Berkshire Draymans Porter

Brewed by Berkshire Brewing Co.
Style: Porter
South Deerfield, Massachusetts USA

Roasty aroma with some licorice. Thin head but with decent carbonation for a porter. Head reforms very nicely upon swirling. Color is a very dark brown. Little bit of soy sauce and roasted malts. Slight bitterness which is nice. Little bit of sweetness balances it well. Clean roasty finish with a lingering hint of coffee. This brew is pretty run of the mill for a porter.

(22 oz bottle: Obtained 14-Dec-05 in trade with jjpm74, thanks John!) Compared side-by-side with the Coffeehouse Porter, which is Drayman’s with the addition of coffee. I wasn’t too fond of the utter dominance of the coffee in the Coffeehouse Porter, which is why I like the Drayman’s considerably more. Yes, it’s quite roasty and moderately bitter, maybe even a touch of coffee flavor, slightly yeasty, but there is a mild sweetness and a fair amount of chocolate maltiness for nice balance. And the chocolate in the finish is just yummy, especially when the beer reaches room temperature. This is proof to me that the coffee they added to this beer to create Coffeehouse was way overdone, as there certainly was plenty here before it was handcuffed by all the coffee. The nose isn’t as roasty as the flavor, and in fact, even the chocolate is subdued. Mostly, the beer just smells vaguely malty and a bit yeasty. Body is medium and carbonation is light, but the mouthfeel is smooth and creamy. It’s nearly black in color in the glass, but ruddy at the extreme edges. The tall, tan head shows the same excellent size, structure and retention as the Coffeehouse, that is to say, all aspects are superb. This is a wonderful porter that touches on just about all the aspects I like to see in beers of this style.

Courtesy of jjpm74 <P> Rich roasted coffee and little else int he aroma, but what you can smell-smells of quality. Brown/black body with a fluffy tan head meringue looking head. Fore has mild chocolate notes with a bit of a creamed up capuccino flavor. Not very intense, but hey this is a porter. Not big on roasted malts either, but they are there..finish is very smooth and creamy with a hint of chocolate and vamilla. It’s mellow, but tasty and comforting.

Bomber ... like all Berkshire bottles. For some reason or another, breweries from New England not named Allagash tend to get a raw deal. Ok, maybe it is for good reason (Coastal Extreme, Long Trail ...) Berkshire is one of those under the radar deals. This is a pretty good porter. Not very complex, but very creamy and tasty and highly drinkable. Aroma is a little light, mostly coffee and chocolate malt. Very smooth in the mouth, but also a tad thin. Earthy but not gritty in the mouth and slightly sweet. Roasted malts, chocolate and a puff of smoke in the flavor. Finishes a little dry and a little sweet. Tasty and drinkable.

Bottle. Pours a very dark brown, almost opaque, with a moderate light tan head. Aroma is mostly roasted malt and light caramel. Slightly sweet flavor. Roasted malts also come through in the flavor. Maybe a tad thin for a porter, but overall still excellent.

22oz bottle acquired in trade with jjpm74(thanks!). Poured a dark brown with a huge (4.5 finger) fluffy, off white head. Aromas of roasted malts, chocolate, light smoke and light coffee. Tastes of chocolate, coffee, caramel, and roasted malts. Body a tad bit on the thin side but reallly didn’t detract from its drinkablity. Light lacing left on the glass.

Aroma is of roasted malt and cofee. Pours a deep dark brown, with a smal head. Flavor is very smoky/ roasted and sweet with not a hint of bitterness.

Growler. Dark brown, nice tan head. lightly roasty carmel aroma. Malty finish.