Maine Coast Eden Porter

Brewed by Maine Coast Brewing Company / Jack Russells Brewpub
Style: Porter
Bar Harbor, Maine USA

Opaque with a thin tan head. Roasted coffee and a solid bitterness. Touch of welcome sourness to counter the malt harshness. A little thin but decent. Ends with bittersweet chocolate. A solid version.

Bottled. Totally black; lovely head. Aroma rather weak, but coffee/chocolate notes present; little hops. Flavor smashing though, rich and creamy chocolate-espresso throughout; nice body; decent but short finish. A quality production on the whole from this as-yet-unknown new Bar Harbor brewer.

Pours a tan, two-finger head that goes slowly and leaves a good lace. Black color. Light carbonation and heavy bodied. Roasted coffee/smokey nose. Starts slightly sweet but mainly roasted coffee. Smokey/tobacco finish. $1.83 for a 12oz bottle from Maine Coast Brewery Bar Harbor, Me. And FWIW Eden was the old name of Bar Harbor until about 1870.

The beer pours from the bottle a beauteous dark walnut color, the head is portly in size, spumous in texture, and the color a light tan and the lace formed is a satiny sheet to hide the glass. Aromas of toasted grain predominate in the nose, sweet and fresh, quite a treat to the olfactory and ocular senses. Start is malt laden, sweet and the top moderate in feel to the palate. Finish has a mild to moderate acidity, the hops pleasant in their spiciness, very dry and long lasting somewhat tart aftertaste. A fine drinking porter and another treasure from the state of Maine.

Deep brown red with a thick, dense head. Lots of lacing, beautiful to look at. Nose is malty, roasty, maybe a hint of cherries. And a bit of raw hop leaf bitterness. Body is a tad thin but the flavors are good and malty. Dry, spicy. This one didn't last long, A nice porter that doesn't totally overlap with a stout.

First off, fantastic carbonation, as it exploded on opening and then, no matter how carefully I poured, the head took over most of the glass. After that tumult, we see...dark brown color, showing clear, reddish edges, and a faint-tannish head, supremely bubbly, to say the least. Aroma: dark toned, with bittersweet espresso-ish notes, distinctive cocoa expressions, a touch spicy, too. So far, so good, porterly speaking... Taste: mild, if any hops, thick malt, with an unusual undercurrent of tobacco-y tastes. Fruity flavors emerge as well, but this smokiness won’t quit, either. Taste like an ashtray, almost. Carbonation is huge, rushes forth in every meeting with the lips. Mouthfeel isn’t quit as full as I’d like and the finish is a bit faint. Too often, though, and I swear I’m not making this up, it’s like drinking a chocolate cigarette! Not to say I didn’t like it, it’s just a bit unusual!

A little watery but a nice yeasty/hoppy finish. Lasting aftertaste and thin head. Another great beer from Maine.

Enjoyed at the brewery on the 4th and this was a pretty good beer. Probably the best that Maine Coast makes. Aroma is malty and coffee. As is flavor. Not too dominated by any one flavor, this is pretty well done.