Blue Ridge (MD) Porter

Brewed by Wild Goose LLC (Flying Dog)
Style: Porter
Frederick, Maryland USA

This one didn’t look or smell impressive. The head was weak (lacing decent) for a porter. The color was red-black, but not pitch dark. The flavor was mostly coffee with some chocolate and licorice detectable. Nice mouthfeel and very drinkable. I don’t know, I really liked this one, despite the fact the numbers are pretty standard for a porter. Enjoyable, but not a stand out.

Pours dark brown/black with a thick, creamy tan head. The aroma is molases and milk chocolate. The flavor is semi-sweet, mostly light, some brown sugar, some roast. The mouthfeel is soft and light.

Bottle sampled with Stegosaurus. Pours black with a tan head. Aroma of roast and chocolatel. Flavor is roasted malts, bitter, nuts, thin body.

(12 oz bottles: Obtained 03-Jun-05 and 28-Jan-06 in trades with slob and hopscotch, thanks Bert and Eric!) Side-by-side -- one aged, one fresh -- of one of my favorite local beers when I lived in DC. And it only takes one sip to see that fresh is better with this beer. The aged one is malty and earthy, a bit ashy in the finish, but when fresh, it has a bright roastiness and moderate coffee early and finishes with delicious, lightly sweet milk chocolate. Roasty, chocolaty aroma is very appealing. Medium bodied, pretty average carbonation. Medium-dark brown in color, ruddy highlights, capped by a half-inch rocky head that is light-tan in color and gradually settles to a sheen. Patchy lacing is modest but there. This beer has good balance, nice progression from start to finish, and is every bit as enjoyable as I remember. Definitely my style of porter.

12oz bottle via trade with hopscotch! - Thanks Eric! - Pours dark brown with a nice creamy thick tan head that stays well and laces the sides of the glass. Aromas of coffee, roasted malts, and a touch of chocolate. Flavor is mostly coffee and roasted malts as well but the finish is sweet milk chocolate that lingers as the aftertaste as well. Palate is highly carbonated and somewhat on the watery side for a porter. Could easily drink a 6er of these though. Nice session.

This beer offers an aroma consisting of anise an yeast. It is a black colored solution with a decent sized almond colored head. This thin beer offers a taste consisting of chocolate and coffee with biscuit flavored undertones. The aftertaste is of coffee as it lingers.

Certainly robust, but far too gassy. Might be an off bottle, but this one is way overcarbonated. This tends to overshadow the nicely roasted malt notes of chocolate and toffee.

pours black with a small compact tan head, aromas of roast and slight sweet chocolate smell. the flavor is roasted malts, slight hops, nutty, and a little watery, thin bodied, ok brew.