Kona Coffee Macademia Coconut Porter

October 28, 11:29 AMSeattle Craft Beer ExaminerHelen Pitlick

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Kona Coffee Macadamia Coconut Porter

Halloween is coming up and that means one thing: candy. Oh sure, to some Halloween equals putting on a costume, but isn't candy the ultimate purpose of wearing a costume? As a child, you dress up so you can trick or treat so you can bring home lots of candy. When I saw Ken Schmidt/Maui Brewing/Stone Brewing Kona Coffee Macadamia Coconut Porter featured at Pike Street Beer and Wine yesterday, I thought one thing: cover it in chocolate and you've got yourself some beer candy.

Kona Coffee Macadamia Coconut Porter (KCMCP for short, or as I've started calling it, KoCoMaCocoPo) is a combination of Kona Coffee, Maui Brewing's Coconut Porter, and AHA March Madness winner Ken Schmidt's Aloha Plenty. It pours with a raven-black body and a luscious, creamy cocoa-colored head that leaves excellent lacing. It has a coffee aroma with a hint of chocolate and coconut, which the Stone Blog describes as a "chocolate macaroon" though to me seems more like some sort of coco-mocha concoction one might pick up at Starbucks.

The mouthfeel is lively for such a strong, sweet, rich, boozy beer. KCMCP's flavor is heavy on the roasted malt and espresso, while the coconut is subtler and comes out on the finish; the macadamia is imperceptible.  Since Kona coffee dominates the palate, leaving the coconut and macadamia nut flavors floating the the ether, KCMCP leaves me wondering if the whole is equal to the sum of the parts. Still, it is very warming and enjoyable, and on a chilly autumn evening, anything that makes my thoughts turn to Hawaii is welcome.

KCMCP is not a party beer. At $7.99 for a 12 oz bottle, it's more Fran's Chocolate than Hershey's product. However, at 8.5% ABV, all you need is one bottle to feel good. KCMCP is the perfect beer to end a long night of trick-or-treating: put the kids to bed, pour one of these babies into a glass, and sit, relax, and enjoy the island flavor.