Highland Brewing Co. – Oatmeal Porter *

 Beer Reviews  No Responses »
Jan 132012
 

In grabbing the four porters that I have reviewed over the last two weeks it seems that I did a pretty solid job.  Not one of them was at all bad.  The one that I drank first turned out to be my favorite among the group, but all of them were quite solid.  Actually they almost went in order with the second one being my second favorite.  The third one and this one were pretty much a coin flip with the beer today (as the only one to have something other than “Porter” in the name) getting the slight edge.

The end of the short run of porters . . .

Brewery: Highland Brewing Co. (Asheville, NC)

Name: Oatmeal Porter

Style: Robust Porter

ABV: 5.80% (via internet)

Tasting Notes: Stored in the fridge before serving in a pint glass.

Aroma: A relatively mild roasted malt aroma with a low amount of toffee-like sweetness and maybe a touch of coffee.  Nice, but very subtle overall.  – 7.5/12

Appearance: Dark brown though garnet when held to light.  A slight tan head that is frothy, holds very well, and leaves solid lacing on the glass.  Appears almost opaque though is clear with rising bubbles when held to light.  – 3/3

Flavor: Good, deep roasted malt flavor up front with burnt notes that carry a bit of earthiness and some bittersweet chocolate.  Solid bitterness in the middle with a bit of floral character.  Well balanced overall.  Finishes smoothly with a bit of dryness with the roasted malt flavor lingering nicely. – 14/20

Mouthfeel: Medium body and a moderate level of carbonation (lending maybe a slight bite).  Very smooth and somewhat creamy on the palate. – 4/5

Overall Impressions: Nice beer though (again) not as strong as the same style from Anchor and Sierra Nevada I reviewed last week.  I really enjoy the smooth bitterness and the finish more than anything else.  Certainly could drink a few as everything is nicely balanced, but would not want more than that (maybe typical of the style for me). – 7/10

Overall: B (35.5/50)

6689509791 78845a48cd Highland Brewing Co. Oatmeal Porter *

Highland Brewing Co. - Oatmeal Porter

 Posted by Lucas at 2:00 pm  Tagged with: , ,

Bell’s Brewery – Porter *

 Beer Reviews  No Responses »
Jan 102012
 

After getting through a few really solid Robust Porters last week, why not stay within the same style range for a few more this week?  I really should do runs like this more often where I do reviews for the same style for a stretch rather than doing that for a brewery.  That gives me a chance to see how those beers compare to each other.

So let another week of porters begin . . .

Brewery: Bell’s Brewery, Inc. (Comstock, MI)

Name: Porter

Style: Robust Porter

ABV: 5.60% (on bottle)

Tasting Notes: Stored in the fridge before serving in a pint glass.

Aroma: A nice, smooth, roasted malty aroma with slight notes of bittersweet chocolate.  I think I get a touch of floral as well.  Pretty mild overall aroma.  – 8/12

Appearance: Dark, dark brown with some garnet highlights when held to light.  A slight, light brown head that holds quite well and leaves a nice trail on the glass.  Appears opaque though is clear at the edges when held to light.  – 3/3

Flavor: A moderate roasted malty flavor up front that has a bit of earthiness to it.  There is a relatively mild bitterness from the middle to the finish.  Also kind of get some coffee-like flavor toward the finish.  Finishes a bit dry, but is mostly clean with just a touch of lingering malt flavor. – 13.5/20

Mouthfeel: Medium(ish) body with a moderate to low level of carbonation.  very smooth and quite creamy on the palate (to the point of almost feeling thin). – 4/5

Overall Impressions: After drinking the same style from Anchor and Sierra Nevada last week this one does not taste as good as it might have otherwise.  It is solid, but I would not choose over the other two if I had the option.  Goes down very easily without any harsh flavors at all.  A bit of sharpness comes out as the beer warms some and the overall flavor becomes a bit less bold as well.  – 6.5/10

Overall: B (35/50)

6667203575 e32edfb692 Bell’s Brewery Porter *

Bell's Brewery - Porter

 Posted by Lucas at 12:00 pm  Tagged with: , ,

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. – Porter *

 Beer Reviews  No Responses »
Jan 062012
 

After setting the table on Tuesday for a review week consisting of a few porters from two really good (and historically important) breweries I have to make good on that promise.  As the final grades will show I think I prefer the Anchor Porter of the two, but I would be more than happy to drink either of these again.  Of course assuming that I was in the mood for a good porter.

Another good one to end the week . . .

Brewery: Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. (Chico, CA)

Name: Porter

Style: Robust Porter

ABV: 5.60% (on bottle)

Tasting Notes: Stored in the fridge before serving in a pint glass.

Aroma: A nice roasted malt aroma with an almost toffee-like sweetness and maybe a light hint of coffee.  It has a light fruity/floral sweetness as well and is fairly mild overall. – 8.5/12

Appearance: Dark brown color though is more garnet when held to light.  A slight tan head that is pretty frothy, holds for a bit, and leaves some nice lacing on the glass.  Appears almost opaque, but is clear with rising bubbles visible when held to light. – 2.5/3

Flavor: Full and consistent roasted malt flavor throughout with no burnt notes and a light sweetness that fades into a mild bitterness.  Nicely balanced overall.  Somewhat dry at the finish with some lingering roasted malt flavors. – 16/20

Mouthfeel: Medium body and a moderate level of carbonation.  Quite smooth with some bite there from the carbonation. – 4/5

Overall Impressions: There is a hop flavor there, but I always have a tough time describing it when in combination with the dark roasted malt flavors.  Certainly (at least I think) American hops though that seems to come through more as it warms some.  Goes down easy without any harshness to the roasted character.  Very nice beer overall. – 7.5/10

Overall: B+ (38.5/50)

6624153973 d386984a41 Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. Porter *

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. - Porter

 Posted by Lucas at 11:00 am  Tagged with: , ,
 Older Entries

Last chance to find what you are looking for!

99 Bottles Ale Amber Ale American Belgian Bell's Brewery Black Ale Blueprint Brewing B Notes Breweries Brewing Brooklyn Brewery Cigar City Brewing Dogfish Head Craft Brewery Dubbel Flying Dog Brewery Food Fruit Beer Great Divide Brewing Co. Imperial IPA Ithaca Beer Company Lager Lagunitas Brewing Co. Oskar Blues Brewery Pale Ale Porter Random Thoughts Redlight Redlight Russian Imperial Stout Rye Beer S-H-V Saison Samuel Adams Seattle Shmaltz Brewing Co. Sierra Nevada Southern Tier Brewing Co. Specialty Beer Stone Brewing Co. Stout Strong Ale Terrapin Beer Co. The Bruery Travel
© 2010 A Night With The Hops "He was a wise man who invented beer." - Plato Suffusion theme by Sayontan Sinha