I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts.

Brewery: Maui Brewing Co.
Location: Lahaina, Maui, HI
Name: CoCoNut PorTeR
Type: Porter
ABV: 6.0%
Purchased from: Grape & Gourmet, VA Beach
 Price: $2.89

I first encountered this beer through Zane Lamprey's show Three Sheets a few years back and thought to myself "Hmm...coconut beer huh?" I wanted to know how that could happen without tasting like sunscreen lotion smells (to be fair, that's how I feel about coconut rum). In any case, aside from being incredibly jealous of Mr. Lamprey's job, I knew I would hope to have the experience of trying this beer out. Imagine my surprise when I saw it at my local beer shop. All the way from Maui...as if it was a special gift just for me! Also, this was the first sacrificial offering my new mini fridge has bestowed unto me.

CoCoNut PorTeR pours a nice shade of the darkest brown you can imagine. There is a brilliant glint of dark ruby when you hold this up to the light. The head was proud and tall, the sandy color of it contrasted nicely against the rich porter. I can't tell you how eager I was to smell this thing. I was bracing for the worst but got something incredible instead. This beer smells like a Mounds candy bar. The chocolate notes alternate between dark and milk varieties. Roasted coffee is also present in the bouquet as well as a nice amount of dry and unsweetened cocoa powder. I get it, how the hell is dark and milk chocolate AND unsweetened cocoa powder discernible? The dark chocolate notes are slightly bitter, the milk chocolate notes are...well...chocolaty and sweet. And the unsweetened cocoa powder notes are dry and chalky which I feel is best described as chocolate that is earthy in origin. Aside from tasting like a really solid porter, this one has a lot going for it. The somewhat thin body makes for a light mouth feel. The first flavor I pick up is the bittersweet dark chocolate and then roasted coffee mixed with a natural coconut taste. The coconut is not at all overpowering or distracting, it does a really nice job accentuating the other flavors while managing to stand out for a moment. The finish is a creamy milk chocolate note that morphs cleanly into a dry cocoa powder. The coconut does make a bit of an encore, too. I was really glad to not be overwhelmed by coconut flavoring and I'm pleased to say my skepticism was quickly cast aside. However, this is a fantastic beer! It is nice to see Maui Brewing Co. beers becoming available here on the East coast. I strongly urge you to go out and find this beer.

Liquid, alcoholic candy bar > regular candy bar.