Oskar Blues Death by Coconut
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Tasting Notes
The aroma leads with toasted coconut and dark chocolate, layered over the roasted barley backbone you'd expect from an Irish dry stout. On the palate, sweetened coconut and cocoa powder dominate, with bittersweet chocolate and a faint coffee note underneath. The body is medium-full, slightly heavier than a traditional dry stout, which lets the coconut character linger rather than snap off clean. The finish is roasty and moderately bitter, with residual coconut sweetness that fades slowly.
About the Brewery
Oskar Blues is based in Longmont, Colorado, founded in 1997, and is widely credited with pioneering the American craft canned beer movement when they began canning Dale's Pale Ale in 2002. They built their reputation on bold, high-gravity takes across multiple styles — IPAs, stouts, barleywines — and have a national distribution footprint that's unusual for a craft operation. Their lineup tends to skew assertive and high-ABV, and Death by Coconut fits squarely in that philosophy.
Food Pairings
Dark chocolate desserts are a natural match here, since the beer's cocoa character reinforces rather than competes with a brownie or chocolate torte. Coconut-based Thai or Vietnamese curry works well because the beer's sweetness tempers heat while echoing the dish's own coconut milk. A smoked or BBQ pulled pork sandwich pairs usefully, with the roasted malt cutting through fatty richness. Aged cheddar or Gouda provides enough sharpness to contrast the sweet coconut without being overwhelmed by it.
Style Guide
Irish dry stout is defined by its prominent roasted barley character — dry, coffee-like bitterness with minimal residual sweetness and a relatively lean body despite its dark appearance. The style originated in Ireland, with Guinness as the canonical reference point, and typically sits in the 4–5% ABV range, making this example notably stronger than the style benchmark. What separates it from sweeter milk stouts or robust American stouts is that dryness on the finish: roast-forward, low on chocolate sweetness, and built for drinkability. This beer takes the style as a loose framework and layers coconut and chocolate additions on top, pushing it toward adjunct stout territory.