Oskar Blues 'Death by Coconut' Irish Style Porter. 6.5% abv. 25 IBU. Dense black, blocks light. Figner of foamy, mocha head. Outstanding retention and lace. Nose of sweet coconut, vanilla, milk chocolate, light herbal. 

Front taste is dark chocolate, coconut, vanilla, sweet dark malt. Aftertaste is bittersweet dark chocolate, coconut liquor, light botanical, light wood, dry finish. Medium body. Mouthfeel is warm, sticky, thick, round, slightly astringent.

This is a solid porter that definitely delivers on its promise of coconut, with chocolate underlining the coconut expression throughout. The warm mouthfeel almost turns hot as the temp rises to room, with a creamy overtone all across. This is one of those rich, flavorful "core" beers that makes for an excellent base for experimental offshoots: barrel aging, liquor additions, dark fruit flavor combos. 

I once had this beer on tap at BC's in Clovis, CA, and I recall it as richer and more intense. Curious if I had a limited edition one-off. No matter. This standard canned version is exceptional. If you love the flavor profile of Almond Joy candy bars, and you love big, rich, full-bodied beers, seek this one out. Well recommended.

From the brewery:

"Pass. Dash. Hit. Intense pure liquid cacao flavors swirl with popping coconut aromas, all supported by a semi-sweet porter made from loads of our dark chocolate and extra dark caramel malt. This limited release specialty comes around once a year to satisfy that sweet tooth, so get ’em while you can before they disappear. At 6.5% ABV and 25 IBUs, this choconut goodness will have you yellin' 'Pass. Dash. Hit.' all winter long."
[source: oskarblues.com]

Wexford Irish Style Créme Ale. 5% abv. Amber-copper color with two fingers of dense white foamy head, the kind that often comes from nitro cans. Superb retention and outstanding lace. Nose of sweet corn, light caramel, bread. Front taste of light malt, herbal hops, slight sweet veggie on the back end. Aftertaste is creamed corn, mild bitter, yeast on the sustain. Medium body. Mouthfeel is cool, creamy, silky, slightly thick, sticky on the front of the tongue.

This is an enjoyable old world beer that has some unexpected macro brew traits. While the head and body are on point with a silky nitro mouthfeel, the aroma and aftertaste bring to mind corn adjunct lagers. To be clear, this is certainly not a cheap adjunct brew, but it has flavors that bring them to mind.

I really wanted to *love* this beer because I have a deep love for old world classics as well as modern craft beers. Sadly, the cheap pedestrian components defy its heritage. The overall taste is pleasant with light malt and a background bitter, but is interrupted by an aftertaste that approaches canned corn. A lot of good and bad stuff here, with the good stuff tipping the scale. Barely.  Mildly recommended.

From the brewery:

"Based on a traditional Irish recipe from County Wexford that dates back to 1810, we use only the best ingredients to ensure that our Wexford Ale has a smooth mellow creaminess we believe you will enjoy... Following in an age-old tradition only the freshest, most natural ingredients are used to create the smooth mellow taste of our Wexford Ale."

[source: can]

Murphy's Irish Stout. 4.0% abv. 34 IBU. Black color once it settles off the pour. Rich creamy tan head that you often get from nitro cans like this. The head is thick and velvety, like melted ice cream. Outstanding retention and superb lace, though calling it 'lace' doesn't quite fit. More like clouds. Nose is faint roasted grain, biscuit, notes of chocolate. First taste is dark roasted grain, black coffee, dark chocolate on the back end. Aftertaste is roasted bittersweet chocolate, espresso, bready grain on the sustain. Medium-full body. Mouthfeel is warm, creamy, dry finish.

This is an excellent example of an Irish dry stout. A classic of its style. Flavors of warm roasted malt, chocolate, and coffee are clear and present from the aroma all the way to the last tilt. Head and body are thick and rich. Wonderful. There's a reason this beer has been made for nearly 160 years. Highly recommended.

From the brewery:

"Murphy's Irish Stout is imported from Ireland. It employs a top fermentation brewing method, using a dark roasted barley malt, with no added preservatives."

[source: murphys.com]

"Since 1856, Murphy's Stout has been brewed in Cork using our authentic recipe. We pride ourselves in only using the finest natural ingredients of pure pale malt, chocolate malt, roasted barley, and hops. Murphy's offers you that uniquely smooth, creamy and wonderfully palatable full-bodied stout flavour with roasted chocolate and coffee undertones and a 'biscuity sweet' pure malt aroma."

[source: can]

To call the outstanding lace 'lacing' doesn't quite fit. It's more like 'clouds'.