General Lafayette Chocolate Thunder Porter

Brewed by General Lafayette Inn and Brewery
Style: Porter
Lafayette Hill, Pennsylvania USA

In short: A somewhat dry cacao/chocolate stout/porter. Nothing special
How: Tap at brewpub
The look: Black body topped by a small tan head
In long: Chocolate is obviously the dominant aroma and flavour. However this beer doesn’t have that big black chocolate bar sensation. Instead it is more like floury cacao. The feel really burnt so the beer seem floury and grainy which gives it a dryness sensation. Notes of vanilla and some molasses. Kind of crisp for the style. Almost no fruity flavours. Overall this is a decent offering but it’s only average for the style. Overrated and far inferior from their Belgian Ales I had there. Looking at the numbers it seems like this is the brewpub flagship beer, in case you’re looking for Admiral Lafayette.

Big thanks to tpd975 for bringing this rare treat to the weekly tasting. Pours deep and dark with infra red edges and thin mocha head. The aroma is rich and inviting with roasty and toasty malts mixing with chocolate, burnt molasses and a mild coffee note. The aroma is poetry. I could tug on it all night long. YUM! The taste starts with a rich creaminess yet a bit thinner than the rich aroma was hinting at. I get the same notes as noted in the nose with roasty and toastines followed by rich dark chocolate. Yum, lots of flavor going on here including burnt molasses and coffee. All the flavors blend together cohesively creating a wonderful sensation.

Bottle. Pours dark brown/black, with almost no head. Aroma is chocolate, roasted malt, coffee, and molasses. Flavor is chocolate, roasted malt, molasses, smoke, and coffee. Medium body, and a little under carbonated.

Bottle, graciously sent by Hopdog. Pours near solid black and fairly thick for a porter. A rim of a tan head forms. The aroma is very rich with English leaning qualities of toffee, raisins, and brown sugar backed by huge chocolate scents and a dash of coffee and vanilla. I took a sip to be very surprised at how good this tastes. It smells decent, but the flavor takes it to the next level. A sharp, roasted coffee note is very pronounced from the first sip to the finish. This is very creamy. Hints of vanilla, roast, coffee. . mm.

Almost black, almost opaque. Very small thin brown head. Nose of chocolate and coffee. Taste of chocolate, burnt malts, ground coffee, slide notes of hops and dark roast coffee in the finish. A little flat in the mouth and silky; a porter and not a stout. Great intensity. Nicely done!

12 oz bottle. Pours a deep dark brownish black with a small bubbly biege head that quickly fades. Aroma of bitter chocolate, freeze dried coffee beans, and perhaps some cola mixed in there as well. Medium bodied that starts off watery but then finishes chalky, average carbonation. Flavor is more complex then the aroma lets on with notes of bittersweet bakers chocolate, instant coffee, nutts, figs and toast. The aftertaste on this beer lingers and is very pleasant. Solid beer and if they can pump up the body a little bit I would find it much more enjoyable.

Courtesy of kmweaver. Dark brown body with a medium sized light tan head. The nose is cola, chocolate, molasses and raisins. The flavor is just lightly sweet with lots of bitter, buttery cocoa, cola, brown sugar and dates. Medium body is soft with light carbonation.

Bottle (Thanks Ken) and served in standard pint glass. The beer is basically opaque with a small fading frothy ring and minimal lace. The aroma has notes of bitterness chocolate, lactic twang, prune, walnut, herbal hops and mineral water. The taste starts twangy, acidic, and fruity before a malt driven and chocolate character comes about. he finish is ashy, smoky and dry. Smooth lush mouth feel. Not too shabby.