Upland Bad Elmers Porter

Brewed by Upland Brewing Company
Style: Porter
Bloomington, Indiana USA

Bottle. Pours pretty nice with a very, very dark red body and a good tan head that remains for many long minutes. There’s a bit of cola in the nose, some sweet nuttiness, and just a hint of coffee-type roastiness that reminds me this is not a brown ale. The flavor is pretty good, less cola here. It’s got an ashy bitterness upfront with a small amount of hop presence in the finish. Some cacao and bread are in the mix too. I could use a bit more body out of a porter than this. Bad Elmer falls flat quickly on the palate, but it’s still decent all in all.

Sampled from tap on 10/14/2006 at McQuiston’s Malthouse in Madison, Indiana... The color of this beer is very dark brown/almost black. It has a large, creamy tan head that lasts and lasts and lasts! Needless to say it also has superior lacing. The aroma is cocoa and malt. The flavor is roasted malt, some chocolate, and somehow fruity like roasted apples. The finish is like weak coffee. The hops are well balanced. This beer has a medium to full body and is quite smooth and creamy. Another tasty brew from Upland! 6 oz draught, $1.50 at McQuiston’s Malthouse.

I’ve found bottles of this to be very inconsistent in quality, with most examples being vastly overcarbonated. The pour is a clearand dark mahogany hue, topped by a large creamy tan head that retains well and lavishly laces the pint glass. Aroma is bitter dark chocolate, complimented by some dark roast notes of burnt coffee. Mouthfeel is medium and overcarbonated. Taste is bitter and roasty with hints of dark chocolate and burnt coffee. Some nuttiness is apparent at times. Slightly acrid tasting. This one is difficult to appraise as the bottles are so inconsistent. A topnotch American porter when a good and fresh bottle is sampled. Very forgettable, otherwise.

12 oz bottle Pours out a black topped with a tan head. A very nice aroma of dark chocolate and roast. I liked the tast it was very easy to drink.

Bottle. Pours a nice dark ruby with one-fourth-inch tan head. The aroma is chocolate and rain forest. The flavor is pine, chocolate, a touch of cola, and an ashy finish and nutty aftertaste. Not very complex, just a hoppy porter.

Bottle. Sweet aroma of coffee, chocolate, and light roastiness. A little earthiness/grit and herbiness. Dark red/pitch pour with a creamy lacing brown head. Sweetness tastes somewhat artificial, but the coffee, choco, and toasty notes are nice, and smooth. Definitely strange earthy floral/herbal tones, and a little grit. Medium body with a lightly bitter, dry roast finish.

12oz bottle acquired in trade with atpayne (thanks!). Poured a dark (see through) brown color with a small sized off white head. Aromas of roast, chocolate, coffee and toffee. Tastes of roast, chocolate, caramel with a light coffee bitter finish. Thinner body.

Thanks to hopdog. Pours a hazy brownish red with a smaller bubbly off white lacing head. Aroma of cocoa, chocolate, light coffee, caramel and toffee. Flavors of the same with a bit of vegetable, grainy maltiness, roasty and cocoa.