Olivers Pagan Porter

On tap at the brewpub on 9/9/09: Pours a barely transparent dark mahogany with a well-lacing clingy light tan head. Aroma of lightly sweet toasty dark caramel malt with a touch of earthy hops and dark chocolate. Starts with good fullness and some light chalky earthy caramel sweetness and a hint of light tartness before a drier bittersweet roasty finish. A decent porter.

Location: On tap at the Pratt Street Ale House, 9/6/09

Aroma: Nose is chocolate, licorice, roasted nuts, coffee
Appearance: Clearish brownish-red color, beige head, 3/4
Flavor: Similar characteristics to the nose, so I won’t list them again, a sweet flavor, mild bitterness
Palate: Medium body, nice smooth drink and mouthfeel
Overall Impression: This was a solid Porter, but drinking the Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald is making me want to lower this ones score, which isn’t fair, but it’s true, that one is so good that the Pagen seems really pedestrian by comparison. Let’s forget comparing it to one of the greatest porters I’ve tried for a second, and score it on it’s own merit. In actuality, this was a solid porter that I enjoyed drinking.

Sample at the brewpub. The beer is a dark reddish brown color with a medium foamy beige head that diminishes steadily. Stringy lacing on the glass. Roasty malt aroma with notes of coffee and nuts. Medium, semi-dry body with a roasty character and flavors of coffee and malt primarily, and a bit of hops underneath. The finish is malty with a short coffee aftertaste. Decent overall.

Cask 16oz pour was murky brown with a creamy off white head. Big time roasted aroma and taste. Very smooth with some dryness at the end. Nutty and slightly chocolatey. Very nicely light carbonation on the hand pump. Went nicely with lunch on a nice warm day.

On tap @ Wharf Rat. Pours a clear brown body with a foamy one finger light brown head that fell to a thin film. Some spotty lacing. Roasty and nutty nose with a bit of licorice and a little green leafy hoppiness comes out with a gentle swirl. The flavor is a mix of nuttiness and chocolate malt with a little roast on the back end. Moderate hoppiness. On the drier side for a Porter. Mouthfeel is a little thin and a bit watery with soft fizzy carbonation. Not my favorite take on the style, but it was drinkable. A little diacetyl as it really warmed up, but it was pretty well hidden at first.

Dark reddish brown with no head. Roasty chocolate aroma and taste with a coffee finish.

Enjoyed on tap at the brewpub downtown. Roasty,above average carbonation, bit of sourness. Good lacing.

Pints @ Fells Point Wharf Rat. Pours a dark cola color; thin, light tan head with patchy lacing. Cola, caramel, and sweet malts in the aroma; basic, chewy malts. Lively carbonation, with some zesty citrus and mineral hoppiness; medium mouthfeel: caramel, wet malts and nougat at the core; drinkable, citrus-laden porter. Not quite the same drinkability or clarity of the stouts. Medium finish: toasted malts, caramel, and some mineral bitterness.