Mad River Steelhead Scotch Porter

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

The scotch flavor didn’t come through nearly as much as I had expected. However, the blend of hops and other flavors is pretty nice - I would drink again.

nice black with dark brown edges. disappearing tan head. aroma smoked molasses and chocolate with hints of raisins. very nice. sweet molasses chocolate flavor with some tart raisin bitter coffee and a hint of smoke and a spicy backbone. finish tart raisin spicy black pepper smoke with a hint of sweet chocolate molasses and some bitter coffee. medium body. moderate carbonation. very nice. this one surprised me. more complex than i expected. i will be buying this one again.

12-ounce. Pours opaque dark brown with a towering, moussy, pocked tan head. Lightly sweet nose, maybe a little bit of vanilla there. Nowhere near the smoke impact I’d hope for if I’d read the description beforehand. Watery. Still. Earthy, leafy mid-palate, with some nut and caramel in there. None of these elements works well with the others, they all just vie for your attention and leave a processed filmy taste on the roof of your mouth. Bitter, CO2-ish finish.

Pours brown with a crimson hue and a nice tight tan head. The aroma has more scotch ale traits than a porter with thick sweet dark malt, some bourbon, raisins and other dark fruits. Medium / thin body with some light prickly carbonation. The taste is more watery and sharp than the aroma along with having some peat smoke and metallic traits. The finish adds some bitterness. An okay beer that I’d like to try at another time to see if it something I just wasn’t in the mood for at the time of this rating.

Date: 01/24/2007
Mode: Bottle
Source: Roadtrip

dark with ruby edges, fine beige edges, touch of lace, sweet rich caramel malt aroma with light chocolate, rich caramel and chocolate flavors, light sweetness, light bitterness,

Aroma: 6/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 5/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 10/20
Rating: 2.8/5.0
Drinkability: 7/10
Score: *4

Dark brown color with a small milky brown head. Aroma of roasted and chocolate malts. Flavor of sweet malts, chocolate and vanilla.

Poured from a 12oz bottle into an English pint glass. This brew poured a dark brown color with reddish highlights showing through the edges of the glass. The aroma was made up of roasted malts, caramel, chocolate, and a hint of vanilla. The flavor was chcolate, smokey roasted malt, and some underlying caramel. The mouthfeel was medium-bodied with a slightly sticky feel. Minimal carbonation. Is it a porter, is it a Scotch Ale...I don’t know...but it is very tasty.

12oz - Aroma is smoky, peat and roasted malts. Pours dark brown with red highlights, a big head and great lacing. Flavor is strong with roasted malts and a touch of chocolate. Palate is sticky and a bit thin. Not a bad brew and worth a try.