It’s Valentines Day and with everything we have going on, we’re having dinner at home. I went into the fridge to find something to enjoy and found this one hiding in back. I’m not quite sure when I got it, but it is a bottle with batch number 10212 on it.
Location: Poured into a curved pint glass at my home in Bloomington, IL.
Numbers: 5.6% ABV, 1.055 OG, ~140 Calories
Appearance & Aroma: It’s dark brown, almost black in color and has pretty good clarity, with some brown and dark ruby highlights when held up to light. The head is very thin, but has a creamy texture, with a nutty and toasty aroma.
Taste & Feel: The body is light to light-medium and the mouthfeel is pretty smooth. The flavor up front is a roasty maltiness with some caramel and cocoa flavors. In the middle, some coffee like flavors joined these flavors, and brought a little bit of bitterness. In the finish, it was mostly roasty, with the cocoa and coffee flavors dominating with some nuttiness and caramel in the background. The coffee and cocoa flavors lasted for a brief time in the aftertaste.
O: A pleasant porter, for sure. Has the elements you look for in a porter, but it’s just that. It’s like the foundation for a superior beer without pushing the envelope and taking to that next level. Probably a good beer to start with if you’re trying to get into the style or stouts. That jaw dropping pizzazz is just missing.
Food Pairing: This beer was smooth and mostly had cocoa and coffee like flavors, which would pair perfectly with char from grilled foods, such as steak or bbq.
Overall Impression: I was surprised by the caramel and nuttiness up front and in the background, but the coffee and cocoa flavors dominated. There were good flavors, and it was very drinkable, but there wasn’t a ton of complexity or anything that made it stand out. That’s not a bad thing. Overall, it was a good beer, but was somewhat plain and nothing I’d go out of my way for.
My Rating: 
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