Mad River Steelhead Scotch Porter

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

GABF 2008. dark brown, lighter brown head. coffee and chocolate fight it out for dominance in the aroma. Both are present equally on the palate, along with some burnt malt, a mildly ashy character, and a minerally dry finish. Medium-bodied, smooth. Excellent.

Opaque brown pour with a filmy head of medium size and stringy lacing. This looks amazingly inviting sitting in the glass. Rich, roasted malty aroma with strong notes of chocolate, cream, and coffee. Smooth and creamy yet thinner than I like, but not by much. Great aftertaste, filling and drinkable. Sweet, roasted malt and grainy bread flavors. Milk chocolate along with bitter coffee and a touch of pacific northwest hops. Similar to a sweet stout, this is an awesome relaxing dark beer.

Aroma of raisins, burnt wood, malt, and a little alcohol. Color is like black coffee, you can barely see through it at all...Fairly thick brown head...a bunch of yeast on the bottom. Good flavor; burnt, woody, very drinkable. Easy on the palate for a porter...not much aftertaste. Overall I like it alot...Very good flavor and very drinkable at the same time. I could drink these as an everyday beer. I’m Impressed.

Bottle. Pour is a dark brown with a smallish head. Aromas seem weak... burnt malt on a deep inhale is about it. Flavor is strange... there’s kind of an artificial sweetness to it that gets in the way of any enjoyment and has most of this one bound for the county’s sewer system. I guess you could say that it is like coffee that someone has dumped half a cup of sugar into and then stirred in some dirt or peat. Ech!

12 oz bottle from South Bay Drugs. I had been in search for this particular Mad River for few years and just never seemed to be lucky enough to catch it any of the obvious locations. Anyhow, pours a dark brown porter with a thinly cream colored head. My nose detects light hints of cream as well as the up front aroma of perfectly roasted malt. The flavor is a bit tart at first but then becomes more adapted too with a notice of bitter chocolate and roasty dark malt personality.

Brownish coloured. Brown dense head leaves a decent lace behind. Chocolate aroma. Malty notes. Flavour is chocolate and hoppy. Medium bitter on the finish.

Very dark brown with a modest tan head and few lacings. Nice mocha aroma. Taste is peaty mocha with a balancing amount of hops. Rather under-stated which is nice for a change. Very drinkable Scotch Porter. Would like to try the draft version.

Bottle: Pours a deep brown topped by a tan film of head. Nice malt presence in the aroma. Creamy cocoa, mild tobacco, nutty/crystal malt notes and toasted graham cracker. Nice mild carbonation on the palate. The flavor is mildly roasted with a smooth & creamy cocoa flavor, as well as very subtle sweet tobacco and chocolate cookies. Smooth, light roast into the finish. A well crafted and nice Porter.