Badger Porter

Tasted Sunday following a clean-up of the basement and the chicken room. We usually put them outside in the garden to roam and get their "free-range" for the week before investing in an outdoor coop. They love it!
Picked this up from the Brewers dinner the night prior to the Great Taste of the Midwest.

Appearance: Definitely a lighter porter, and perhaps filtered as representative of its clarity. Its interesting to call it a Porter, as I'd pass it for more of a brown ale. Nevertheless I can still see my fingers on the other side of the glass. Toasted wood brown with a sub-par head only characterized by a thin ring. Micro carbonation rises from the center.
Aroma: Rich chocolate and toasted barley perfume up the nostrils. Robust nutty notes come through as a full aromatic sweetness. Even some dark roasted fruit present given a swirl. There is a touch of roastiness at the very end.
Taste: After a carbonated bite hits the tongue, a wealthy dose of chocolaty sweetness layers the palate. With undertones of toasted malt and vanilla, this "porter" packs a strong malt profile. The midtaste exposes some of the neutral hops, though still masked over the malt - but leaving an impression of dark roasted dry fruit, maybe of dates, but in conjunction with a bit of sassafras. Finish is more toasted with a dry woody resin feel.
Mouthfeel: High carbonation, that, depending on how you drink it, has a very fizzy bite on the fore tongue or back of the throat, the predominantly at the front. Body is medium with it's bubbly texture. A bit tacky on the lips given the huge malt base this beer has. Finally it finishes dry, but refreshing.
Overall Impression: I was pleasantly surprised at the upfront, in-your-face malt profile of this porter. It definitely resides on the sweeter side of dark beers, yet forgiving enough to not be overwhelming. I wouldn't say balanced, but still well crafted enough for one to happily throw back and savor.


85/100