Port Brewing Older Viscosity

Brewed by Port Brewing/Lost Abbey
Style: American Strong Ale
San Marcos, California USA

Tasted at Lost Abbey’s 1st Annual Barrel Tasting. Pours a clear dark brown. The initial aroma was big full of sweet caramel and sweet roasted malts. The next whiff was a dryer oak to red wine combination. Then I get more tasty caramel aromas again along with toffee and is that chocolate too. The taste starts with a brief burst of sweetness. Then red wine dryness and tartness hit and move into more tartness toward the finish. The caramel and toffee noted in the nose are faint and somewhat hidden in the back. I get some oak in there too but it is subtle and residing in the background sort of throughout the taste experience. Not at all what I was expecting based on the aroma and what Old Viscosity tastes like. The barrel aging has had a big influence.

I most recently sampled this on tap at the patron saints party, side by sid with older vis. Both looked the same thick almost black and the older smelled less alcoholy and more coffee. The flavor was much smoother than the old v. lots of coffee, hints of vanilla molasess and bourbon, perfect palate. remind me to pick up a case next time is avaiable.

On tap at port. Dark brown with creamy tan head. Aroma of coffee, bourbon, and chocolate with roasty notes. Fine silky palate. Nice spicy chocolate, nutty, bourbon and vanilla taste with a slightly alcoholic finish.

Poured a thick black with no head in the beginning. A bunch of small tan bubbles rose as it sat. Looks like motor oil. Aroma of bourbon, coffee, and some chocolate. Chocolate, bourbon, and roasted coffee flavors present. This was a great way to start the night.

Thanks to drewbeerme for this sample of Batch 1. We did a vertical with a fresh Old Vis, a bottle aged 1 year, and this the older Vis. All three were surprisingly different for better or worse. Pours a dark black with a thing ring of a head. The first note I pick up in the nose is soy .. but this fades into the rich dark chocolate and oak and of course surrounded in notes of bourbon. Sweet and very creamy. Chocolate, molasses, mocha, and oak barely peek out from under that overbearing bourbon. The bourbon starts at slightly harsh and turns into pure bourbon on the rocks. Whew. I’m sure the complexities will come out and this will improve after a few years but right now its too much. I actually pour a little of the fresh old viscosity in this glass to mellow out that heat. 8/3/6/3/14 = 3.4

Thanks to andrew again for this sample. Pours black with a brown tall head. Bourbon and some dark fruits in the nose, some blueberry and roasted malts. Roasted malts dark fruits, complex with alcohol, oak, and bourbon. Solid. 8/4/8/4/16 = 4.0

Lucid, chocolaty brown in color sitting stilly in the glass. The faintest hairline tan wrung lines the edges. Aroma delves deep into fudgie chocolate cubes, dripping with sticky goop at the corners. Dark chocolate truffles laced with liquid mocha liquor. Singed hazelnuts and cocoa nibs droll dutifully wonderful in the distance with a hint of mellow oak. Flavor bellows rich abundance. Dark chocolate fudge engulfs the tongue with sweet bourbon and black rye combination, all blended into a creamy supplement and laid over oak. Warming mouthfeel captures a vibrant mocha cocoa grist amidst a nearly minty frangelico liquor cream character. Burnt hazelnuts get captured in dark chocolate for a blissfully darkened, nutty embellishment. Full bodied, woodsy cocoa and mocha bean fulfillment. Charming cocoa nib signature fades into dust and melting dark chocolate fudge as it sees itself out. Huge thanks for the bottle, tpkenned!

Bottle from JohnC and weeheavySD, thanks again guys for the brews. Pours heavy and dark like a bottle Expedition Stout. Ohhh, this is so nice. The Varrel Aging isn’t over done and the complexity of the Old Visosity come sout very well. Loads of black strap molasses, some bitter chocolate but the vanilla oak notes are clearly present.Re-rate 12/30/07 this bottle had some age on it and it was very tasty.

357ml bottle, Batch 1. sampled next to Old Viscosity first batch and 2007 vintage w/ portion aged in bourbon barrel. pours black with no head. nose is very bourbony, oaky, coconut, and lots of alcohol (really reminds me of GI BCS). flavor is pretty hot bourbon, coconut, chocolate, but then the finish comes on strong with bourbon flavor. just too much and hot. I bet this in 2-4 years would be awesome. really reminded me of GI BCS but not nearly as good. 3.5.

4/25/08, Batch 2. aged 6 months. wow this is like night and day compared to batch 1. this is softer much more balanced and wonderful. really smooth and well blended. awesome brew. 4.1.

Early August ’09, sampled a bottle of 2007 bottle, pours black with creamy tan head. looks good and with nice level of carbonation. this really become quite fruity, i mean lots of dark fruit in the nose and flavor where the bourbon, oak, and alcohol have really faded out. tasty but lost something special.

8/28/09, 2009 batch, pours black with a slim off white head around the rim. the aroma is a smokey nutty bourbon with chocolate undertones. flavor has some sharp dark fruit and bourbon notes, smokey, the chocolate is there but underplayed and soy sauce and licorice rounds the whole thing out while charred malt/oak and alcohol sits on the palate. the barrel aging as really thinned this beer out but it really never started as some motor oil impy. in the end this is a tasty beer and best consumed within 6months of release. this vintage is almost flat and would improve with slightly more carbonation. anywhere near worth the asking price? hell no. 3.9. 10/29/09, ’09 batch on draft at maproom. wow lots of bourbon in this compared to the bottled stuff. strong strong bourbon in a tobacco charred wood way, at times a bit rough going down. still enjoyed. 3.9.