Town Hall Black Snow Coffee Porter

Brewed by Minneapolis Town Hall Brewery
Style: Porter
Minneapolis, Minnesota USA

Close to black, ruby glowing on the sides. Heavy on roasted malt, coffee, and charcoal in the aroma, with some vanilla tones and a nicely subdued coffee flavor underneath, enough to take note of but not enough to spoil the beer. Similar to taste. Slightly smoky. Texture is too thin, which seems to afflict alot of their darker offerings.

Growler, bottled 12-23. I was concerned that maybe I had let the growler sit a little too long before getting in to it, but I had little choice. Wasn’t going to drink it all by myself. Anyway, there was a lack of head and it was a little undercarbonated, so it was probably a little overly oxidized. Nevertheless, it was a very flavorful and enjoyable brew. Sweet, black coffee aroma...strong. Light brown head. Opaque body, reddish hues on sides. Chalky mouthfeel, swee, with some decent hop presence. Coffee and dark chocolate notes. Very nice flavor. Another winner from the good folks at TH.

Black Coloring with Small Small Head. Sweet Coffee Aroma. Wonderfully Balanced Coffee, Roasts and Chocolate.. Nice and Sweet. Quite Enjoyable!

Tap. Attractive dark brown. Extremely intense coffee aroma, not overly roasted, but very intense. A bit of chocolate and hints of wet coffee grounds, which is a bit off-putting. Mouthfeel is nice, chocolatey malts are quite good, but there is a pervasive wet coffee ground character that I just can’t get past.

On-tap at the brewpub: Super dark brown nearly black in color, thin light tan cap, lacing in small and short sheeting leaving some bigger globs as it breaks up. Aroma is the equivalent of coffee ice cream topped with milk chocolate sauce. Not overly strong, quite welcoming, clean, and delightful to wiff in. Flavors of iced coffee and smooth milk chocolate decorate the entire palate. Smooth and inviting, mixing favorably without any hint to whether the coffee or chocolate is stronger. Always equally distributed between the two. The chocolate keeps a sweeter edge while the coffee drys it out. Great balance. Feel is about medium with a mega soft smoothness and nice drying tones mixed with sweetness. A very nice porter here, the flavors aren’t huge, its got just enough flavor and body to create a finely smooth semi-mild treat. Fantastic balance and nearly perfect flavors, I was hoping for just a nudge more coffee, but it’s still a wonderful porter that any lover of porters would enjoy.

Peace Coffee is a local concern that gathers fair-trade, shade-grown beans from around the world, sells them affordably at co-ops, and delivers them around town via bicycle, even when the snow is caked on high in winter-time...I’ve seen this! Quite a commendable outfit, and theirs is usually the stuff in my mug every morning. They put some Ethiopian and Columbian beans together, blended them with Town Hall’s Porter, and what is the result...? As black as a porter can get, with only a glimmer of bright crimson peeking around the bottom, utter ebon, all the way, topped with an attractive, cocoa-tan head, softly bubbly, rocky, a thin ring, but long-lasting. Roasted coffee and chocolate hits the nose immediately...dark chocolate, rich Bavarian coffee cake, thick, bittersweet, devilish...decadent! The essence of the nut is here, and spills forth all it’s appeal...i could drink it in all day, and forswear the drinking of brew in favor of the aroma! First sip: BAM! It hits big from the start again, powerful, potent flavor, richness all over the palate, slick and thick, almost like ...well, i’m dumbstruck, becasue it’s EXACTLY like a full-bodied cup of dark roast coffee combined with a well-constructed, utterly delicious porter, and those are two of my favorite things. I’m undergoing stages of doubt...can this really be perfect? It feels like it, honestly. I hesitated and reconsidered, but I mean every note of this. It’s so balanced, so smooth, and so full of the best of both parts. At times, I’ve raved about brews that are bold and brazen in the attack of flavor...this has just enough of what it means to deliver. Perfect conception, too...they make an awesome coffee stout here, too, but it’s sometimes too full and chewy...this takes the ideal spot in the middle, just as a porter should... ...another pour from the growler (and I swore I do only one just now!), and the head looks better, like a chocolate sponge cake! This taste continues to remains matchless in execution of it’s intentions. I could drink this forever...oh, goodness, it’s great! (I thought this was perfect having pints tonight at the pub, and stuggled with the dilemna of doing an all-5...horrors!...but relaxing at home with the growler, ...well, you read it, already...it’s the real deal!)

Black color with a tint of red on the edges and it carries a very thin, whispy head. Light aroma with a slightly viney quality and some bitter overtones. While holding the first sip on my tongue and breathing, I could smell the coffee aromas pouring out my nose. It is certainly not a faint coffee flavor, but nor is it espresso; it’s just a solid, dark roast flavor. Slightly bitter with an unsweetend chocolate taste. Full bodied with medium carbonation. I could have sworn I tasted some dark fruit at the very begining, but it never came back. Very nice offering.