Twisted Pine Northstar Imperial Porter

Brewed by Twisted Pine Brewing
Style: Imperial/Strong Porter
Boulder, Colorado USA

Bomber poured a clear dark black with a small lasting brown head. Aromas of chocolate, roasted malt, vanilla and a hint of coffee. Palate was medium bodied and smooth. Flavors of milk chocolate, vanilla, roastiness and hints of dark fruit with a warming lingering finish.

22 oz bottle. Pours a very dark brown with a smallish brown head that quickly diminishes to a collar that laces the glass.

The aroma is sweet lactic chocolate and some dark fruits with a little hops in the background. As it sits, alcohol comes out.

The flavor is sweet chocolate, lactose and grains with a little dark fruits. It has a crisp finish, but negligible bitterness. The alcohol is well-hidden. The mouthfeel is pretty full with light carbonation.

Overall, an OK imperial porter. It’s a bit too unbalanced on the sweet side - almost like a milk stout.

Ours a very dark brown, nearly black; head is beige, small, and fizzy/frothy which diminishes quickly into next to nothing. Nose is pleasant with sweet chocolate, roasted nuts, burnt caramel, slight coffee roast, and some pit fruit. Flavor is molasses, burnt caramel, dark and milk chocolate, and some roasted malt; bitterness is fairly low and just keeps the beer from being cloying. Palate is somewhat light in body being medium-bodied, soft in carbonation, and an excellent silky/creamy texture. Finishes chocolatey sweet with more roast and a curious dryness. An intersting and curious ’Imperial’ porter; taking some qualites of a sweet stout and adding some complexites. Very complex malt attributes, but lacking body and enough hop presence to make it great. Alcohol is almost non-existant and this is excellent as a dark, sweet brew.

I got this bottle in April from the brewery. Pours near opaque with light tan highlights, diminishing creamy head included. Over time this may have lost a bit of carbonation, but it doesn’t hurt the style. The nose is heavy with nutty caramels, roasted malts and loads of sweet chocolates. The complexity carries to the body where notes of butterscotch and smoke linger - licorice, brown sugar and vanilla taboot. The mouthfeel is creamy, smooth with a great slickness. The finish is slightly acidic and bitter. Good stuff.

Enjoyable malty porter whose hops come through in the flavor. Black pour with big, brown head. Big nose of roasted malts, coffee, molasses, caramel with a hint of licorice.The flavor started moderately sweet and ended with a nice hop presence — a bitterness that lasted into the long finish. Medium body with a watery texture and lively carbonation. The palate turns creamy at the end. Mildly acidic.

12-05 bottle drank 10-06. thanks for bringing this one aubrey. solid black pour with a white gray head that rings. grassy chocolate, sweat, and molasses. prune, cocoa, lime acicid sour finish. the concesus was that this is not one to age. i’ll get a new sample soon and rerate. 4 5 4 2 8

Bottle from Ernest and enjoyed with tjthresh and friend: Displays a near opaque hue with slight reddish highlights topped by a small tan head and some lace. The aroma has notes of vanilla, chocolate, black patient malt, a bit nutty and earthy, grassy hops, fig, and an olde ale flair.

The taste comes across with a rich chocolate character supported by other caramel and smoky malts. Has a sublime mild hop bitterness on the finish which is also a touch woody and dry.

The feel oily and lush, moderate sharp around the edges and dry finish. The alcohol is mostly hidden. A very good brew (more-so a Robust Porter, not Baltic) indeed, worthy of another try.

Bottle: Nearly black, thin light brown foamy head, falls quickly, spotty lacing.   Nose of soy, heavily roasted malts, apple skin, and slight milk sugar.   No dark pitted fruit that I normally associate with the style.   Sweet roasted malt start, slightly like a Milk Stout with its sugar sweet lactose.   Strong apple/pear skin unlike most Milk Stouts.   Hmm... no fig/date/raisin that I normally associate with the style.   Smooth, fairly thick and full bodied.   Some chocolate and crystal malt notes.   Finishes clean, slight lingering chocolate malt and milk sugar.   Good, but not sure if I would classify this as a Baltic Porter.   Moreso Porter meets Milk Stout.   Happy to have tried it regardless.   Thanks Ernest for delivering a beer I have had in my want list for ages!