McNeills Pullmans Porter

Brewed by McNeills Brewery
Style: Porter
Brattleboro, Vermont USA

Presque noire opaque à la mousse brune pale adhérant bien à la paroi du verre. Arômes de fruits rouges allant vers les raisins bleus, le goudron et le tabac sèche. Faible présence de diacetyl, pas vraiment dérangeante mais plus élevée que mon seuil de perception. En bouche, agréable malt rôti respecte le caractère fruité omniprésent. Un peu d’alcool en rétro olfaction. En fût chez McNeill’s, 22 Mai 2005.

On tap a the pub... Aroma:Chocolate and bitterness... Appearance:Very dark brown,good head... Flavor:Bitterness and chocolate...

bomber...dark brown with medium tan head. Floral hop aroma, faint roasted malt aroma also. Roasted malt flavors to begin with, lending to some hoppiness in the middle. Dry finish with the light hops finishing a little bitter. A hint of smoke in the middle also adds to the complexity of this brew. Mouthfeel seems to be on for style. Enjoyable.

2005 bottle. Dark, unfiltered brownish-black color. Glossy and oily looking, with a good amount of beige head, some retention and lacing. Aroma has notes of light floral hops, green and distinctive, though not dominant by any means. More in the front is the roastiness and live yeast. Hints of dry smokiness, some dark chocolate and graham crackers. Flavor begins with some roasted barley dryness, a bit of chalkiness and yeast, with chocolate and light coffee, hints of bread. Finishes with a light green hops bitterness, just enough to add some complexity without being too bitter. Gains more malt sweetness, some sweet mocha tones as it warms. Body is medium, a bit watery at times, but to-style on that account. Take out some of the hops bitterness and throw in more yeast and you’d have yourself a lovely traditional English porter. The mouthfeel is certainly there, as it is in all of McNeill’s beers (low, soft carbonation, rounded, bordering on creamy feel).

(22 oz bottle: Obtained in trade with Eyedrinkale, thanks Mike!) Almost 10 years to the day since I last rated this beer. The nose is fairly light overall, with roast and a very slight smokiness the most prominent positive aromas, and a mild sourness that has me worried, given the occasional issues with McNeill’s beers. No fear though, as the sourness does not manifest itself in the flavor. What we do have is a very tasty roast which is moderately bitter and slightly smoky. Partnering with the roast from start to finish is a nice chocolate flavor, and there seems to be plenty of hops contributing to the bitter finish as it’s more of a hoppy bitterness than a roasty bitterness. This porter is minimally sweet, but not to the point of yielding a really dry mouthfeel. If I had to quibble with anything, the palate is a touch thin, but still satisfactory. Very dark brown, nearly opaque through the center of the glass, but mahogany near the edges. Tan head pours about half an inch in height, gradually receeds to a halo-encircled swirl of thin film. The head leaves a patchwork of lace on the glass. Very solid porter all around.

Earthy, chocolate and roasted aroma with plenty of malty sweetness. Opaque black body with decent tan head that recedes to cover and ring with some lacing. Roasty flavours balance the sweet malts with some chocolate and leafy tobacco notes. Medium body with low carbonation and creamy smooth texture. On tap at the brewpub with MartinT, muzzlehatch and Rastacouere.

On tap at Mcneills. Almost black, this one wears a nice film of laced beige silk, fully lasting. Typical chocolate and coffee aroma shows great evolution as it warms toward a moderate roastiness, smooth yet very malty and not too sweet. Smoky and highly roasty palate. It remains a diplomat, bringing along vanilla and tobacco hints to pair with an honest bitterness like a conciliator. Ultra smooth body seems to complement the flavour profile through its perfect carbonation and creaminess. Excellent!

Not full opaque, but still dark with reds around the edge and a little tan head. Aroma is a bit thin, there are some chocolate and dark fruit flavors along with coffee and roasted malts. Chalky feel and finish but also sweet and bitter, like coffee. Nice robust finish and feel.