Terrapin Single Origin Coffee Stout Sumatra Wahana Natural

Review Date 9/7/2016 By John Staradumsky

You’ve probably heard: Terrapin Brewing Company of Athens, Georgia, is now a subsidiary of MillerCoors. Miller Coors has had a minority stake in Terrapin since 2011, but earlier this year Terrapin sold them a majority stake. To a lot of beer geeks, this is disconcerting (especially since if the proposed acquisition of SAB Miller (owner of Miller Coors) by AB Inbev goes through Terrapin will become part of the Evil AB Empire). Although AB Invbev has agreed to sell off the Miller Coors division, and Terrapin may go with that.

Anyway, lots of craft beer drinkers seem averse to sending their hard-earned cash to the big brewing conglomerates, and while I certainly support small, local brewers myself (drink their beer all the time), let’s be frank: beer is a business. The quaint little notion that all small brewers are somehow saints while all megabrewers are evil is just that: a quaint little notion. For my part, I’ll continue to drink the beer that I like (including Terrapin), as long as it remains the beer I like.

To that end, I give you Terrapin Single Origin Coffee Stout Sumatra Wahana Natural. This beer is part of a 4-pack that includes 4 different coffee stouts, each brewed with a unique roast from Jittery Joe’s coffee here in Georgia. Besides the beer I’m drinking tonight you get stouts brewed with blends from Guatemala, Ethiopia, and the USA.

Terrapin says:

A unique opportunity to taste four distinct single origin coffees from around the world each brewed with the same base stout. Sold as a mixed four pack.

Ingredients for the base stout:

HOPS: Nugget

MALT: 2-Row, Crystal 85, Flaked Barly, Flaked Oats,Chocolate, Blackprinz, Midnight Wheat, Black, Roasted Barley

Terrapin Single Origin Coffee Stout Sumatra Wahana Natural has an alcohol content of 5.7% by volume with 30 IBUs. I paid $12.99 for my 4-pack, and I actually bought a few extras to send to friends. One of my complaints about Terrapin is that their prices sometimes run high, but I don’t think this price is exorbitant for 4 different beers in one 4-pack.

Terrapin Single Origin Coffee Stout Sumatra Wahana Natural pours to a jet black color with a thick creamy head of tan foam and an intense nose of coffee grinds and black coffee. Taking a sip, the beer has a full mouthfeel with a lot more of those straight black coffee roasty notes with dark coffee grind thrown in for good measure. There might be a little bitter dark chocolate here too, and perhaps a bit peppery character, but really this one is all about the roast and it finishes roasty bitter at the last. I didn't get the pineapple or cinnamon Terrapin alludes to.

I really enjoyed this beer and it gets 4.5 stars from me; perhaps more if you love black coffee and really roasty brew. It will be interesting to compare to the other beers in the sampler.

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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