Port Brewing Older Viscosity

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

Review entered to celebrate my 2100th US rating. Bottled at the brewery. A pitch black beer with a brown head. The aroma is sweet malty iwth notes of roasted malt, bourbon, and bread. The falvor is sweet malty with notes of roasted malt, bourbon, and a bit of acicity from the wood, leading to a dry roasetd, bitter, and alcoholic finish. The alcohol tickles the tongue in the aftermath.

Bottle 37,5 cl. Courtesy of fordest. Pours black and opaque with a small beige head. Distinct bourbon aroma. Quite full-bodied, a little low in carbonation, hard roasted malts - but never burned. Some dark chocolate also. Fairly malt bitter finish. 010209

Bottled, thanks cquiroga! Very black. Aroma of oak, vanilla and licorice. Sweet and tarry, full bodied. Extremely strong barrel character, but then everything in this beer is very strong, so it kind of matches. Molasses mixes with chocolate, oak and vanilla. Salty licorice finish. The barrel aging has improved it, and made the rough edges less noticable.

37.5 cL bottle. Pours pitch black with a lacing white head. Dense and roasted malt aroma with a light chocolate smoothness. Flavour is smooth and roasted. Chocolate and mild liqourice. Ends light sweet and roasted malt. Lingering finish.

Bottle 375ml. @ DØE Tasting, Fox & Hounds, Holstebro.
Clear dark brown color with a average to large, creamy to frothy, good lacing, fully lasting, light light brown head. Aroma is roasted, chocolate, coffee, light burnt, cocus, red wine - bourbon, wood - vanilla, driied fruit. Flavor is heavy sweet, light light red wine acidic and heavy bitter with a long duration. Body is medium to full, texture is creamy, carbonation is soft, finish feel is light moderate alcoholic - bourbon. [20090929]

Bottle. Black coloured with a medium sized beige head. Sweet and light roasted aroma with lots of dried fruits and notes of wood, vanilla and alcohol. Light roasted flavour of dried fruits, wood, vanilla and alcohol with notes of liquorice. Warming alcoholic finish.

Date: December 01, 2006
Mode: Draft
Source: Brewfest, Strong Ale Fest
Vintage: 2006
Appearance: black, headless
Aroma: light sweet malt aroma
Flavor: huge bourbon flavor, lots of sweet vanilla, too much bourbon

Date: February 13, 2007
Mode: bottle
Source: tasting
Vintage: 2006
Aroma: rich sweet alcoholic aroma
Body: thin body
Overall: sweet bourbon and vanilla, still lots of bourbon but some roasted and chocolate is finding its way through

Date: April 28, 2007
Mode: bottle
Source: tasting
Vintage: 2006
still too hot and thin

Date: June 24, 2007
Mode: bottle
Source: RBSG tasting
Vintage: 2006
still hot but some ripe fruit is starting to work its way through the bourbon

Date: January 12, 2008
Mode: bottle
Source: tasting
Vintage: 2006
Words: vertical
Aroma: 06 is more bourbon and dark chocolate aroma where the 07 brings in more oak and a vanilla sweetness
Flavor: the 06 flavor is still very boozy compared to the the 07 which has more sweetness and dark malts to balance with the bourbon
Overall: a blend gives the perfect amount of bourbon and chocolate

Aroma: 7/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 7/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 13/20
Rating: 3.4/5.0
Drinkability: 7/10
Score: **+/4

Date: December 01, 2007
Mode: Bottle
Source: Pizza Port Bottle Shop
Vintage: 2007
Appearance: black, fine tan head, drops of lace
Aroma: sweet dark chocolate and bourbon candy aroma with a touch of dark fruits, a bit of the alcohol comes through
Body: thick chewy body
Flavor: incredible rich dark chocolate flavor, lots of bourbon for added depth, lots of vanilla brings in the sweetness, roasted malt follows the sweet vanilla to balance it back out, the ripe fruits show up for the second act
Overall: all of the flavors are in perfect harmony and even fresh out of the gate is much better than the 2006, this should be an excellent vintage for years to come

Date: August 30, 2008
Mode: bottle
Source: cellar stock
Vintage: 2007
Aroma: sweet dark chocolate aroma, light bourbon, touch of fruity tartness
Flavor: rich dry dark chocolate flavor, picking up more of a roasted character that is bringing in an extra bitterness and drying out a lot of the bourbon and vanilla sweetness, eventually the bourbon sweetness comes out but not like when it was fresh

Date: December 07, 2008
Mode: bottle
Source: cellar stock
Vintage: 2007
Aroma: sweet roasted vanilla and chocolate aroma
Flavor: roasted flavor is still strong but lots of bourbon character and vanilla sweetness keeps it in check, fleeting touch of cherry tartness, light oaky bitterness

Date: April 05, 2009
Mode: bottle
Source: cellar stock
Vintage: 2007
Aroma: same sweet roasted and dark chocolate aroma enhanced by the vanilla
Flavor: still the rich roasted flavor, bourbon and vanilla is fading, lots of bitter dark chocolate

Aroma: 8/10; Appearance: 8/10; Flavor: 8/10; Palate: 9/10; Overall: 17/20
Rating: 4.2/5.0
Drinkability: 8/10
Score: ***+/4

Date: May 16, 2009
Mode: Bottle
Source: Cellar Stock
Vintage: 2008
Appearance: black, fine brown head, sticky streaks of lace
Aroma: roasted malt aroma, light sweet bourbon, dark chocolate
Body: creamy body
Flavor: rich dark chocolate and roasted malt flavor, touch of bourbon is the initial source of sweetness until a bit of vanilla shows up to assist, light bitterness from the dark chocolate character

Aroma: 7/10; Appearance: 8/10; Flavor: 7/10; Palate: 7/10; Overall: 16/20
Rating: 3.8/5.0
Drinkability: 8/10
Score: **4

Date: August 23, 2009
Mode: Bottle
Source: South Bay Drugs, San Diego
Vintage: 2009
Appearance: opens with a soft pfft, pours thick and solid black, wispy head, bits of lace
Aroma: sweet winey and fruity aroma, sweet dark chocolate with a bit of caramel, touch of roasted
Flavor: sweet chocolate and bourbon flavor, touch of hot alcohol, light roasted with a touch of bitterness, lingering warm bourbon finish

Aroma: 8/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 7/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 16/20
Rating: 3.8/5.0
Drinkability: 7/10
Score: **4

Murky dark brown. Lots of alcohol, raisin, rich malt, vanilla, wood, bourbon. Serious beer. Rich, smooth and sweet, with lots of vanilla. Light bourbon with a big alcohol finish.