Hoppy Porter

Thanks to Justin Smith for bringing me back a growler of this from their visit to the brewery over Augustana's winter break. I tasted it Wednesday night after grilling up a large organic Mexican dinner. It was complete with local deer meat cooked in onions and olive oil, lettuce, tomato, refried beans, salsa, and rice. We made so much I ended up making 8 other burritos and freezing them for later (unfortunately I have no Microwave).

Appearance: Foamy and thick mocha colored head. Reminiscent of childhood root beer floats; when ice cream and root beer meet. Very slow to dissipate, keeps a robust layer of foam and leaves a thick wall of lacing in its wake. Very dark chocolate hue and opaque when held up to the light.
Aroma: Nuts and chocolate are the most prominent characters in the overall scent. Some floral complexities with a brief smokiness are present. At the end, I find myself experiencing subtle notes of Belgian yeast elements and phenols. Brief citrus hop permeates from the depths of the beer at the very end.
Taste: Interestingly, the front of this beer has a peated, smoked malt profile to it, along with a chocolaty backbone. Similarly, with it comes toasted malt and a mild roastiness. The hop citrus, which rounds out the very end of the beer (but emerges in the middle), helps balance the acidity of the coffee/roasted flavors that grow in from the later half. The hops exhibit a sweet pine citrus, but pair very well with the other dark malt flavors. Smokey, burnt, drawn out flavored finish.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with a light carbonation, to leave a soft bubbly texture on the tongue. The finish is extremely dry from the roasted grains and rich hops.
Overall Impression: An interesting combination if anything. Roasted malt and pine/citrus forward hops? Wouldn't think, but it definitely makes a good overall flavor. There is a bite at the end after the carbonation that really makes the beer almost refreshing. I found out the name of this beer post review.


86/100