Cutthroat Porter

Thanks to Kat Langford for giving me a bottle of this, following her dark vs. light beer tasting event held a couple weeks ago. Reviewed Friday afternoon (having gotten off work early) prior to heading to Iowa City for the Iowa Brewers guild meeting.
5.0 % ABV

Appearance: The pour exhibited a maple brown colored beer with a strong clarity. Surely filtered. In the glass the beer maintains a puffy dark beige colored head with larger soapy "eyes" interspersed throughout. Lacing clings to the side of the glass with a prominent dryness.

Aroma: Mildy roasted with a faint acidic background to it. Notes of smoke and earth permeate the nostrils, while a pleasantly sweet chocolate scent erupts from the glass. A bit of woodsiness and outdoors. Generally, the aroma isn't as strong as I expected.

Taste: The front is a lot sweeter. With a basic breadiness up front, it paves a way for the preceding characteristics to build upon. The midtaste introduces a subtle nutty flavor which only transcends into a full on roasted finish, with minute amounts of chocolaty sweetness to balance. Deep under layers of high temperature kilned malt, one may be able to pick out a note of fruitiness, but that is for you to decide. Hop profile is negligible. A drying roasted, smokiness is left on the palate long after the beer has left. As it warms, more of the aromatic malt emerges in the beer, while the burnt flavor becomes subdued.

Mouthfeel: There is a bit of a chalky texture at the end following the roastiness. Overall the beers body is inviting and of medium stature. It finishes smooth and velvety, but nicely dry.

Overall Impression: A basic porter but with a frontal roasted flavor (though technically it is presented in the second half). A faint malt bill accompanies the beer while the middle is justified with a nutty, woody flavor. Aftertaste is prolonged with wood tannins and burnt undertones.