Arbor Milestone Cask Porter

Brewed by Arbor Brewing Company Pub & Eatery
Style: Porter
Ann Arbor, Michigan USA

Light brown lasting head covers the very dark body, even for a porter. Smooth and smoky nose displays a plethora of dark malts in profusion. Highly roasty, it feels very stoutish in that sense. Smooth cask feel comes close to a 5 for mouthfeel, the finish lingers and carry on the strong, yet gentle and accessible roastiness. Slightly tart, kinda fruity (cherries), this doesn,t detract the other flavors and in fact contributes to the complexity and benefit the overall experience. Whiskeyish mild alcohol presence would have been out of place in most other porters, but feel right here. This is good stuff.

Sampled on cask @ Arbor Brewing Company in Ann Arbor, Michigan. How coincidental that I find a beer called Milestone and sample it for a true milestone, rating # 1000. Black color with brown highlights. Aromatically goes where I never thought a porter could possibly go. The softest fudge, with cocoa, raisins, chocolate and coffee, truly deserving a perfect score for aroma. Layers of decadence upon tasting with the full and creamy body only intensifying the beautiful range of malt flavors. Chocolate, espresso and raisins were just the beginning. Want to taste a world class porter? Travel to Ann Arbor. It’s that simple. The best porter I’ve ever tasted. One that should inspire all others.

Faintish aroma. Opaque body. Small brown ring of head. No head otherwise or lace. Lactose flavor. Ok. Just a sour lactose aftertaste. Perhaps better when it is colder. But this was the last of a 10 beer sampler and it had been sitting for over an hour.

Dark but not quite opaque black body with a creamy tan head. Nutty roasted malt choco-coffe aroma. THe flavor is big choco-coffee, light to medium citurs hop bitterness. The coplexity opens up more as it warms, light smoke and espresso. The palate is very much like that of espresso. Noce stuff.

Hand-pull at pub: Presents a deep brown hue with ruby highlights, a small creamy head and very nice coating of the glassware. The nose has a lot of malt notes both sweet mocha and roasted smoky character. Also got a whiff of raisin, coffee, and a very earthy ester, nice! The taste starts with a chocolate like sweetness followed by a drier bitter finish with some coffee undertone. A tad smoky and fruity as well, very nicely balanced. The feel was smooth and a bit creamy, not flat but not aggressive either. This is one well put together brew that seem more of a hybrid style of sweet stout crossed with a baltic porter. I enjoy this one a lot! A must try if in the area.

Tap. Deep black color. No head, could be sitting to long in a pitcher. Very rich malty aroma. Smooth, like silk. Very rich in malty taste. Hop balance is present. Really a fine porter!!!!

Cask sample at the brewpub. The faintest hint of a foamy ring sits on a bed of utter darkness...a vinous, chocolaty pungency assails the nostrils and hints of raisins waft forward...extremely sweet is the creamy, pillowy soft body with raisins, dessert wine, sweet chocolate, a touch of orange liqueur, and just enough roastiness to keep it together and keep the teeth from rotting. A delight.

cask-conditioned: Deep walnut. Puttylike mocha foam with wonderful lacework. Delicate, but immensely complex, aroma emits coffee, caramel, and roasted barley. Slightly airy, as well, with subtle notes of anise, cookie dough, and earthy hops. Creamy, silky carbonation. Soothingly malty fusion of leather and chocolate. Gritty baker’s chocolate texture is kissed with roasted malt, vanilla, and caramel. Forceful fudgelike thickness strengthens the body as a dried plum twang slowly creeps in. Finishes lengthy and intense with chalky, highly kilned malts interwoven with caramel and coffee. Highly impressive.