Highland Brewing Company (Asheville, North Carolina) announced this week that Thunderstruck Coffee Porter will officially make its seasonal return in mid-October.
Thunderstruck Coffee Porter may be a perennial favorite for Highland Brewing, but the folks at the brewery hope to improve on this beer’s success by tweaking the recipe a bit. This year’s release of Thunderstruck will feature two coffee infusions from two bean varietals that were carefully selected from and provided by Dynamite Roasting Company of Black Mountain, North Carolina. A dark roast Mexican coffee blend was first utilized at the end of the boil to extract “the flavors much like the way coffee is made at home.” A lighter Honduran blend was then employed later during the “cold-side part of brewing.” The Honduran beans were added to “a portion of the base beer . . ., allowing the coffee to concentrate, after which the hi-test liquid is injected and circulated into each tank.” To keep each batch as fresh as possible, Dynamite Roasting was an integral part of the brewing schedule by providing freshly ground coffee the morning of each brew day. This level of attention to detail comes through clearly “in the robust, clean coffee flavor that is dominant in this otherwise well balanced porter.”
“There are some really cool parallels in the sensory evaluation of coffee and beer. I’m now able to experience my second favorite beverage with the same amount of depth that I enjoy a good beer,” said Brewmaster Hollie Stephenson.
Thunderstruck Coffee Porter officially launches at a release party at the brewery on Friday, October 14. This seasonal release will then see distribution shortly thereafter. Look for this one in 22 oz. bottles, 6-packs and 12-packs of 12 oz. bottles, and on draft at craft beer establishments in Alabama, Florida and throughout Highland Brewing Company’s distribution footprint. Prost!
Vital Information for Thunderstruck Coffee Porter from Highland Brewing Company
Availability – Seasonal, Winter
Style – American Porter
ABV – 5.8%
IBUs – 26
Malts – Pale Malt, Carmel 60, Chocolate Malt & Midnight Wheat
Hops – Chinook, Hallertau Mittlefrue & German Select
Coffee Supplier – Dynamite Roasting Company
Packaging – 22 oz. bottles, 6-packs and 12-packs of 12 oz. bottles, and draft (1/2bbl & 1/6bbl)
Fun Fact – Highland Brewing Seasonals are named after a feature of the Southern Appalachian landscape. Thunderstruck Ridge, elevation 4680′, is visible from the Blue Ridge Parkway at Milepost 454.4. This area is known for high elevation spruce-fir forest and pristine headwater sources. In this vicinity, you can also visit the Waterrock Knob Visitor Center at Milepost 451.2 on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Enjoy an ideal spot for watching sunrises & sunsets, and a trail leading to the summit of Waterrock Knob.
Highland Brewing (Asheville, North Carolina) has announced that Thunderstruck Coffee Porter is officially back on shelves and taps to serve as the brewery’s Fall/Winter Seasonal.
Mashing In 