Firestone Walker’s Reserve Porter
Quick notes: Fairly dark, lovely pillow like head, hints of roasted malts a touch of sweetness, taste follows the same road as aromas. Not overpowering and smooth.
Overall: A fine example of the style, a tad on the sweet side but always a fine beer from one of the best breweries in CA. Find and drink anything from FSW and you won’t be disappointed.
Bottom Line: Drink It!
Stillwater Existent Framhouse Ale
I’ve had this in the bottle and on draft and I have to say the draft was all around better. This is a solid beer with light and subtle flavors, ranging from fruity yeasts, to roasted malts. The bottle version was a bit off at first but it was much too cold, once it warmed up the taste became closer to what the draft version tasted like. Overall I’d drink it again but not from the bottle.
Bottom Line: DRINK IT!
Drake’s Vrewing Drakonic IMP Stout
I drank this a few days ago and it was quite good. Very dark, roasted, sticky, and a serious boozyness mixed in. My recommendation is to end the night with this beer it will alter your palate (in a good way) so drink this last. Or drink it first if you’re going to say in the dark imperials game all night. Overall based on this bottle I’d be happy to drink this again and see what else they offer up.
Bottom Line: Drink It
Kern River Class V Stout
Described as “not for the timid”, lovely stout here. Well roasted with a layering flavor of dark chocolate and alcohol and enough bitterness to satisfy any hop head.
This for sure is something I’d drink again and again. Not much else to say other than that. If you want a true to style stout with rich flavor and high alcohol, 8.5%, then this is for you.
Bottom Line: Drink It!
Bell’s Porter
Hands down this is one of the best examples of what I think a porter should be. It’s smooth, balanced, roasted and delicious! …And I’m pretty sure most of you on the third coast already knew this.
If you have friends in the midwest, beg them to assemble you a Bell’s tasting pack and ship to you… be sure to include this porter on the list.
Bottom Line: DRINK IT!
Bell’s Java Stout
Once I cracked the cap off this thing, I could smell the coffee. A syrupy, midnight black liquid filled the tulip and was topped with a small bubbly head. There is no light passing through this one, it is far too dense.
A medium body with a perfect amount of carbonation. I was a ‘lil worried this beer might have been past its prime since it was bottled back in September of 2011, but it has a lot to offer and I’m enjoying it.
Obviously, coffee is the dominating flavor here, but there still is some nice malt character. I can’t really get much of the hops coming through. The 7.5% ABV is pretty well mixed and the finish is quite smooth leaving me with a very strong drawn-out coffee after taste.
Great Lakes Brewing Co. (Cleveland, OH) Edmund Fitzgerald Porter
Eh… I didn’t really take any notes while I was drinking this so I’m not able to share much about it other than I know its good. I’ve had this beer on many occasions and there really isn’t anything from Great Lakes that I wouldn’t drink and I think most of you would agree.
Bottom Line: Drink IT!
p.s. I also read they are going to expand distribution to NC so now I’ll get even more access to them since I travel to Cleveland and Raleigh many times a year.
The Duck-Rabbit Porter
This is the second beer from Duck-Rabbit brewery and I have to say, they are for sure on the top of the list for best brewers in NC. The porter is pitch black with a nice light chocolate foamy head. The aroma is a very, very pleasing smell of roasted toffee and chocolate. Its taste is very well balanced with a light to medium body and a long aftertaste of burnt and roasted barley.
Letting this warm up a bit allows for these flavors to really come alive and just pummel your taste buds with the roasted toffy and a lingering ash after taste that is omnipresent in between sips.
Bottom Line: Drink It!
Founders Breakfast Stout
I’ve hung onto this bottle for a while and felt I better drink it now before its too late, since the bottling date was back around the end of October.
This beer poured out as a nice black, black liquid and formed into a nice foamy head that looked a bit like whipped hot coco. The Breakfast Stout had a solid whiff of roasty malt with a ‘lil hoppiness in there since it’s clocked in at 60 IBUs.
Upper medium mouth feel and all the roasty-toasty flavor is balanced with a solid bitterness kick that makes this stout something unexpected. I feel this is where the Sixpoint Diesel wanted to be but they just went a tad overboard w/ the hops and bitterness.
Founders got this beer spot on and I recommend it to anyone looking for a beer to drink and savor while making and enjoying a winter bond fire.
Bottom Line: Drink It!
Uinta (Salt Lake City, UT) Organic BABA Black Lager
First thing I notice with this beer is the deep, dark, pitch blackness that fills my glass. Even held up to the light there is hardly any sign of transparency. Next thing you notice is a beautiful foamy white head. Then a subtle roasty aroma from first whiff, but nothing too powerful.
The first sip is great, smooth and not too carbonated. It’s a tad thin on the mouth but overall tastes delicious. This beer is very drinkable and it’s an amazing value. I paid something like $1.69 for one bottle down in NC. Beer is so cheap down there I might just have to move out of NYC (where if you haven’t heard, our mark up on beer is outrageous!)
Bottom Line: DRINK IT!
