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Morning Star

Smithers Brewing Company
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🌍 Canada · Coffee Lager · One of 1 Coffee Lagers in hopIQ

A lager brewed with coffee from a roaster in the same valley. The coffee sits in the aroma as roast and cocoa without taking the beer over, and the lager base stays visible underneath: light bready malt, low bitterness, a clean fermentation character. The finish is dry rather than sweet, and the roast fades quickly instead of clinging, which keeps the beer closer to a lager than to a stout.

ABV
5.1%
Bitterness
Lightly bitter
Roasted bitterness
SRM
pale gold4
How it drinks· Its pace, balance and relationship to the style.
Pace
sessionsipper
Balance
malt-ledhop-led
Taste structure· The backbone of the beer, regardless of style.
Body
lightfull-bodied
Sweetness
drysweet
Bitterness
mildbitter
Texture
crispcreamy
hopIQ take

Crisp mouthfeel.

The texture leads here, with everything else held in gentle reserve.

Wider bands mean we're less certain about the exact position.
Character· What makes this beer itself — not just another Coffee Lager.
Malt character
coffee
roasted
bready
chocolate
malty
Fermentation & yeast
clean
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Tasting Notes

AI-generated sensory profile for Morning Star

Appearance

Light straw gold with excellent clarity and bright, clean transparency. A modest white head forms and recedes quickly, leaving only trace lacing on the glass. Fine carbonation evident throughout.

straw goldclear and brightlight carbonation

Aroma

Coffee dominates the nose with roasted grain and cocoa undertones, yet the lager base remains perceptible beneath. The coffee presence is confident without overwhelming; bready malt notes provide a grounding counterpoint. No harsh or clinging roast character—the overall impression stays balanced and approachable.

coffee, roast, cocoalight bread maltclean fermentation

Taste

Entry is dry and crisp, with coffee and light roasted grain flavors taking the lead. Mid-palate shows bready malt and a delicate chocolate note; bitterness remains restrained and well-integrated. The coffee fades steadily rather than lingering, preserving the clean lager character and keeping sweetness minimal.

dry, roastedlow bitternesscrisp and clean

Finish

Short to medium finish with the roast character dissipating quickly. The aftertaste is dry and refreshing, leaving only a faint malt and coffee memory.

dry finishrefreshing fade
78
hopIQ score
Aroma
80
Taste
78
Appearance
82
Finish
75
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Serve & Enjoy

How to get the most out of Morning Star

Serve at 4–7°C
Refrigerate, then rest 2 min

Serve at 4–7°C for the best flavour balance and aroma expression.

Stein
Recommended for this style

The sturdy German stein maintains temperature and keeps carbonation intact. Built for long, convivial drinking.

Store in a cool, dark place. Check the best-before date on the label for guidance.

Food Pairing

What to eat with Morning Star

About Coffee Lager

Style guide · what to expect · how to find alternatives

What is a Coffee Lager?

Coffee Lager is a distinctive beer style with its own characteristic flavour, aroma and colour. Discover what makes it unique and find similar beers on hopIQ.

Finding a similar Coffee Lager

hopIQ matches by flavor profile — not just style label. A beer with the same coffee, dry, roasted character as Morning Star will score highly even if brewed in a different country or under a different sub-style name.

WHERE TO BUY

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