Hartford Better Beer Co. Praying Mantis Porter

Commercial Description:
Praying Mantis Porter....Dark But never brooding CT's State Insect ! First Introduced as a draft favorite at The Hartford Brewery Limited (CT's first brewpub, 1991-2000), and made to the original specifications at the Shipyard Brewing Company in Portland Maine. Praying Mantis Porter joins Arch Amber Ale as the second traditional ale in the Hartford Better Beer Company's portfolio. CT's Original Brewpub Beer is now available statewide in CT in 2 flavors and in 6-packs! Appearance and Color: Deep and Luxurious black cherry-red, long-lingering lacy head. Aroma: You're in for a treat. Toasty-smooth, a hint of silky roast malt that doesn't overwhelm the mild fruit nose. Flavor and Mouthfeel: Starts witha full smooth and malty tone, with a touch of a citrusy hop influence. The roasted chocolate malt flavors fit perfectly between "dark" and "milk" chocolate - not too bitter and not too sweet. Eventful balanced maltiness is complimented by delicate and mild hopping and the medium (not thick) body. Aftertaste: Subtle fruity finish, pleasant dry roasty aftertaste. Applications: Intertwined with the history of the industrial revolution, properly made Porters are hearty and satisfying beers for hard-working people that are nonetheless "session" beers - meant to be drunk in quantities. Praying Mantis Porter overwhelms with complexity rather than with quantity of flavor. Mellow enough on its own, but heavenly food combinations abound: with seafoods (especially shellfish), hearty cheeses, chicken dishes or a fine steak. Tastes great after dinner or with a cigar. Temperature-wise, the flavors of Praying Mantis Porter work best when acclimated to 45 degrees or so, just below cellar temperature where the malt flavors begin to stand out, and then blossom as you progress through your pint. There's no hurry. Recipe and Brewer's Notes: The water chemistry provides mineral flavor and body to complement the complex malt and hop ingredients that are drawn from the best of European and U.S. Pacific Northwest strains and sources as well as the time-honored process of traditional brewing techniques. The mineral factor influences the key brewing steps: mashing, sparging, boiling, fermenting and conditioning. Imported from England, the malt bill includes 2-row Pale Ale Barley Malt, Chocolate Barley Malt and a touch of Malted Whole Wheat. Hops include Willamette, Cascade and Tettnang. With its distinctive flavor imprint, the lively Yorkshire-origin Ringwood culture (a top-fermenting "ale" yeast) is used to ferment the beer. The Hartford Better Beer Company is founded by Phil Hopkins and Les Sinnock. Trained by Shipyard Brewing Company's Master Brewer Alan Pugsley twenty years ago, we then brewed and served over a million fresh and frothy pints of beers like Arch Amber Ale and Praying Mantis Porter at our brewpub using the exact same brewing process and ingredients as at Shipyard. Praying Mantis porter............it'll take your head off Contract brewed by Shipyard for the Hartford Better Beer Co. www.hartfordbetterbeer.com