Death By Coconut would open with Gilligan taking a snooze under a coconut tree. After some volcanic activity on the island which triggers a mild earthquake, Gilligan gets hit on the head by a coconut. This of course leads to an extended dream sequence which leaves viewers wondering what was real and what was imagined during each episode. Think equal parts Twin Peaks, Mulholland Drive, and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.
As I was thinking about all of this Gilligan's Island nonsense, I thought for sure that I was having an original thought, but let's face it, unless you've been living under a rock for the past 25 years and never turned on a television (or went to a movie theater), then you would know that these "plot twist" things have been done many many times. Then again, since we're talking about Hollywood where everybody steals ideas from each other on a regular basis, I guess having an unoriginal thought isn't all that bad. I mean, wasn't Lost essentially a serious version of Gilligan's Island?
Now that I've gone way off course (much like the fearless crew of the S.S. Minnow), let's right the ship and get on with a review of the the real Death By Coconut, an Irish Porter brewed by Oskar Blues of Logmont, Colorado. Here's what Oskar Blues has to say about this seasonal brew that's available during the winter months:
Intense fresh cacao flavors swirl with popping coconut aromas, all supported by a semi-sweet porter made from loads of 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.
And here's what I thought about it...
- Appearance: Deep, dark mahogany color. Fizzy carbonation when first poured. A tan head rapidly forms, but alas, it fizzles quickly too, leaving no trace of its existence.
- Aroma: Chocolate is front and center when you take that first sniff, but not of the candy bar variety. I'm thinking Bosco or Hershey's Chocolate Syrup. Medium roast coffee shows up next. After that, the toasted coconut notes make an appearance. It all adds up to leave me craving a Mounds candy bar (for our British followers out there, think Bounty candy bar).
- Taste: The carbonation is somewhat fizzy and highly reminiscent of Seltzer water. Given its moderately high ABV, there is very little alcohol coming through. As far as the taste goes, the flavors are as advertised, i.e. milk or semi-sweet chocolate followed immediately by those subtle toasted coconut flavors. It doesn't taste very much like a Mounds or Bounty bar because it's nowhere near as sweet. There's just a hint of bitterness in the finish and there's a hint of astringency too. The fizzy carbonation and subtle chocolate/coconut flavors leave me with memories of a well-crafted chocolate egg cream.
- ABV: 6.5%
I really enjoyed Death By Coconut. It has a light and somewhat refreshing quality which is somewhat surprising given how dark of a beer it is. I'm thinking that it would make a great after-dinner beer. One to be had on its own, or alongside a slice of Cheesecake or Coconut Cream Pie.