Ballast Point Black Marlin Porter

Brewed by Ballast Point Brewing Company
Style: Porter
San Diego, California USA

22 oz. bottle from Beer Run in Charlottesville. Dark brown pour with a medium creamy head. Roasted malty mocha-ey aroma. Slightly bitter roasted malt aroma with notes of coffee, cream and chocolate. Medium body.

22oz. bottle. Sweet and roasty malt aroma, full of chocolate and toffee with notes of marshmallow, cola and some faint hop perfume. Mostly opaque black-brown color with a light tan head that subsides considerably. Dark chocolate malt flavor, again roasty and sweet, gently smoky and nutty with hints of sugary, creamy coffee, spicy, citric hop, and a very mild degree of bitterness. Smooth and thin on the palate with a low amount of effervescence, body is light-medium. Pretty well dominated by chocolate sweetness, fairly light and pleasant otherwise.

Pours a dark brown black body with little tan head. Aroma/flavor is sweet malty, grainy, some lightly bitter coffee. Very drinkable but the body feels a bit oily and thin. Not bad.

This is a dam good porter. Nothing sweet really which is a good thing. nice tan head that laces just a bit. Color is deep. almost black. Aroma is a touch sweet, but grainy and toasted as well. Flavor is really good. Texture is nice and creamy too. It has a really smooth, and almost hard to taste ashy, toasted taste that really lingers on the palate. And I like that.

From a 22 oz bottle this poured a creamy black with a long-lasting tan head and moderate lacing rings. Nose of roasted malts with coffee, chocolate, ripe fruit, and a hint of hops. Mouthfeel medium and very smooth. Flavor is of roasted malts, but three is dry and slightly bitter finish. Very easy to drink and overall an excellent porter.

~Pours black with creamy off white head. ~Has a light syrupy coke scent. ~Light taste, some coffee and sweet bitterness. ~Medium feel, bitter finish. ~This is a little light and flavorless. Easy to drink and enjoyable though.

In short: Black malts and grassy hops, low on the fruity side. Basic light session porter. Ok.
How: Bottle, sample at Mondial de la Bière 2008
The look: Black body with a small beige head
In long: Nose has light chocolate and light fruity notes (grapes mainly). Taste has some fudge, a little black chocolate and develops a light fruit cake flavour as it warms up. Short grassy bitterness. Roastiness level is rather low, body is a bit thinner than it should be. A grainy/floury sensation makes it somewhat dry. Well brewed but very standard. Nothing out of the unusual.

Bottle shared with the Thrashmaster. Very smooth mouthfeel coupled with a well-balanced slightly roasted semi-chocolatey taste. Finish is subtle and somewhat dry. This one’s a keeper.