Saturdays, I’m usually working out the calendar for the week ahead, and it’s coming up. But I’ve got beers in the fridge and meat in the freezer, and I need to make some meals ahead of time for next week. So here goes with a beer I bought myself to review.
Revolution Brewing’s REVved Up is a collaboration with Upland Brewing Co. of Bloomington, Indiana. It’s a brown ale, infused with Chicago’s Dark Matter Coffee, brewed and canned at Revolution. Meantime, Upland did a REVved Up Blond Ale, also with Dark Matter coffee.
From the first popping of the can, I get a nose of mocha java coffee. It pours brown, of course, with a haze that shows minimal filtering.
The brown ale base gives a nice malt backbone that works together with the coffee infusion. The malt is roasty as a coffee bean, and it also brings up some sweetness that stands the coffee flavor up on its own. Some sips gave me a note of chili pepper for some reason, but then it also has an impression of earthy English hops. Hey, I just write down my impressions as I’m tasting. It’s a standard 5.5% abv, but it does get my toes a little tingly after I’ve finished it. I doubt there’s much that’ll keep me awake tonight, just the happy memory of a well-tuned beer with coffee as a bonus.
I’d pick a coffee beer for desert, or even for breakfast, if you;re so inclined. This one is also malty enough to go with roast meats.
