Atwater Shamans Porter

12 oz bottle. Pours a clear very dark brown body with a very large foaming brown head. Quite a gusher, luckily my glass was at the ready. There’s a light sourness to the aroma that forebodes something not good. Some chocolate, light roast, and coffee there too. There may be some infection here, but it’s probably just getting started. A very slight sourness, roast, nutty malt, and a bit of dry cocoa powder. Medium bodied, a little thinned out, with lots of fizzy frothy carbonation. This isn’t unpleasant in its entire being, but it must be a little off.

Name: Shaman’s Porter
Date: August 08, 2009
Mode: Bottle
Source: Tasting, Ticker
Appearance: gusher, clear dark brown, fine tan head, drippy lace
Aroma: slightly tart chocolate aroma
Flavor: tart chocolate flavor, hint of sweetness balanced by an earthy bitterness, long bitter finish
Aroma: 4/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 4/10; Palate: 5/10; Overall: 7/20
Rating: 2.2/5.0
Drinkability: 5/10
Score: *+/4

12oz bottle. Happy Bottle! Fizzed up everywhere. Dark brown color. Brown head. Sour aroma. Flavor has a Belgian Sour Ale funk to it. Lots of chocolate, some roast. Add some funk. I like it, but I also like Sours... BAD BOTTLE!!!

Every single one of my previous encounters with Atwater beers ended in disaster and heartache. I would like to believe it’s my benevolent nature that allows me to give Atwater another opportunity to delight me, but I fear I’m just a chump who doesn’t know to leave well enough alone. The bottle is an extreme gusher upon opening. If this was a low-budget, lackluster comedy film sequel, I could look directly into the camera and say "here we go again!" Appearance: Dark brown, near black body with a vigorously foamy, light tan head. Smell: Dark malts are presumably present, but they’re greatly overwhelmed by a sharp note of fruit-infused vinegar. Taste: Dark malts with slender undertones of roast and chocolate, but, as was the case with the aroma, everything is totally buried under this infectious vinegar flavor that’s both acetic and lactic and just plain ’ick’. I’d say "never again" with Atwater, but I have a bottle of their Cherry Stout on deck. Mouthfeel: Medium-light body. Highly carbonated. Drinkability: Horrendous and a true offense to brewing and beer lovers everywhere. Some breweries are delivering fantastic, wonderful beers time and time again, and then there are some atrocious, wretched breweries that need to close the doors immediately and just give it up. I’m fairly certain I know which group Shatwater belongs in.

Pours a dark brown color with a light brown head. Aroma is caramel, brett, and some nice barnyard notes. Flavor is caramel, chocolate, and a light brett barnyard finish.

12oz bottle from The Party Source. After the Vanilla Java Porter I was never going to try another Atwater brew, but hell, my brother bought this one. Pours darkest brown with a huge tan. Smells infected. Who woulda guessed?! Very tart and acidic aroma with a bit of roasted malt. Flavor is pretty much the same.

S6L4F3T7O16+Shamans porter; on tap at the Bocktown; nice place. Nice dark creamy pour, has a pleasant head. Good mild roasty aroma. Very well behaved on the taste buds. Easy to like. Fun to get along with. Especially friendly and nifty. Overall good experience. First-rate appetizing finish.

Bottle. Pours a black body with a tan head. Hints of chocolate, and roasted malt. Accents of roasty coffee and lagered notes. Spoiled with medicinal notes, infection?