Big Top Brewing Hawaiian Lion
Big Top Brewing Hawaiian Lion is an American Porter brewed with a proprietary blend of Java Dawg coffee and fresh coconut, 7.5% ABV. No package date.
The pour reveals a dark brown color with a light tan fizzy head that settles within about thirty seconds. The aroma at first seemed a bit dominated by a good bit of burnt coffee, but things got more complex as it warmed. Slowly notes of dark chocolate and muted coconut emerge on the nose. A better balance of flavor on the taste, some medium roasted malts and a much milder coffee than I got on the nose are leading off the taste. Semi-sweet chocolate follows right behind the bolder flavors. Just before you think the coconut is never going to appear it comes on strong at the finish blending quite nicely with the chocolate. The beer is a little thin for my tastes, and unfortunately seems a little under carbonated as well.
As this beer warms up the flavor and aroma really starts to mellow and meld. The more I sip on this one, the more I like it.
