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O’Fallon Brewery – (Pre-Release) Ginger Jo Latté

Brewery O'Fallon Brewery
Location Maryland Heights, MO
Style Spiced Coffee Ale
 ABV 6.5%
 IBUs 12
Release Information Only Available in the Snow Pack Seasonal Variety Pack on shelves NOW!

 

We’ve packed all the flavors of the season into O’Fallon’s new Ginger Jo Latté. Lots of caramel and coffee malt give this beer a bready sweetness to create the essence of gingerbread. Our friends at Ronnoco Coffee provided their Black Ice coffee, plus we added our proprietary spice blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, clove and ginger. Then we dosed this beautiful brown ale with milk sugar to create that smooth Latté creaminess.

 

Available as 12oz bottles in our Snow Pack Seasonal Variety Pack only.

 

Justin:

Aroma - Definite ginger and cinnamon escape from the glass as you pour the beer. Clove and nutmeg soon follow and actually are a little stronger than the ginger and cinnamon. The coffee is the last thing that you're able to smell and it comes across as black and cold brewed. As the beer warms up, these aromas actually start to blend together with the coffee getting a little stronger and the overall idea of the beer coming to fruition.
Appearance - The beer pours lighter than I expected based on the style. It's a honey colored deep gold or light amber and has a head that's an eggshell white and while small, clings to the glass as you drink the beer.
Flavor - Well. They tell you what to expect right on the bottle but it's still a little alarming that it tasted like a damn gingerbread latte. The coffee is much more present here than in the aroma and its earthiness does a great job of making sure the sweetness of the beer doesn't get out of control. The biggest of the spices might be the clove but they're all in great balance. The finish is big coffee and is slightly dry.
Mouthfeel - The body is medium+ and the carbonation is medium. The body does a great job of carrying all of the flavors in this beer because were it thinner, they could be overwhelming.
Overall Impression - First off, holy cow. It tastes like a daggum gingerbread latte but make sure you let it warm up for a few minutes before drinking. Second off, I'm not sure how many I could drink (my guess is two back-to-back). It's delicious but the flavors are not something I could personally sip on all night (I'm not a big fan of Christmas ales either so this is just a personal preference). Hell yeah you should drink this over the holidays. Hell yeah you should wait until dessert to pop one open. It'll go much better with your cookies and cupcakes than it will with your turkey and taters. My fantasy as I drank it? 10% ABV and bourbon barrel aged. I could see this one being O'Fallon's first big "whale" if they went down that road.

 

Pre-Release (no rating)
  • Aroma
  • Appearance
  • Flavor
  • Mouthfeel
  • Overall
Justin Phelps

Justin Phelps

Co-Founder at Saint Brewis
Justin Phelps is a Certified Cicerone® who was born and raised in St. Louis. His passion for beer goes beyond just drinking it as he is also an award-winning home brewer. While he may be a marketing professional by day, he's a blogger, brewery hopper, and beer enthusiast by night.

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