Cooperstown Benchwarmer

Brewed by Cooperstown Brewing Co.
Style: Porter
Milford, New York USA

(12 oz bottle: Obtained 28-May-05 in trade with shadey, thanks Shane!) Another overcarbonated beer from Cooperstown, but this one is definitely managable; the tall, foamy, tan head would rise well above the two-fingers if allowed. Mahogany in color with a slight transparency. The rather non-descript nose isn’t all that roasty, and not all that chocolaty either. Mildly roasty, developing a slight chocolate flavor in the finish, but also very yeasty with a very chalky flavor and mouthfeel. Mild off-flavor of apple skins is a distraction. Medium bodied and somewhat dry, expansive in the mouth at first, but settling down as the session wears on. The head shows solid retention and ice-crystal lacing all over the glass. Really not a fan of this porter or apparently of this brewery.

Bottle shared with and courtesy of HogTownHarry. Pours a clear dark reddish-brown with a massive lasting rocky light-brown head. Lots of lacing. Aroma of roasted malt, milk chocolate, dark fruit and mild coffee. Flavour of lots of dark fruit with some sweet malt, coffee, nuts and very mild hops. Light bodied. Could use more complexity and it’s a little light but it’s decent enough.

(X-mas 05) This poured a very large tan head that was thick and chewy and did not die. Later when I poured in the end of the bottle, it made a little hole in the head and raised it all on top of the new expanding head. Very good. Oh, it also had a nice sweet malt aroma. Nice creamy mouthfeel with a sweet and fruity flavor. Very good.

Bottle (12oz). Shared with blankboy - my bottle. Poured clear dark reddish-brown with a huge lasting light brown foamy-creamy-rocky head. Aroma of slightly oxidized apple cores, light roast caramel/chocolate malt and yeast; porter? Taste - roast nuts and mild coffee beans, apple, slightly hop-bitter finish, very mild but pleasant and roasty. Mouthfeel is light for a porter, mildly acidic. Pretty thin porter, incredibly fruity for the style.

Black with a large tan head. Perfumy nose with a roasted malt aroma. Soft but thin in body with flavors of sweet malt, roasted coffee, and alcohol. A quality drink but needs a little more body.

Poured a promising dark brown with big tan head. Aroma of roasted malts, nutty with hints of coffee. The flavor started with the roasted malts, but finished dry, bitter and metallic. A bit too thin in body for a porter.

This one took a while for me to get into its nutty malty flavor with a rather dry aftertaste to it. Smooth isn’t the word I give this one but I’m not unhappy my buddy from up there gave me a case of it either. The aftertaste kind of sits on your throat but the malty sweet qualities are definately worth the cost of admission. I told my buddy it was Pride of Milford that I liked but this one has those nutty malty qualities people seem to be going for nowadays (see Troegs).

Poured a deep auburn brown color with a nice amount of offwhite head. Aroma is fruity, nutty, chocolately, and slighlty lactic. Flavor is almost like a slightly fruity coffee with some bitter and dry notes. Overall, I found this to be quite good.