Sunday River Black Bear Porter

Brewed by Sunday River Brewpub and Restaurant
Style: Porter
Bethel, Maine USA

Pours a barely transparent dark mahogany with ruby hues and a pillowy wispy-lacing tan head. Lightly sweet roasty malty aroma has some light fruity tartness and a touch of dark chocolate. Body starts with a fizzy mild caramel malty sweetness turning more citric and sour toward a drier earthy finish with lingering dark chocolate. This is most likely in the midst of infection, which is unfortunate, because it would probably be a good beer otherwise.

(12oz bottle) Small beige head atop clear, dark brown body. Aroma is medium sweet, grapefruit, some caramel. Taste is medium sweet, grapefruit, some caramel, roast, chocolate. Light-medium body, some resin, light acidity. The appearance is the only characteristic that fits a porter profile -- this beer is much too hoppy, with not enough maltiness (though it does intensify slightly as it warms). Not that this is a bad thing as far as my appreciation, just pointing out that my expectations did not equal results.

Bottle (12oz). Deep, nearly opaque ruby-brown (clear, as in "not hazy") with a large foamy-creamy light brown head. Lush aroma of milk chocolate, caffe latte, nutmeat, cream, mint leaves and light herbal hops - very nice - a bit of molasses and vanilla as it warms. Taste is quite bitter - baker’s chocolate, grapefruit pith bitter hops, coffee grounds, more malt and lactic sweetness in the finish; odd bit of celery juice at the end. Average body, creamy mouthfeel with some nice astringency in the moderately long and bitter finish - pretty solid porter.

Pours black with tan head and minimal carbonation. The aroma is sweet and more malty than I would have expected and has some notes of toffee. The taste is balanced and finishes with some bitterness. Coffee taste is noticeable. Very drinkable.

12 ounce bottle purchased at Oliver’s in Albany, NY. Shared with my brother, ChazyRPH. Was labelled as Sunday River Black Bear Porter. Hoppy, grapefruity, choco-coffee, roasted malty aroma. Definitely some black patent malts present. Maybe a touch too much. Mostly transparent dark brown mahogany color with a tan-brown head that generates some small, wispy lacing. Sweet, sugary, milky, malty chocolate flavors to start. Becomes roasted in the middle and finishes with more roastiness with some sweet flavors and some coffee flavors in the end, Flavorful, pleasant, and very easy-drinking. A stand-out.

Had this one from a 12 oz. bottle. Not much aroma, but does have some roast to it. Appearance is good and on style--very dark, dark mahogany with not much light refraction even when held up to a light. Flavor is nice, but doesn’t really grab me. Palate is a bit thin for th style with some metallic hints. Overall, not a bad version, but probably will not buy another sixer.

(bottle - 12 oz) Dark black with red highlights and a light cream colored head. Roasted malts in the aroma are mixed with some sweetness and a light touch of hops. Some cream as well. Lightly roasted malts in the flavor with some coffee and metal flake in the middle and a bitter mocha finish. Thin bodied and kind of tinny.

Black pour with a nice creamy thin head of cream. Aroma is mildly roasty and some nice chocolate. Flavor is well blended and smooth. A great porter.