Rye Porter

Tasted while staying at the Ries' house for the weekend in Iowa City. I bought a mix and match six pack of this brewery and another since I'm not able to get these in the QC. Tasted midday Saturday while writing my philosophy paper.

Appearance: Very dark, almost black looking. Minimal off white/tan foamed head. Quick dissipation leaves a thin film. Some carbonation visible. Wet, but sticky lacing

Aroma: Coffee is the initial sensation of this beer, followed by robust chocolate malt and roasted barley. A nice spicing settles the finish of the beer. Sweet and malty. Rye spicing and dryness complement the end.

Taste: Mild roasted malt with a bit of a burnt tinge at the end. Less chocolate in the flavor but still some residual caramel malt makes its way through. The rye spicing is a nice complement to the finishing dryness from both the Belgium yeast and the roastiness of the grains and their tannins. Lacking the sweetness in the general flavor. Aftertaste leaves a bit of fruitiness that when you swallow, really reveals itself. Perhaps some honey-like sweetness can be drawn out in the foretaste sweetness. Some smokiness is also a consistent characteristic in the finish.
Mouthfeel: Sharp carbonation sparks over the tongue. It tends to loosen the body and make it a lot lighter than it really is. More soda textured than a porter. Very dry.
Overall Impression: Not really what I was expecting. Still flavorful but generally unbalanced. I liked the combination of malt and Belgium yeast bu I guess I would have liked more rye (of course!). Nevertheless this is more of a bitter porter.

 
80/100