Smuttynose Robust Porter

Brewed by Smuttynose Brewing Company
Style: Porter
Portsmouth, New Hampshire USA

On tap at Dunderbaks, Tampa. I’d had it in bottles before, but this was far superior. Looks and smells just like it tastes. Light will not penetrate the glass. Coffee, dark chocolate and sorghum beets(?). It hit that fine line of light carbonation that I crave in a porter. Served cool, it morphed nicely over 20-25 minutes. Lace hung on the glass throughout. Bringing the smoke down a little bit might make it perfect.

Thanks go out to a few people for sending me this, but I could have sworn I rated it long ago! Oh well. Pours black with a small to moderate light brown head. Aroma is definitely stronger than the typical porter with dark chocolate, wood, leaves, tobacco, acidic coffee, and perhaps a hint of oxidation. Maybe this is old, or I stored it poorly for a wee bit too long before drinking. Flavor is spot on with dark chocolate, caramel, tobacco, wood, leaves, earth, coffee, and peanuts. Finishes with peanuts going down, followed by coffee, darker chocolate, and slight charred wood aftertaste. Medium bodied, creamy, and seemingly thicker than it is, this beer gives a LOT of deep and big flavors for the small ABV. I would bring sixers of this to parties all the time if I could.

Pitch black pour, beautiful tan head. Aroma holds coffee, chocolate, caramel malt, roast, and some dark fruit; really nice. Flavor is phenomenal; tons of coffee, roasted malt, dark chocolate, caramel, and some subtle molasses sweetness. Just an incredible and classic specimen of a porter. I’ve had this too many times to write more, i just want to drink the thing.

On tap at Bacchus. Pours a deep dark cola black with a hefty creamy dark tan head. Roast, vanilla, caramel, nice sweetness. A touch on the thin side of medium bodied, light astringency, bitter roast and light baking chocolate. Finishes with a lot of roast bitterness, and some slow lingering char notes.

Draft at Mellow Mushroom - Brandon. Poured a blsck color with an aqverage fizzy light brown head that mostly lasted with good lacing. Moderate toasted malt and chocolate aroma. Medium body with a smooth slick texture and flat carbonation. Medium to heavy toasted chocolate sweet flavor with a medium bittersweet finish of moderate duration. Solid complex brew.

Cask Stillage at the GBBF, Earls Court 04/08/2009 Big fruit and roast aromas. Black hoppy and strong in alcohol woth a little dryness in a crisp and bitter roast finish.

Tap at Puck Fair. Poured a super dark brown with a beige head. Coffee malt nose. Great coffee and chocolate and some nice burnt notes. Delicious bitter finish.

Black beer with a small white head and only few carbonation. Coffee like aroma with some malty roasted touches. Full creamy palate. Finish is bitter though rather soft ending.