New Holland Night Tripper

I don't like coffee. The look I get when I tell people that is just about worth the near-constant caffeine-deficiency. "You've just had bad coffee," they tell me. "So have you," I sometimes reply. They shrug it off and tell me I'm wrong. Delusion brought on by addiction is a sad thing to witness.

But that said, context matters and sometimes the bitter coffee bean is more palatable. Desserts, obviously: tiramsu, ice cream. But what I love more than dessert (or, better yet, as a dessert) are stouts and porters, many of which have coffee bonded deep into their DNA. And I don't know if it's the thick body or the alcohol or the fact that it's cold enough when I'm drinking them that I just don't care, but they work in that context. I don't demand that all coffee rise to the heights of a Founders Breakfast Stout or, in this case, New Holland Night Tripper (both, coincidentally, Michigan-natives). But aiming for even a standard coffee stout-level experience would give Starbucks a lot more of my money (though probably a lot less of everybody else's).

Night Tripper pours that sexy none-more-black shade of black that's standard among the style only because nature cannot produce a darker color. It's topped off with a thick, tan head (yes, I read that, too).

There's little scent here, but given Night Tripper's coffee-heavy bent, it's probably for the best in terms of this review (if New Holland cares about my grade, which they almost certainly don't).

As I sometimes fear, the coffee is strong in this one. But, as stated, it works well here--allowing the beerier elements to stand and be counted while being just present enough to augment the favor, rather than dominate. It runs at 11.5% ABV, but doesn't taste it.

Heavy bodied, Night Tripper finishes dry and tantalizing, if not thirst-slaking (but, then, this is beer--it's not meant to do that). I find that stouts often leave the drinker with the sense that they'd like more, but don't need it. This continues the tradition.

Overall, a welcome addition to the style, even if it doesn't push any new boundaries (or perhaps especially because it doesn't). There are times when that's welcome and times when it's not. But a beer that does an ordinary thing to near-perfection usually is.

Grade: A-