Lost Coast Chocolate Porter

Brewed by Lost Coast Brewery & Cafe
Style: Porter
Eureka, California USA

Sampled on draught at the Papago Brewing Company tavern in Phoenix, AZ. Pours an opaque dark brown brew with a thin tan head that quickly dissipates to a fine film and tan ring. Aroma of dark roasted malt, a touch of dark chocolate and some flowery hops. Taste is medium bodied, light roasted dark malt, with characters of chocoalte, coffee and some dry cellar funk. Finish is semi-dry, a slight coffee/chocolate aftertaste and then clean. It’s an average porter.

Tap. Dark brown body, small head, cocoa nose. Coffee/chocolate, roasty, nothing special.

on tap @ papago. nearly black shade of brown with a thin tan head. faint aroma of chocolate and roasted malt. i can actually smell the acidity from the high level of carbonation...flavor is big on the heavily roasted malts...nearly ashy with an acidic burn similar to coffee. dry lightly bitter finish. light bodied. lacks complexity...

On tap at Pizza Port, Solana Beach. Black with creamy white head. Aroma of yeast and chocolate. Chocolate and slightly alcoholic taste. Disappointing finish.

Sampled on tap at Lucky Baldwin’s March 2007
This beer sits with a frothy, brown tinged tan head that starts out about a half-finger in thickness. It sits atop a dark, chocolate brown, brilliantly clear beer. There is a faint chocolate nose to this brew, that really asks for a sip to get a sense of this beers character.

There is a fairly solid chocolate taste here; perhaps a hint of alcohol as well. The beer is quite dry initially, with a slightly bitter, cocoa driven finish that also has just a hint of roast coffee character to it. This beer is fairly light bodied and is definitely quite easy drinking. Sweet malty notes accentuate the chocolate character, which is akin to chocolate malt ball candies. This is interesting and tasty, but lacks the malt complexity and depth that I would want in a great beer.

Draft at O’Brien’s. Dark brown pour with a decent head. First aromas were fruit cocktail. Then I could smell the roasty malts. Flavors were actually very porter, but not much chocolate. Decent dusty finish to the roasty and slightly burnt malt flavors. Not bad

Draft at Bodega Blue in Vero Beach... Very dark, opaque ale with a mid-sized, creamy, beige head. Decent retention leaves lots of splotchy lacework. Mocha aroma and flavor... chocolate, coffee and cola. Medium, dark chocolate sweetness with reasonable, toasted bitterness. Medium-bodied with a milky mouthfeel and middling carbonation. Chocolaty, moderately bitter finish.

Looks like a good dark porter with a stout tan head. Aroma is of dark chocolate. Taste is big on the chocolate, more than I had expected. Silky, creamy mouthfeel. Also more than I had expected. I dare say that this is pretty good.