Virtual Craft Beer Tasting Club » Discussions

Porter Beer Tasting: Jan 1 - Jan 15

• HappyHourGuyMark

  

  Member
   

  January 10, 2009

  Smoked Porter
  Captain Lawrence Brewing Co.
  Pleasantiville, NY
  On tap at the brewery
  Very dark, almost black, and surprisingly light for such a rich-looking beer. A tan head, light lacing.
  The smoke provides the foundation, but is accented with notes of cocoa, coffee, and oak. Very earthy, woodsy. Subtle notes of grape-- red wine.
  Complex. The chocolate and coffee really mingle well. The smoke is not overwhelming, but very present.
  creamy, very drinkable.
  This is now a favorite of mine from an up and coming small brewery with a case full of awards.
  
  I should have bought a growler of this, but left with their Nor'Easter ( a Belgian inspired ale brewed with elderberries and aged in bourbon barrels!!) and their limited release Golden Delicious (aged in apple brandy barrels).
  
  Next , I want to try the Harpoon Leviathan Baltic Porter. Actually, REALLY want to try it.
  
  We'll have an interview with Headbrewer/owner Scott Vaccaro on ( www.thehappyhourguys.com ) in a couple of weeks where he discusses his take on porters, stouts, and winter beers. Great guy who makes great beer. No, I don't work for them. :)
  
  www.captainlawrencebrewing.com

  Smoked Porter
  Captain Lawrence Brewing Co.
  Pleasantiville, NY
  On tap at the brewery
  Very dark, almost black, and surprisingly light for such a rich-looking beer. A tan head, light lacing.
  The smoke provides the foundation, but is accented with notes of cocoa, coffee, and oak. Very earthy, woodsy. Subtle notes of grape-- red wine.
  Complex. The chocolate and coffee really mingle well. The smoke is not overwhelming, but very present.
  creamy, very drinkable.
  This is now a favorite of mine from an up and coming small brewery with a case full of awards.
  
  I should have bought a growler of this, but left with their Nor'Easter ( a Belgian inspired ale brewed with elderberries and aged in bourbon barrels!!) and their limited release Golden Delicious (aged in apple brandy barrels).
  
  Next , I want to try the Harpoon Leviathan Baltic Porter. Actually, REALLY want to try it.
  
  We'll have an interview with Headbrewer/owner Scott Vaccaro on ( www.thehappyhourguys.com ) in a couple of weeks where he discusses his take on porters, stouts, and winter beers. Great guy who makes great beer. No, I don't work for them. :)
  
  www.captainlawrencebrewing.com
• oregonbeerlover

  

  Member
   

  January 10, 2009

  St. Peters - Suffolk, England
  Old-Style Porter - 1 pint bottle
  5.1% ABV
  
  Another great beer from St. Peters, this porter fits exactly what I expect a porter to taste like.
  
  Pours out a deep mahogany color, nice tan head, leaves great lacing in glass
  
  Smell: roasted mailt and molasses, coffee and cream
  
  Taste: very smooth and creamy, with very little bitterness, I tasted weak coffee with cream, caramel, light molasses and raisin. Creamy finish
  
  Very nice porter, that I will definitely seek out again. The grade I would give would be an A-
  

  St. Peters - Suffolk, England
  Old-Style Porter - 1 pint bottle
  5.1% ABV
  
  Another great beer from St. Peters, this porter fits exactly what I expect a porter to taste like.
  
  Pours out a deep mahogany color, nice tan head, leaves great lacing in glass
  
  Smell: roasted mailt and molasses, coffee and cream
  
  Taste: very smooth and creamy, with very little bitterness, I tasted weak coffee with cream, caramel, light molasses and raisin. Creamy finish
  
  Very nice porter, that I will definitely seek out again. The grade I would give would be an A-
  
• blankQ

  

  Member
   

  January 13, 2009

  Flying Dog Brewing Co.'s Gonzo Imperial Porter
  
  I really can't describe this porter except that i thoroughly enjoy it.

  Flying Dog Brewing Co.'s Gonzo Imperial Porter
  
  I really can't describe this porter except that i thoroughly enjoy it.
• stoutgirl

  

  Member
   

  January 14, 2009

  pulled a Road Dog Porter by Flying Dog out of the cellar the other night. Was thinking I needed to drink it, 'cause it was getting old. WOW! It was fantastic! I thought they were going to discontinue this beer, but it's still on their web site. Gonna go get some more, and stick THOSE in the cellar.
  Will take better notes next time.

  pulled a Road Dog Porter by Flying Dog out of the cellar the other night. Was thinking I needed to drink it, 'cause it was getting old. WOW! It was fantastic! I thought they were going to discontinue this beer, but it's still on their web site. Gonna go get some more, and stick THOSE in the cellar.
  Will take better notes next time.
• stoutgirl

  

  Member
   

  January 14, 2009

  Founders Porter. Founders just started bottling this beer again. Lucky us! The bottle says: dark, rich & sexy. Very roasty, like having another cup of coffee. A friend of mine compared it to the first Breakfast Stout from Founders.Delicious.

  Founders Porter. Founders just started bottling this beer again. Lucky us! The bottle says: dark, rich & sexy. Very roasty, like having another cup of coffee. A friend of mine compared it to the first Breakfast Stout from Founders.Delicious.
• IPAMAN1

  

  Member
   

  January 14, 2009

  "DRANK THIS BEER AND COULDN'T SEE RUSSIA FROM MY HOUSE THROUGH ALL THE SMOKE!"
  
  Okay, so I too tried the Alaskan Brew Co 2008 Smoked porter.
  You can check out the afforementioned AVB ratings..etc. in previous postings
  
  POUR: Thick and dark as midnight. So dark as a matter of fact that I bet you could put an unexposed roll of film in the glass pour in the beer and take it into direct sunlight and the film would still be unexposed. (you all remember film..the funny stuff they used to put in cameras to record images on?)
  
  HEAD: Not too foamy and tight creamy body.
  
  NOSE: Duh..slightly smokey..alderwood or charcoal
  
  FIRST TASTE: Like inhaling smoke..."Somebody call the fire department! There's got to be a fire near by! " Back of my throat feels like I'm in the middle of a forrest fire. Very intense smokiness that I could never of imagined from a beer. More than I was expecting to taste.
  
  SECOND TASTE: Creamer finish than the first taste. Rounded flavor that continued to sit at the back of my mouth. My upper palate I notice feels soft and warm. Dark chocolate? ... Really growing on me.
  
  SOME REFLECTION:
  I think this beer deserves to be served in a "True Pint" glass. I'm a fan of smokiness. I love the Islay single malt scotches and this beer gave me the equivolent experience as my favorite single malt, "Lagavulin". At the halfway point I really started to get a nice feel for the malt and this created an anticipation for the next taste. I really enjoyed savoring this beer, The 6.5 alcohol content was more virtually invisible behind all of the flavors.
  
  FOOD PAIRINGS:
  I think obviously to me this would be wonderful beer to serve with a platter of smoked salmon with cream cheese and capers on toast. maybe sweet apples and sharp cheddar? I would consider testing this beer with some other fish such as steelhead, or trout?
  
  I can see how this may not be the beer for you if you lean towards lighter wheats or lambics. May be a little too intense for serving with some meals. It is a very specific beer, and when served should be a deliberate offering. The 1pt 6oz bottle was comfortable enough to share with a friend (....maybe next time.)
  
  I've put this beer down as a "definately do again" beer in my notebook.

  "DRANK THIS BEER AND COULDN'T SEE RUSSIA FROM MY HOUSE THROUGH ALL THE SMOKE!"
  
  Okay, so I too tried the Alaskan Brew Co 2008 Smoked porter.
  You can check out the afforementioned AVB ratings..etc. in previous postings
  
  POUR: Thick and dark as midnight. So dark as a matter of fact that I bet you could put an unexposed roll of film in the glass pour in the beer and take it into direct sunlight and the film would still be unexposed. (you all remember film..the funny stuff they used to put in cameras to record images on?)
  
  HEAD: Not too foamy and tight creamy body.
  
  NOSE: Duh..slightly smokey..alderwood or charcoal
  
  FIRST TASTE: Like inhaling smoke..."Somebody call the fire department! There's got to be a fire near by! " Back of my throat feels like I'm in the middle of a forrest fire. Very intense smokiness that I could never of imagined from a beer. More than I was expecting to taste.
  
  SECOND TASTE: Creamer finish than the first taste. Rounded flavor that continued to sit at the back of my mouth. My upper palate I notice feels soft and warm. Dark chocolate? ... Really growing on me.
  
  SOME REFLECTION:
  I think this beer deserves to be served in a "True Pint" glass. I'm a fan of smokiness. I love the Islay single malt scotches and this beer gave me the equivolent experience as my favorite single malt, "Lagavulin". At the halfway point I really started to get a nice feel for the malt and this created an anticipation for the next taste. I really enjoyed savoring this beer, The 6.5 alcohol content was more virtually invisible behind all of the flavors.
  
  FOOD PAIRINGS:
  I think obviously to me this would be wonderful beer to serve with a platter of smoked salmon with cream cheese and capers on toast. maybe sweet apples and sharp cheddar? I would consider testing this beer with some other fish such as steelhead, or trout?
  
  I can see how this may not be the beer for you if you lean towards lighter wheats or lambics. May be a little too intense for serving with some meals. It is a very specific beer, and when served should be a deliberate offering. The 1pt 6oz bottle was comfortable enough to share with a friend (....maybe next time.)
  
  I've put this beer down as a "definately do again" beer in my notebook.
• oregonbeerlover

  

  Member
   

  January 16, 2009

  Sneaking one in a little late....
  
  Midnight Sun Brewery - Anchorage, AK
  Arctic Rhino Coffee Porter
  5.0% ABV
  
  Appearance - This porter poured out dark, almost black, like coffee, tan head dissipated quickly
  
  Aroma - definite coffee dominance in the aroma, slight caramel
  
  Taste - Coffee! Unfortunately not the coffee and cream that I like, more like burnt coffee grounds, dominating the malt that would have rounded out the flavor, no hoppiness at all, kind of weak
  
  Not my favorite. Should have tried it with some chocolate, might have improved the flavor.
  
  I would have to give this one a C.
  

  Sneaking one in a little late....
  
  Midnight Sun Brewery - Anchorage, AK
  Arctic Rhino Coffee Porter
  5.0% ABV
  
  Appearance - This porter poured out dark, almost black, like coffee, tan head dissipated quickly
  
  Aroma - definite coffee dominance in the aroma, slight caramel
  
  Taste - Coffee! Unfortunately not the coffee and cream that I like, more like burnt coffee grounds, dominating the malt that would have rounded out the flavor, no hoppiness at all, kind of weak
  
  Not my favorite. Should have tried it with some chocolate, might have improved the flavor.
  
  I would have to give this one a C.
  
• ilovebeer

  

  Member
   

  January 19, 2009

  Meantime's London Porter
  
  Smooth, full flavored, moderately strong ale with a nice creamy head. This ale epitomizes a euro porter for me, slightly less in carbonation than some, and is slightly less dark as well. Theres still ample roasty malt notes here which lean more toward chocolate sweetness and away from coffee bitterness, but does have a pronouns coffee on the tongue.
  
  What really makes this ale stand out is how creamy it is without the cloying sweetness which typifies a some brown ales.Being a british micro (craft beer) its not an extreme ale but it has a respectable 6.5% abv. This is a porter that I could drink any time and all the time. well balanced between hops and malts, complex in flavor, and rich, smooth, creamy and full bodied.
  
  Overall B++

  Meantime's London Porter
  
  Smooth, full flavored, moderately strong ale with a nice creamy head. This ale epitomizes a euro porter for me, slightly less in carbonation than some, and is slightly less dark as well. Theres still ample roasty malt notes here which lean more toward chocolate sweetness and away from coffee bitterness, but does have a pronouns coffee on the tongue.
  
  What really makes this ale stand out is how creamy it is without the cloying sweetness which typifies a some brown ales.Being a british micro (craft beer) its not an extreme ale but it has a respectable 6.5% abv. This is a porter that I could drink any time and all the time. well balanced between hops and malts, complex in flavor, and rich, smooth, creamy and full bodied.
  
  Overall B++
• oregonbeerlover

  

  Member
   

  January 28, 2009

  
  The Famous Taddy Porter, 5.00% ABVSamuel Smith Old Brewery, Tadcaster, EnglandThis Famous Taddy Porter from Samuel Smith in Tadcaster, England pours out black in color with a good, thick, tan colored head that hangs around. Bread, roasted malt, nuts, coffee and chocolate along with some sweetness come through on the nose. The flavor is very rich, almost stout like, semi-sweet with coffee, dark chocolate, smoke and nuts. On the finish there is a little bitterness to go with the sweetness. A very robust, full bodied porter. Excellent lacing on the glass. This porter really impressed me. I will have to keep some on hand at all times.
  
  
  Finally got around to trying this beer. It was very good, as is almost everything from Sammy Smith. Definitely rich and stout like. Good stuff!

  [quote=Mark]
  The Famous Taddy Porter, 5.00% ABVSamuel Smith Old Brewery, Tadcaster, EnglandThis Famous Taddy Porter from Samuel Smith in Tadcaster, England pours out black in color with a good, thick, tan colored head that hangs around. Bread, roasted malt, nuts, coffee and chocolate along with some sweetness come through on the nose. The flavor is very rich, almost stout like, semi-sweet with coffee, dark chocolate, smoke and nuts. On the finish there is a little bitterness to go with the sweetness. A very robust, full bodied porter. Excellent lacing on the glass. This porter really impressed me. I will have to keep some on hand at all times.
  [/quote]
  
  Finally got around to trying this beer. It was very good, as is almost everything from Sammy Smith. Definitely rich and stout like. Good stuff!
• Deleted Member

  
   

  July 13, 2009

  
  Flying Dog Brewing Co.'s Gonzo Imperial Porter
  
  I really can't describe this porter except that i thoroughly enjoy it.
  
  
  I'm having one right now and that is also my impression!
  

  [quote=blankQ]
  Flying Dog Brewing Co.'s Gonzo Imperial Porter
  
  I really can't describe this porter except that i thoroughly enjoy it.
  [/quote]
  
  I'm having one right now and that is also my impression!