Mad River Steelhead Scotch Porter

Brewed by Mad River Brewery
Style: Porter
Blue Lake, California USA

Bottle courtesy of kp. Fourth beer of my ’St. Patrick’s Day Stouts & Porters Mini-Tasting’. This has to be better then the last beer I had tonight, it’s certainly rated much higher so that’s a good sign. Pours a very dark brown with ruby hues, almost black, with an average size somewhat-lasting frothy tan head. Aroma: First thing I thought is "that’s kind of different". Mild aroma of caramel malt, floral hops, chocolate and light roastness. Flavour of roasted malt, some sweetness, a touch of peat and some mild coffee. Smoky bitter finish. Average bodied. An interesting beer and one I enjoyed.

Pours a really dark brown/black color with a 1/2 finger beige head. A sweet creamy lactose sweetness in the aroma. A bit of vanilla and fig as well. Flavor is a coffee chocolate, some burnt fruit, and a load of caramel. Has a little hint of bitterness at the end, but really well-balanced. I would like it to be a little thicker because it tastes like it should be a stout.

12 oz. bottle - pours thin and dark brown; no head and crystal clear around the edges; aromas mostly a mix of berries and candy with just a little smoke; texture is thin and improves as it warms; smooth and tasty

A Scotch porter? Which must mean lots of malts and not much bitterness and less acidity than a porter. And that’s what this ale displays. Dark brown pour with off-white head. The aroma is heavy with sweet malts — caramel and vanilla — followed by roasted malt with hints of peaty smoke and light chocolate. The flavor is moderately sweet, lightly acidic and lightly bitter. The finish is mostly sweet. though there is a slight lingering bitterness. Medium body to full body and a smooth texture. Lively carbonation. Nice balance and very easy to drink. More Scotch than porter. Quite good.

12oz bottle: Pours a deep, deep brown with a two finger, sticky head. The nose offers a healthy dose of buttery, caramel malts. A touch of burnt tobacco adds a nice dimension. The thick body continues in the same direction. Notes of cherries and plums add to the complexity. A very nice scotch heavy, err porter.

Bottle. Small tan head that mostly diminished, fair amount of lacing, semi-opaque with some light coming through, noted carbonation, and a reddish brown hue. Nose was malty, burnt, roasty, coffee, hoppy, brown sugar, and a hint of smokiness. Flavor was malt, coffee, roasty, burnt, a tad vinuous tasting, and a dry finish. Smooth, dry mouthfeel. Medium body. Very quaffable, nicely balanced and an all around tasty porter. I would definitely drink this again if it came my way.

for my birthday from my wife, she got it at beer on the wall. pour is a dark brown with a red tint, small brown head, okay lacing. smell of roasted coffee, some cocoa, some caramel. taste is on the thick side, roasted coffee, hint of chocolate, smokiness, some caramel, a nut or two.

Sampled @ Hallandale beer fest (bottle). Deep dark brown. Aroma is of stewed blackberries. Nice acai berry flavors, some smokiness, and lots of nuances in the roasted malt flavors. There is some depth here!