Short's Brewing Company- Cup A Joe: When the detour is the best part of the trip
Monday, February 21, 2011 at 4:13PM | by Steve 
It has been quite a while since I’ve been able to find the time to write my thoughts about my favorite topic, beer. I’ve been working a lot and in the middle of planning a couple of large projects. As time progresses I may fill you all in on what is in the works, so look forward to that. So with all my excuses aside, I have indeed found some time now so here I go.
A while back a few friends went on a trip to Michigan to pick up a dog. The Dog was named Duchess after the Belgian beer, Duchesse De Bourgogne, but that is another story. While in Michigan they took a detour to pick up several beers that aren’t distributed in Illinois so that we could try them. One such beer was Cup Of Joe by Short’s Brewing Company. I am a big fan of coffee stout and I’ve had quite a few, so there is a bit of competition for my favor, but I am excited.
The brew pours into my globe glass pitch black and almost no head comes along for the ride. I did pour quite aggressively and a small dark tan head was all that emerged. In the aroma I found the obvious coffee along with notes of caramel and roasted malt. As I sip Cup Of Joe, I taste coffee up front followed by chocolate and a bitter roasty finish. The mouthfeel is quite thin and unimpressive for my taste.
I really enjoyed drinking Cup Of Joe, but when drinking a stout at 8% abv I expect the mouthfeel to be substantial and I enjoy when it is substantial. The flavors and aromas left me well pleased and I would not hesitate to recommend this to friends. Thanks Pam, Dale, Tommy, & Lisa for bringing this back. Cheers!
ABV: 8.0%
Consumed: Mother Earth Pint Glass
Verdict: Buy a Twelve Pack!
