Chicagoist's 'Beer of the Week:' Hinterland's 'Luna' Coffee Stout

By Jason Baldacci in Food on Dec 7, 2012 9:40PM

Every now and then, it's nice to find a full flavored beer that's not strong enough to knock you upside down after you've only finished one.

Our pick for such a thing is the 'Luna' Coffee Stout from Hinterland Brewing Co. Some diehard Chicagoans might have a hard time with the fact that it's from Green Bay, WI, but most of those issues will clear up after the first sip. On tap, 'Luna' is poured with nitrogen to lend an incredibly smooth creaminess. Since nitrogen is a much less permeable gas than CO2, it takes a lot longer to dissolve into beer, which is why nitrogen-poured beers cascade in the glass the way they do. Even with that added creaminess, 'Luna' is relatively light in body for being so complex and packed with flavor. The beer is bone-dry, and the coffee they brew with is very balanced. It's present in the aroma, but not overwhelming, and it plays very nicely on the palate with the roasty bitterness of the malts. There's a backbone of rounded chocolate malt towards the finish with a touch of smoke, hints of dark, caramelized fruits, and a whisper of herbal hops. At 5.8% alcohol content, the 'Luna' Coffee Stout is soft on the palate and very easy to drink.

Your best bet for pairing 'Luna' with food would be with dessert, due to the coffee in the brew. That being said, there's no reason why you couldn't try it out with a steak, or another piece of red meat that came off of the grill. A little char would play nicely against the coffee and other roasty notes in the beer. You could even try 'Luna' with a bowl of chili, and if you're making a pot of your own at home, don't be shy about adding a little beer right into the recipe.

Try the 'Luna' Coffee Stout on tap this week at Small Bar in Logan Square, or in 16-ounce bottles wherever fine beer is sold.