In honor of our self-proclaimed National "Drink a Good Canned Beer" Day we've decided to crack open my last can of CoCoNut Porter and revise a review that was written quite some time ago. 

From the Maui Brewing site:

"Our CoCoNut Porter is a fresh handcrafted robust porter brewed with six varieties of malted barley, hops, and hand-roasted coconut. It begins with a malty-toasted coconut aroma followed by a rich silky feel with tastes of dark malt, chocolate, and hints of coffee. It then finishes with flavors of toasted coconut and hoppy spice to balance the finish."

Here we go...

Pour - dark, dark brown almost black in color. Light really can't penetrate this dark a beer. The head is thin and coffee colored, it slowly sinks into the depths of the abyss.

Aroma - cocoa, coffee grounds, dark chocolate, vanilla, caramel, malt and perhaps a smell that could be coconut but its hard to not pick it apart.

Taste - wow, the first thing you notice is how smooth this is. It really is silky as far as mouthfeel goes. Lots of dark malty flavors along with cocoa powder, vanilla, fudgesicles and plenty of coconut. The coconut flavor is very well done, its not overdone and it doesn't taste like a shot of coconut syrup. Its got a toasty quality too it, sort of like a macaroon. Lots of great flavors, absolutely delicious.  

Overall - I love the whole idea of a coconut porter and this one is done so well. I love this beer. If you have the chance to try it make sure you do.

Note - Maui also cans their Bikini Blonde and their Big Swell IPA. I need to get my hands on those and give them a shot. 

Also, Stone Brewing Company recently brewed a beer with Maui Brewing and homebrew winner Ken Schmidt called "Aloha Plenty". This was a coconut porter brewed with Kona coffee and macadamia nuts. Sounds incredible. Mahalo.

Ska Brewing out in Durango, Colorado jumped on the "canned" wagon pretty early on and has been doing very well ever since. I'm really hoping to see some more offerings in cans from them soon.

From the Ska Brewing site:

"This English Special Bitter is our "Special Ale". Special because it was the second canned microbrew in the nation (after Dale's Pale Ale). Special because the galena hops and pale ale malts create a crisp first sip, a hoppy tongue, and a malty sweet finish. Though "bitter" is part of the name, "better" would be a more accurate term. Fresh and lively, this canned beer suits the needs of any outdoor enthusiast. Like it says on the can: Fish, Luau, Golf, Raft, Togboggan. Ska Can!"

Here we go...

Pour - peachy brownish-orange, sort of murky and hazy with a tight, thick off-white foamy head. 

Aroma - malt extract, yeasty and lemon and/or orange peel. This is a tough beer to really place as far as the aroma goes. Its not overly strong smelling and the aromas I do get are all pretty basic. 

Taste - initial tastes are tangy sweet malt, caramel, a bit of orange along with slight hints of aged hops. Not too sweet and not too bitter, this one falls right in the middle. Some bready or biscuity flavors are in the finish along with some butteriness. 

Overall - A blend of malty sweetness and tangy bitterness this is a very easy drinking option to the all too familiar Amber Ale.

Note - Ska Brewing also cans their Modus Hoperandi IPA and True Blonde Ale. We highly recommend both if you can get you hands on them!