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)

Highland Brewing Co. - Oatmeal Porter

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)

Bell's Brewery - Porter

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)

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. - Porter

Not too long ago during a beer discussion started for a reason I cannot remember it occurred to me that there were a few beers that I had yet to try for another reason that I am not aware of.  The beers in question were both porters from very important breweries in the world of American craft brewing.  Today is the review for the first of those two.

Now for the first review of the year . . .

Brewery: Anchor Brewing Co. (San Francisco, CA)

Name: Porter

Style: Robust Porter

ABV: 5.60% (via internet)

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

Aroma: A moderate roasted malty aroma with maybe some slight hints of chocolate.  Also a bit of sweetness and maybe a floral note in there.  Relatively mild overall. – 8.5/12

Appearance: Dark brown though with garnet highlights at the edges when held to light.  One finger light brown head that is think, holds very well, and leaves a solid trail on the glass.  Opaque though clear at the edges when held to light. – 3/3

Flavor: Fairly strong malt flavor that is heavily roasted with a bit of burnt character.  Some hop flavor also comes through.  A moderate bitterness though I think that is a combination of the dark roasted malts and the hops used.  There is a dryness to the finish with a hint of sweetness and some roasted bitterness lingering. – 17/20

Mouthfeel: Medium body with a moderate to low level of carbonation.  Very smooth and pretty creamy on the palate with just a bit of astringency. – 5/5

Overall Impressions: The mouthfeel is really nice and quite enjoyable.  The beer goes down very easily and I could definitely go through a few more than the one I have.  The creaminess and sweetness are even more prominent as it warms some and the burnt character also fades a bit.  Better when not super cold, but good regardless.  Damn fine beer.  – 8/10

Overall: A- (41.5/50)

Anchor Brewing Co. - Porter

Though I probably should have saved the best of my home brews for last it seems that I am ending this run on the other end of the enjoyment scale.  Actually I think the best was posted on Tuesday.  Granted all of these likely would have received different grades a few months ago (and a few did), but this more recent run of evaluations was necessary for me to better understand how they hold up over time in my house.  When I get the brewing fever I cannot exactly drink it fast enough, so it is good information to have.

Once again The Wife gave a suggestion for the name and I gladly went with it.  I did not even wait for her second suggestion.  That is how my brewery (in name only) operates.

Probably retiring this recipe for now . . .

Brewery: Blueprint Brewing (Winter Park, FL)

Name: What A Sap

Style: Brown Porter

ABV: 4.55% (+/-)

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

Aroma: Pretty light roasted aroma with some sharpness and a faint sweetness as well.  Not very enticing overall.  – 6/12

Appearance: Dark, dark brown in color.  Two finger light brown head that is thick, holds well, and leaves a nice trail on the glass.  Opaque though rising bubbles can be seen at the edges when held to light. – 3/3

Flavor: Fairly light roasted malt flavor up front followed by a light bit of sweetness from middle to finish.  There is just a hint of bitterness but really not much depth of flavor overall.  Finishes with some dry bite and a bit of astringency. – 10/20

Mouthfeel: Medium in body with a really high level of carbonation that definitely adds some bite.  Pretty smooth on the palate after the initial carbonic bite. – 2.5/5

Overall Impressions: Has not held up as well as the others over time though it was not one of my favorites to begin with.  The flavors do open up and become more full as the beer warms some.  The carbonation was so high that it started to slowly climb out of the bottle just after opening and that carbonation really overwhelms the less intense flavor.  Was one of the more expensive batches to brew for me in my relatively short time doing so and I ended up without the pay off to show for it (drinkable, but that is about all). – 5.5/10

Grade: C+ (27/50)

Blueprint Brewing - What A Sap