Glassware: A beer featuring coconut and chocolate needs to be experienced to the fullest and glassware that helps capture the wonderful aromatics is an absolute must. Stemmed glassware such as a flute glass or snifter will work quite well as will a Spiegelau stout glass, the trick is to find glassware that helps warm the beer up slowly to fully unleash the aroma.
Description: Death by Coconut pours very dark brown with light khaki colored head that leaves a web of lacing on the glass. The aroma is just what you would expect and want from this beer, very coconut and chocolate forward with backing notes of roasted malts. The taste follows the nose again being dominated by coconut and chocolate with hints of caramel cascading in and out making for an extremely delicious beer, but before the sweetness completely takes over, it disappears and does not overstay its welcome. The subtle roasted malt notes provide perfect balance from the sweetness and offers a touch of bitterness to the beer to keep it from becoming to cloying. The medium body and carbonation are perfect for the style and give this beer its incredibly smooth mouthfeel. A world class example of an English Porter and a must try beer!
Food Pairing: Death by Coconut is without a doubt a phenomenal beer to have on hand for desserts, and in the winter months there are plenty of desserts handy. For a wonderful counterpoint pairing, try with authentic Mexican mole Negro, the touches of spice from the dish with make for a wonderful flavor addition with the sweetness of the chocolate and coconut. If you are a true chocoholic though pairing this beer with chocolate-based desserts will most definitely send you into a chocolate induced coma, try pairing with a chocolate soufflé, chocolate truffles, or chocolate cake and do not be afraid to add any coconut to these desserts for an extra intense pairing. If you enjoy more simple, straight forward beer and food pairings then simply grab yourself some delicious vanilla bean ice cream and add a scoop to a glass of Death by Coconut for a sweet, creamy treat that will make you feel like you died and went to heaven!
The Final Word: Death by Coconut has long been one of Oskar Blues most sought after beers and has for quite some time been only available in the brewery’s home state of Colorado. However, earlier this year this world class beer was released upon the American public nationwide. This has been so sought after not because of the scarcity, but because it is simply just that good of a beer. The aroma, silky smooth body, and strong tastes of chocolate and coconut are perfectly placed into a well brewed English porter. While the beer may sound sweet, it is instead perfectly balanced with just the right amount of chocolate and coconut cutting through and not fatiguing the palate at all. While there are certainly many ways to die, Death by Coconut does not sound like a bad way to go! Get this beer while you still can!
