According to Kent Falls' website, the idea is to focus on the flavors of hops independent of bitterness. Naturally, most beer drinkers associate more hops with a more bitter profile; this of course isn't always true and Kent Falls has sought to highlight this. This is batch #5, with the previous four batches made with coffee from Irving Farm Coffee Roasters in Millerton, NY.
It pours a hazy, dull yellow - unusual for a coffee beer. Interestingly, it's very dry, presenting some some juicy flavors, but mostly crisp - like pear and green apple. It even has some notes that remind me of a very crisp saison. I'm also detecting a bit of funk, which is of course that Brett yeast coming through. Overall a light and crisp pale ale, and refreshing. Only one pressing question:
It pours a hazy, dull yellow - unusual for a coffee beer. Interestingly, it's very dry, presenting some some juicy flavors, but mostly crisp - like pear and green apple. It even has some notes that remind me of a very crisp saison. I'm also detecting a bit of funk, which is of course that Brett yeast coming through. Overall a light and crisp pale ale, and refreshing. Only one pressing question:
Where's the coffee?
I don't detect a single note of coffee throughout the entire thing. I gave some to my brother and mother - same story. I understand that the point is not for the beer to present typical hop flavors, but I would have liked at least a little hint of the winey, earthy flavors present in Ethiopian coffee. But no such luck. I think in terms of depth of flavor, this is on-par with the "Lade Øl", the other Kent Falls beer I tried a few years ago. Light, soft, and generally timid. I appreciate the craft, and these kind of soft beers can be good but personally I'll need a little more flavor to really capture my attention. If you like your saisons on the dry side and don't mind not having any coffee in them, then give this a go. If you're looking for something with stronger flavor, perhaps look elsewhere.
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