Of late, I’m seeing a lot of coffee stouts, most of them based on a milk stout. This is nothing new, of course, as Redhook was doing a Double Black Stout with coffee all the way back in the 90s. One of the most impressive to me has been the Narragansett Autocrat Coffee Milk Stout, a recent arrival, and one on the milder side-it’s actually based more on the Rhode Island state drink, coffee milk (think chocolate milk but made with a coffee syrup) than on coffee.

On the other end of the spectrum we have Starr Hill Little Red Roostarr Coffee Cream Stout, a beer that absolutely screams freshly brewed black coffee. They call it a cream stout, based on a milk stout (the two names are synonymous really). I’ll let Starr Hill tell you a little more. From the label:

Starr Hill’s Little Red Roostarr Coffee Cream Stout is a full-bodied milk stout brewed with a special blend of coffee from our friends at Red Rooster Coffee Roasters in Floyd, Virginia. Complex malt sweetness, chocolate and caramel notes come from five different malts, creating a robust stout base. The addition of coffee adds nearly all roasted character and heady aroma, such as cocoa, macadamia nuts and burnt caramel.

Starr Hill beers only recently arrived in Georgia, and I’ve been enjoying each one that I’ve tried, mostly on tap at Taco Mac. Starr Hill Little Red Roostarr Coffee Cream Stout I bought in a bomber bottle at Total Wine for $7.95, about average in price these days I think. Alcohol content is 5.8% by volume with 19 IBUS. My bottle was packaged on 2-21-2014.

Ingredients from the website:

Malted Barley: Two Row, Carafa, Caramel & Wheat

Kettle Hops: East Kent Goldings

Yeast:  Ale Yeast

Starr Hill Little Red Roostarr Coffee Cream Stout pours to a jet black color with a moderate creamy tan head and a sinfully rich roasty nose of light chocolate and intense coffee notes. Taking a sip, the beer is smooth and creamy (as the name implies), chocolaty and roasty up front with just buckets full of coffee flavor and subtle undertones of caramel. This one really packs a big black coffee punch, and if you love your morning java as much as your evening beer, this is the one for you. I also love how well balanced in the finish with minty grassy herbal hops and roasty bitterness this beer is.

Starr Hill Little Red Roostarr Coffee Cream Stout is a winner, and a marriage of two roasted treats. Don’t miss it!

And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.

*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.

(B)=Bottled

(D)=Draft



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