of chocolate, toast, and hazelnut.
Taking my first few sips, I have to say, I’m again pleasantly surprised by this beer. It’s a medium-bodied beer, but it’s on the fuller side of a medium body, featuring a thick, viscous mouthfeel and low carbonation. The flavor follows the nose – big flavors of bittersweet chocolate malts, caramelized sugar, roasted grain, molasses, and roasted hazelnut. Even some of the coffee’s fruit nuances are coming through (though very faintly) – black cherry and red grape.
FINALTHOUGHTS
I’ve yet to try a beer from Boulevard Brewing that I haven’t liked. So when I saw Early Riser Coffee Porter at my local liquor store, I had to buy it. And I’m glad I did – even though Boulevard consistently provides great beers, I have to admit that this one took me by surprise. (This, of course, is less an indictment on Boulevard as it is on coffee-infused beers, in general – having a great one is much rarer than having a lousy one.)
Not only was I pleasantly surprised by this beer – I legitimately loved it! It’s one of the best coffee beers that’s crossed my Table in the past few years. It had tremendous flavor and a great body, and the coffee actually complemented the beer. It wasn’t overdone and it didn’t taste burnt, but the beer also didn’t completely overshadow the coffee component.
Boulevard Brewing really knocked it out of the park with this one.
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Andrew is a husband, father, dog lover, craft beverage enthusiast, content creator, and niche market Internet celebrity. Formerly of A Table in the Corner of the Cafe and The Pulitzer Project and contributor to Barista Magazine and Mental Floss, he’s been writing on the Internet for years.