Dogwood Youngbloods Imperial Porter

Formerly brewed at Dogwood Brewing Company
Style: Baltic Porter
Atlanta, Georgia USA

22 oz bottle, via brewbandit. Pours a completely black colored body that lets no light pass thru at all. Small fizzy dark brown head that faded to a thin ring. Aroma is just huge. Tons of chocolate and deeply roasted malt with caramel accents. Notes of smoke, coffee, tar, light alcohol, and chalk. Flavor is very soft and well rounded. Equal parts dry roasted malt, chocolate malt, and to a lesser extent caramel. A little chalky and ashy on the finish. No alcohol apparency at all. Mouthfeel is medium bodied with a nice soft carbonation. Not sticky or cloying in any way, but the finish lingers on for a good long time. An extremely drinkable Baltic Porter. Fastest I’ve drained a bomber in a long time. This looks like it’s at about the two and a half year mark right now, and it couldn’t be much better. Awesome beer.

Thought i would never have this one, thanks to eagle for it. Poured a dark dark brown small head. Aroma was of chocolate and expresso. MMM flavor was so perfect coffee, expected it to be thick but it wasn’t, also wasn’t over sweetened, very smooth. Wow darn no more :(

HUGE THANKS to Adam Tolsma at Green’s in Atlanta for a couple of bottles of this, and to an anonymous ratebeerian for leaving three more in my hotel room in Manhattan last winter. Deep brown, almost pitch black, oily and intimidating pour. Almost solid tan head is here for the duration, compact bubbles are paying rent. Aroma is nothing short of beautiful: coffee, pricey chocolate, creamy caramel. No hop presence detected at all. Just what I was hoping for with this one. Flavor was off the charts in intensity. Massive dose of roasted malts and chocolate. This beer is teeming with all flavors dark and decadent. Palate was extra full bodied and slick, sticky. Malt complexity is almost overwhelming. Finishes as long as the Florida days are humid and hot, inspiring taste from a masterful recipe. I rue the day I drink my last bottle of this. Incredible, just incredible. I wish I had a stronger word at my disposal.

Poured a deep dark brown color with some red hues. The head was really thin, but not bad for a retired bottle that’s been sitting around. The aroma was strong coffee, mocha-chocolate mixed in underneath, hops not very detectable, smelled like it was gonna be super sweet. The flavor was rather smooth, definite coffee up front, but over a thinner body than anticipated, much thinner, actually. The sweetness wasn’t really there either (a good thing), and this had a lightly bitter roasted malt finish. As it warmed, some darker type fruits started to complement the coffe-ness, some plums and cherries, along with some notes of wood. Slight dry acidic finish also increased with warmer temperatures along with an overall oily mouthfeel. A darned nice imperial porter, and another huge thanks goes out to Bert for swinging this for me.

Surprise bottle from Jay (springslicker). Whoa! I have been wanting to get a hole of this since it was released in 2003 and finally last night I got to drink my bottle. Pour is very dark and thick looking without much of a head on it at all. Smell is full of chocolate, coffee, roasted malts, no hops at all. Taste is smooth and kind of thin, but I believe I am trying to compare it too much to the duck rabbit imperial baltic stout porter. No oxidation is present, and I would say the beer has held its own over the past 3 years. Really good stuff that makes me question why this brewery went under. Worthy of its high rating for sure. Thanks Jay!

Bottle courtesy of TBC2. This is about the darkest beer I’ve seen. Almost black with a thick and generous dark brown head. Smells of chocolate, cocoa, some spices, hints of vanilla and a touch of earthy hops. Taste is of dark chocolate, and coffee initially. Some minor souring has set in, but it compliments rather than hinders the flavor profile. As the beer warms, some nice nutty qualities are brought out. Finishes chocolatey with a lasting bitter sweetness. It’s a shame this brewery is no longer in business.

Bottle, from trade with hopdog. Good aroma, bittersweet. Chocolate, viney, cherry, licorice, vanilla that might come off as boubony. Clean dark black color, small chocolate brown head that faded to nothing. Little to no lace. Bitter roasty flavor, like aroma with the baking chocolate being dominant. Medium, borderline thick, body. Creamy smooth oily mouthfeel, Bitter roasty finish. Very nice. Thanks hopdog for this retired brew. Well Isee I have this abit low compared to most, but that’s what I jotted down.

Thanks to goldtwins for the chance to sample this gem. Pours thick and pitch black with a thin but very dark brown head. Deep dark toasty aroma, chocolate and slightly salty licorice notes. Cold coffee, dark bitter chocolate. Roasty and toasty with heavily darkened malts over some cherry and berry character. As it begins to warm, the chocolate heads toward a richer, more milk chocolate sort of aroma. Light rum along with some earthy/leathery aroma. Flavour is unbelievably smooth, rich milk chocolate, licorice with a soft woodiness and sweet dark cherry flavour in back. No roasty flavour, just sweet chocolate, coffee, light smoke and toasted rye bread. Finish is herbal and chocolatey with some appley character that comes out as the temperature keeps rising. One of the most delicious brews I’ve had the pleasure of tasting.