Beer of the Weekend #929: Tip the Cow

Guess what I did last weekend. I reviewed a beer that has made me curious for a while: Tip the Cow, brewed by SingleSpeed Brewing of Waterloo, Iowa.

Tip the Cow

The color is black, which appears opaque. A finger of dense crema-colored head settles slowly. There are scents of coffee, dark chocolate, lots o’ roast, some caramel, and a hint of cherry. The mouthfeel is smooth and creamy, and there are flavors of coffee, chocolate, lactose, and caramel. Each sip is a little off for me, and I’m wondering if it’s the lactose. Maybe the coffee and milk elements are a bad combination for my taste buds; maybe I want either/or but not both at the same time. It’s also been a long time since I drank a really dark beer, so that could be the issue. Regardless, the espresso bitterness stings the tonsils. It has a dark fruit element, but I can’t pin it down (maybe cherry or dark berries). It also has a touch of smoke. The roast dominates.

Fun facts about Tip the Cow:

• Style: Milk stout.

• Price: $9.99 for a six-pack of 12-ounce cans at the New Pioneer Food Co-op in Iowa City.

• Alcohol content: 6.2 percent ABV.

• IBU: 34.

• Calories: 225 (estimate).

• Here’s the description via the can and SingleSpeed website:

Have you ever reveled in the essence of a chocolate-covered espresso bean? How about in the form of a beer? This full bodied, creamy, milk stout has been touched by the gentle hand of Sidecar Coffee Roasters, resulting in a rich, but smooth option, boasting notes of roast and cocoa alongside velvety sweetness.

• I bought a six-pack of Tip the Cow instead of a sixer of Gable, SingleSpeed’s helles. Gable would have been a better pick given last weekend’s titanic wrestling meet between Penn State and Iowa. D’oh!


The Quiet Man’s grade: C+.

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