Porterhouse Wrasslers XXXX Stout

Brewed by Porterhouse
Style: Dry Stout
Dublin, Ireland

Date: 06/02/2007
Mode: Bottle
Source: Tasting

black, wispy beige head, dry roasted malt and dark chocolate aroma, rich bitter dark chocolate flavor, only a touch of sweetness at first but disappears as it gets warm, picks up a light tartness upon warming

Aroma: 6/10; Appearance: 6/10; Flavor: 6/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 11/20
Rating: 2.9/5.0
Drinkability: 7/10
Score: *4

MJ’s Rare Beer Club 7/13/07: Black body w/a lasting medium sized beige head. Metallic w/ sherry like oxidation at first in the aroma, then prunish dark fruit esters. Also minerally. Very light chocolate & roasted grains and a touch of soapy hops with hints of toasted and caramel malts. The flavor is well balanced between sweet and bitter up front, but finishes bitter and lingers into the aftertaste. Light chocolate malt, and again, a soapy flavor w/ herbal and earthy hop presence. Brown sugary at the start and some lightly toasted malt. Light raisiny ester in the flavor and also a touch of alcohol. Fuller medium body, warming alcohol, low carbonation, and a dry m/f. Okay but not great! A bit too harsh around the edges to be truly enjoyable for me.

Bottle (750ml) shared with HogTownHarry & tupalev -- courtesy of HogTownHarry. Pours an impenetrable dark brown with a large mostly-lasting fluffy light-brown head. Aroma of roasted malt, fresh green hops, cocoa and a hint smoke -- very unique aroma. Flavour’s dry with lightly roasted malt, coffee, chocolate and a nice amount of hops. Medium bodied, smooth creamy mouthfeel. A somewhat unique and very enjoyable Stout.

Off-white head, with a dark brown body. Caramel and roasted malt aromas. Lots of roasted malts in the taste along with the bitter chocolate and the coffee. Noticable hops in the taste as well. More bitter than most stouts are methinks. I expected more, but I got something respectable.

This beer is great on draught! Far, far better tasting than Guinness. Lots of hoppy flavour. Go to Dublin and try it!

Bottle (750ml). Shared with blankboy and tupalev, my bottle from swoopjones. Poured thick, opaque brown-black with a large fluffy light brown lasting head (4+). I can’t decide whether the pungent grassy/funky UK hops or the dry, mildly spicy dark roasted molasses/nutoil/dark chocolate malt dominates - it’s roasty, dry and funky. (tupalev says it reminds him of burnt dust, like when you fire up the electric space heater for the first time in the fall) - very good. Taste - smooth, soft, chocolate milk, dry, darkly roasty, milky, green funky hops - smooth. Lovely mouthfeel - lightish body for a stout, but silky and milky, mily carbonation, malty linger - excellent - I think I liked it the most of the three of us, but we all like it. Dry, but not too dry. Note: bottle said 7%, not 5% - felt more like 5% to me.

Draught@Porterhouse, London. Black colour, mediumsized brown creamy and thick head. Aroma is roasted malts, very dark chocolate and some caramel. Flavour is big roasted malts, some dark chocolate and strong coffee and fudge. Really wellbalanced and pleasant to drink. Roasted nice aftertaste.

Bottle - 750mL corked and caged from the Michael Jackson Rare Beer Club. I’ve had this in the fridge since I got it. Not sure why I waited so long to rate it. Black pour. Midnight really. Bit of mahogany around the edges at the surface. Small tan head is gone before I was done pouring, it seemed. Nose is roasted malts, sweet caramel, coffee and cream, and dark chocolate. Taste is a bit more on the bitter side as compared with the aroma. Strong roasted maltiness, cold coffee, dark, bittersweet chocolate and soft burnt caramel. Body is creamy and smooth but fizzy is spots, especially as you start to swallow the last gulp of each mouthful. Finishes with more bittersweet chocolate, dark coffee, roasted malts and more caramel notes. Nothing unique or extreme, but well done, nonetheless. Very drinkable!