MacTarnahans Bourbon Cask Aged Blackwatch Cream Porter

Formerly brewed at Portland Brewing Company (Pyramid)
Style: Porter
Portland, Oregon USA

Enjoyed at NoogFest III. Very dark and clear pour with a walnut color and wispy head. The aroma has tar and metallic hints underneath a strong bourbon and vanilla wood presence. Wow! That was way more astringent and sour than I would have guessed. The sour/Astringency is a bit over powering but it is not totally negative. Unfortunately, at the time, I couldn’t get over this one taste sensation and that’s all I noted. Creamy body underneath the initial sour power.

"If somebody doesn’t drink this, I’m taking it home and feeding it to my cows" Apparently, this was this bottle’s third Noogfest and Springslicker was determined it would be its last. I was happy to oblige. Black, thin tan head. Aroma was bourbon and coffee, as one might expect. Surprisingly astringent, then coffee and chocolate and not as much bourbon in the flavor. Tasty stuff.

Lots of very creamy chocolate in the aroma.Pours black with a big tan head.Nice chocolate flavor with some noticable hops in there as well.Thin to medium mouthfeel with a hoppy chocolate finish.

Bottle courtesy of Walt. Chocolate and tangy bourbon aroma. Stoutlike appearance has a medium to full palate. Hops are clearly present in the taste. Very light bourbon and malt actually don’t dominate the BA brew--which is nice. Still, I felt it was lacking in overall complexity and fullness.

Bottle. 2003 vintage. Black body with mahogany tinges and a mocha-brown head. The aroma is subtle in many ways - lots of rye and bourbon qualities but otherwise uneventful. Creamy, thick body with chocolate and toffee flavours. Kind of complacent and tame in the end. Sharp carbonation.

Photo of the bottle and glass:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mdstich/424309445

pours black with a one finger brown head that quickly disappears. aroma is roasted malt and barrel. flavor is a light roasted malt and wood barrel. light to medium body with no lacing. i really like the barrel taste it is what saves some of this brewery’s beers. not bad but not the best. there is also a little licorice aroma and flavor towards the end of the glass. pretty smooth and balanced though.

22 oz bottle, 2003 vintage dated, via PhillyBeer2112. Pours a clear dark brown to mahogany colored body under a one finger fizzy brown head that fell to a thin film. Aroma is roasty with a good bit of soy-like oxidation notes. Some oak, coffee, vanilla, and a light sour lactose note. The flavor is certainly showing it’s age, a little thinnish and somewhat oxidized. A little bit of oak and vanilla but almost no bourbon. I still kinda dig it, just somewhat unexpected. Mouthfeel is thinnish and fairly watery in texture with moderate fizzy soft carbonation. A little cloying stickiness develops as I make my way through the bottle. Much different than I expected, but I still liked it. I’m a fan of aged/noticably oxidized beers though. I’d drink these up if you’ve got more left though.

Thanks to richlikebeer! Pours dark brown/black with a creamy head. Aroma of chocloate, alcohol, vanilla. Tastes of chocolate, vanilla, molasses and maybe some hops. Too bad it’s retired.