Sea Dog Riverdriver Hazelnut Porter

Brewed by Sea Dog Brewing (Shipyard Brewing Co.)
Style: Porter
Topsham, Maine USA

I don’t know, I just didn’t think it was newsworthy. It had the coffee and nutty notes you like with a porter, but none of the body. Perhaps just not my cup of beer, but I didn’t think it was much more than a C+.

Oh man this beer was not that great. Too much butter, toffee, and hazelnut in the aroma and not enough porter action. This was like a cold artificially flavored crappy cup of coffee. I thought the beer smelled like an English Strong Ale. I was not a fan of this beer at all. The color was nice and dark dark brown/black. The beer was very pungent, but that was negative about this beer because it just did not have the right flavors. Maybe I had a bad bottle, but this is one of the worst porters I have tried. They hammered this beer with so many artificial pungent aromas that it was bad. I don’t see why they would call this a porter when there is so much damn butter, and toffee in the aroma. I have tried many porters and this is very distinct. I think the hazelnut, toffee, and butter were overpowering in the taste. It did not leave room for any of the palate to come through. This beer was very watered down, and just one of the worst beers I have tried. As I stated earlier I hope to God I just had a bad bottle, but this beer wasn’t that great.

On Cask at Oldsmar Tap House. Pours up deep dark brown with infra red edges and firm lasting tan head. The aroma is mild with roastiness, faint caramel, faint burnt malts and a touch of oxidation. The taste is similar with roasted to burnt malts, mild oxidation and mild chocolate malt goodness. The finish the beer becomes toastier and roasty. Nice roasty offering. A bit on the bold side for a Porter which is to my liking.

(Bottle, Monk’s Café, Stockholm, 14 April 2008) Dark brown colour with frothy, pale brown head. Malty nose with hazelnuts and chocolate. Malty, nutty taste with notes of hazelnuts, chocolate and a decent cocoa bitterness in the finish. Not really complex but the nicely balanced hazelnut touch makes it quite enjoyable.

This was Sea Dog RiverDriver Porter. Didn’t see anything to do with Hazelnut... Anyways, not bad for a Porter. Pours a syrupy deep brown color, tan head and small amounts of lacing. Lots of chocolate in this beer! Roasted chocolate with malts. Maybe a little thin on the mouthfeel, but pretty good and warming.

12 oz, bb Dec 08. Translucent, nearly opaque chocolate with ruby highlights. Large creamy head endures and leaves nice lace. Dry-toasty hazelnut aroma dominates, with maybe a hint of cocoa. Hazelnut flavor also dominates initially. Some peppery green herb, sour cream, and dry cocoa show up after a few sips. After a while, some roasted-woody char and faint smoke peek through as well, mainly in the finish. Smooth, medium-heavy body is soft and dryish, with some slight gum tingle. A tad less on the hazelnut and this one would be great.

Dark, thin head, lingering. Aroma of hazelenut with background of roasted malts. Flavor is toasty with ;long finish of of hazelnut. A bit one dimensional.

12oz bottle Aroma is that from when back in wis the pouring milk from the cow into the holding tank. Also nutty aroma is more dominant. Mahogany body with tanhead. Body texture has that cola carbination to it and good nutty flavor. Mild sweetness lingers on palate decent brew.