It's Fall. Time for Oktoberfests, Harvest Ales and Pumpkin Beers. We're not doing any of them though. We sort of found that with the Oktoberfest (or Octoberfest) style they all seem to taste pretty much the same. This is not to say they are bad, just becomes sort of repetitive when reviewing them. Whereas IPAs, for example, have an enormous range of taste profiles depending upon a variety of factors: the hops used, the malt, the yeast, as well as the regional differences (East Coast vs. West Coast vs. British IPAs). There are also Red IPAs, Black IPAs, Session IPAs. You get the idea.  And Pumpkin Ales? Well, personally, I love pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, pumpkin cookies. Pumpkin in my beer? Not so much. I've had a couple where the pumpkin spice is pretty subtle, so it's drinkable. But far too often the pumpkin flavor overpowers the taste of beer. After all, I drink beer because I like beer. I don't need to disguise the taste. Our nod to the proliferation of pumpkin everything is Sloop Brewing's (No) Pumpkin IPA.

We kick off our reviews this month with the appropriately named All My Friends Are Hopheads from Weird Window Brewery out of Burlington, Vermont. Including that beer, we review 4 Vermont beers. We also take a look at an all New York State brew from Ommegang, a big IPA from Sweetwater and an even bigger one from Sierra Nevada.

As a bonus, I'll give my thoughts on a beer from Grand Strand Brewing out of Myrtle Beach, SC. A good friend of mine gave me a couple of cans to try.

 ALL MY FRIENDS ARE HOPHEADS

WEIRD WINDOW BREWERY

THE BEER FACTS: BREWER: Weird Window Brewing, Burlington, VT, STYLE: New England Double IPA; ABV: 8%

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "Packed full of juicy and citrusy hops, this double IPA is like a mosh pit in your mouth. This beer isn't just one in a crowd."

COLOR: Blond

POUR: Decent Head

AROMA: Bit of citrus with notes of bread, yeast not generally associated with New Englands

BODY: Medium

TASTE: Very balanced with a noticeable alcohol presence along with notes of grapefruit 

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS: I Could Drink This!

COMMENTS: "Interesting - it doesn't look like a typical New England IPA, little bit of haze but not cloudy like many of them are now; You can taste the alcohol, which gives it a kind of fuller bodied taste than a lot of the New England IPAs also; Citrus didn't jump right out at you, but it is somewhat subtle; I like this, and definitely like the fact that it's not that kind of thick 'milkshake' style that has gotten popular."

THE DRAGONS OF EDEN

FOUR QUARTERS BREWING

THE BEER FACTS: BREWER: Four Quarters Brewing , Winooski, VT, STYLE:  India Pale Ale; ABV: 7.6%; HOPS: Nelsoon Sauvin, Wai-iti, Rakau

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "Our newest IPA showcasing New Zealand gems Nelson Sauvin, Wai-iti, and Rakau hops. Juicy and sweet, and bursting with tropical fruit aromas like mangoes and papaya, as well as apricot and other stone fruit. At 7.6% we put this right on the cusp of IPA/DIPA, certainly drinkable and also warming, perfect for this time of balance between Summer and Fall. You'll dig it."

COLOR: Hazy unfiltered wheat

POUR: Decent Head

AROMA: Tropical fruit, apricot

BODY: Medium

TASTE: Big tropical fruit - mango, papaya - as well as citrus notes

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS: Between I Could Drink This and Can't Get Enough!

COMMENTS: "Cloudy beer that just tastes good; Not over-the-top cloudy; Starts sweet but ends with a pleasing bitterness; Delicious!; Definitely in the New England/East Coast style with the cloudiness and the tropical hops going for it; The higher ABV really helps kind of ground it, so it's not overly sweet or fruity." 

HOPSTATE NEW YORK IPA

BREWERY OMMEGANG 

THE BEER FACTS: BREWER: Brewery Ommegang, Cooperstown, NY; STYLE: IPA; ABV: 7.4%; IBUs: 50; MALT: 2-row base malt, NY 2-row malt; HOPS: NY grown Chinook, Cascade, Nugget, Crystal, MI Copper, NY Rakau

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: New York-grown hops and locally sourced two-row barley shine in this classic IPA, a toast to our Upstate home and its hop-growing history. We're proud to live and work on this land and are honored to celebrate it."

COLOR: Honey gold

POUR: Decent fluffy white head

AROMA: Citrus and floral

BODY: Medium

TASTE: Nice balance of grapefruit, pine and malt with a nice bitterness.

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS: Can't Get Enough!

COMMENTS: "This is such an easy-drinking IPA; More traditional West Coast using New York State hops and malt - kind of ironic in a way; Really smooth beer; Little bit of nuttiness to it; Maybe some of that Ommegang Belgian vibe really gives it a little different taste; Real nice beer."

FAIR MAIDEN IMPERIAL IPA

FOLEY BROTHERS BREWING

THE BEER FACTS: BREWER: Foley Brothers Brewing, Brandon, VT; STYLE: Imperial India Pale Ale; ABV: 8.2%; Hops from the US, New Zealand and Germany.

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "A well balanced Double IPA brewed with seven hop varities from the USA, Germany, and New Zealand. Unfiltered with aromas of stonefruit, passionfruit and tangerine."

COLOR: Hazy golden honey

POUR: Decent 2 finger head

AROMA: Grassy, floral, tropical fruit

BODY: Between Medium and Full

TASTE: Tropical fruit, lemon, malt, alcohol, nice bitterness

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS: Can't Get Enough!

COMMENTS: "They (Foley) make good beer - this is an exceptional one; Really tasty; Somewhat Westward leaning; Nice bitterness beneath it all; Terrific beer; It's one of those full-bodied, full-flavored beers where there's just a lot going on - stonefruit, tropical fruit, nice maltiness and the alcohol is there but sits nicely in the background."

(NO) PUMPKIN IPA

SLOOP BREWING

THE BEER FACTS: BREWER: Sloop Brewing Company, East Fishkill, NY: STYLE: IPA; ABV: 6%

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "Hops, yeast, barley & water come together to make beautiful IPAs for real beer lovers. No nutmeg. No coriander. No pine trees. Just beautifully hazy IPAs."

COLOR: Hazy pale yellow-orange

POUR: Decent off white head

AROMA: Apricot, tropical fruit, slightly dank-ish

BODY: Medium

TASTE: Tropical fruit, some lemon, mango, pineapple, earthy, not much bitterness

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS: Between I Could Drink This and Can't Get Enough!

COMMENTS: "Leave it to Ron to find a Pumpkin beer with no pumpkin! The best thing about this beer is that there is no pumpkin spice; Sloop is solid: This is just a nice New England IPA - with all that tropical fruit hop stuff going on that you expect from a NEIPA; Very nice beer, if a bit generic - they could brew this year-round with a different name! Got to admit, pretty clever name."

SWEETWATER 420 IMPERIAL IPA

SWEETWATER BREWING

THE BEER FACTS: BREWER: Sweetwater Brewing Company, Atlanta, GA; STYLE: Imperial IPA; ABV: 9.1%; IBUs: 60; MALT: 2-row Munich, C70/80, Midnight Wheat; HOPS: Centennial, Cascade, Columbus, Mosiac, Sultana - Dry Hop: Mosaic, Sultana, Lotus, Cascade

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "A fresh take on ingredients from the original 420, this bold, flavor-packed new brother features a fresh combo of hops for added intensity and complexity, creating flavors and aromas of mango, peach, pineapple, citrus and pine. The result is a well-balanced Imperial IPA that's a super-tasty, higher ABV brew."

COLOR: Lightly hazed amber

POUR: Decent tan head

AROMA: Sweet, caramel, candy aroma, with some citrus

BODY: Between Medium and Full

TASTE: Notes of citrus, peach, pine, with solid caramel malt taste underlying it all.

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS: Can't Get Enough

COMMENTS: "Dangerous beer - at 9.1% you don't notice the alcohol - very well hidden; Out-frigging-standing!; Real nice maltiness to it; Kind of old-school DIPA, I really like it.:

HOPTIMUM TRIPLE IPA

SIERRA NEVADA BREWING

THE BEER FACTS: BREWER: Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, Chico, CA, and Mills River, NC; STYLE: Triple IPA; ABV: 11%; IBUs: 75; MALTS: Carapils, Pilsner, Two-row Pale; HOPS: Chinook, Idaho 7, Magnum; YEAST: Ale Yeast

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "Each year, we try to top ourselves by making the hoppiest most intense IPA we can muster. We sample endless hop varieties during the annual harvest to choose the ultimate mix - flavorful and aggressive, yet refined. Then we push them beyond their limits to reimagine Hoptimum, a remarkably drinkable triple IPA" 

COLOR: Hazy copper, clover-honey

POUR: Slight cream colored head

AROMA: Caramel, sweet, some pine

BODY: Full bodied

TASTE: Citrus, Pine, caramel, alcohol with pleasing bitterness

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS: Can't Get Enough (but be careful!)

COMMENTS: "Remain seated while drinking! Really a very good beer; Big full tilt IPA, I love it; It's a sipper for sure, but you can savor the flavor between sips - it lingers; I do like getting back to some of these that lean to the bitter side; Nice warming beer for sure."

FOCAL BANGER

ALCHEMIST BREWING

THE BEER FACTS: BREWER: The Alchemist Brewing, Stowe, VT; STYLE: American IPA ABV: 7%; MALTS: British; HOPS: Citra, Mosaic.

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "Focal Banger is an American India Pale Ale. We have a real love for IPAs here at The Alchemist and we strive to offer you the best hop experience that we possibly can. The beer is brewed using Citra and Mosaic hops and our favorite British malts. Truly an abundance of malty goodness."

COLOR: Hazy unfiltered straw

POUR: Better that decent head

AROMA: Hay, grass, dank

BODY: Bit more than Medium

TASTE: Resinous, grapefruit, orange, a little pine, some maltiness and a pleasing bitter finish

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS: Can't Get Enough!

COMMENTS: "I actually like this better than Heady, and I like Heady; Really good beer, another Vermont brewery that just does it right; It's got a nice cling-to-the-roof-of-the-mouth quality going; Yeah, nice initial taste and nice after-taste."

BONUS BEER

AIRBRUSH HAZY IPA 

GRAND STRAND BREWING COMPANY, MYRTLE BEACH, SC

One of the great advantages of being known as somewhat of a Beer Nerd is that friends often are anxious to have you try something they found interesting. So recently a long-time friend of mine (we'll call him "Dan" mainly because that's his real name) brought me a couple of cans of this beer which he had discovered while at Myrtle Beach. Our friendship goes way back to high school days where we were in football together, band together and ran track together. We both were hurdlers and even composed a song called Hey Hurdlers. Sung to the tune of Hey Jude it was a paean to hurdlers with lyrics unfit for publication here - or probably anywhere (conceived in the puerile brains of hormone infused teenaged boys, you can, I'm sure, imagine the creative choices taken).

But I digress. Dan said he discovered Airbrush IPA and really liked and kindly brought me a couple to

try as a kind of birthday present while we busily lost huge quantities of golf balls on a leaf-strewn golf course in late October. Dan tends to lean toward the New England style IPA rather than West Coast. He doesn't care for the bitterness of some IPAs. I prefer the West Coast brews and seek out those with a nice bitter bite, though I also enjoy many NEIPAs as well. So I was both grateful because, well, free beer, and curious. 

The beer clocks in a 6.5% - kind of the sweet spot for IPAs. It is hazy, as the name implies, and a light golden color. It pours with a decent white head that leaves some lacing as it dissipates. It has a subtle citrus aroma that is very inviting. The best way I can think of to describe the taste is smooth. It has that tropical fruit taste you expect from a NEIPA, but not overpowering. There is also a real nice maltiness that gives it a little more body than you often get with this style. And despite Dan's insistence that he doesn't care for bitterness, I found this beer to have a very pleasing bitter tang at the end.

Overall, I really liked this beer. In fact, I would go so far as to say it is one of the better NEIPAs I've had. It's nicely balanced and very drinkable.

Thanks Dan!

Sláinte,

The BOTB Guys

Some Faves

We took a bit of a break this summer as finding a mutually beneficial time for all of us to meet proved to be impossible. A lot of traveling along with various family commitments got in the way of the important work of reviewing beers. What is this world coming to? My wife and I took a rather extended trip ourselves to the West Coast where we visited the craft beer Meccas of Portland and Seattle. From there we cruised up to Alaska. More about that next time. 

We began the fall season with a trip to Copper City Brewing in Rome, NY. While the mega-breweries like Budweiser like to paint craft beer drinkers as sissified urban hipsters, small neighborhood breweries like this one expose that perception as the bullshit that it is. Situated in the heart of a rust belt blue-collar city, Copper City Brewing hearkens back to a time before the mega-brews hijacked the beer industry and made American beer into a bland one-size-fits-all tasteless McBeer.

Copper City is  a fairly young brewery, having opened in 2016, but it is the first neighborhood brewery in Rome, NY since the 1930's, when Prohibition effectively destroyed American beer. It's one of those perfect little neighborhood breweries that have been springing up all across the country since the advent of the Craft Beer Revolution. Like many of these breweries, it does not serve food, but often has food trucks in the parking lot, or you can order out if you like. They stick to what they know - beer. 

In a cozy tasting room, they have a rotating selection of beers on tap, featuring a wide range of styles - Belgians, Porters, Stouts, Blondes, Ambers, Saisons and, of course, IPAs, as well as seasonal brews. Between the seven of us we tried both their New England style IPA and their Imperial IPA, as well as a terrific coffee Porter, a Stout, and a nicely hopped Amber. They were all terrific beers, hitting all the right notes for each particular style. 

   
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Our last beer club was quite simply some of our favorite beers that had not yet been reviewed. So, here they are.

AVERY BREWING IPA

AVERY BREWING

THE BEER FACTS: BREWERY: Avery Brewing, Boulder, CO; STYLE: IPA; ABV: 6.5%; IBUs: 65; MALTS: Munich, C-120, 2-row; HOPS: Centennial, Cascade, Columbus, Chinook - dry hop with Simcoe and Idaho 7,

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "A Colorado IPA with crisp, juicy, and resinous hops and a rich, malty finish."

COLOR: Unfiltered clover honey

POUR: Less than Decent Head quickly dissipates

AROMA: Sweet, butterscotch, English-style ale aroma

BODY: Bit beyond Medium

TASTE: Nice balance of bitter and malt with hints of caramel, butterscotch and floral

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS: Just shy of Can't Get Enough!

COMMENTS: "I felt it was kind of malt forward; Floral hops; Nice beer; Good change-up to American East or West Coast IPAs; The butterscotch/caramel tastes reminds me of English IPAs; Nice little buttercup honey."

RANSACK THE UNIVERSE

COLLECTIVE ARTS BREWING

THE BEER FACTS: BREWERY: Collective Arts, Ontario, Canada; STYLE: Hemisphere IPA; ABV: 6.8%; IBUs: 85; MALT: 2 Row Pale Ale, Flaked Wheat, Crystal, Carafoam; HOPS: Galaxy, Mosaic - dry hops: Citra, Centennial, Chinook, Simcoe

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "Galaxy hops from Myrtleford, Victoria in Australia and Mosaic hops from Yakima, Washington, USA, deliver aromas and flavours of tropical furuits, mango and citrus. Light malt body lets the hops shine through, and finishes crisp but not bitter. A hemispheric hop mashup."


COLOR: Unfiltered straw

POUR: Between Decent and Guinness Class

AROMA: Big hoppy, pine grass aroma

BODY: Between Medium and Full

TASTE: Nice hop bitterness with minimum malt sweetness but enough to balance things a bit, pine, citrus, tropical fruit

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS: Can't Get Enough!

COMMENTS: "Classic IPA - right color, taste, aroma; Pleasing aftertaste; Big enough; Has rekindled my love of our Northern neighbor; Nice juiciness to this; Nice bit of balance makes this really drinkable; Canada is definitely getting on board with the craft beer revolution."

JAI ALAI

CIGAR CITY BREWING

THE BEER FACTS: BREWERY: Cigar City Brewing, Tampa, FL; STYLE: American IPA; ABV: 7.5%; IBUs: 70; HOPS: six different hop varietals

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "An intense bouquet of tangerine and candied orange peel entice the nose while flavors of clementines, Valencia orange and subtle caramel provide counterpoint to an assertive bitterness and rich malt character. Bold hop flavor and aroma from six different hop varietals is front and center in this flavorful American IPA."

COLOR: Crisp, clean golden

POUR: Between Decent and Guinness and lasts nicely

AROMA: Pine, floral, citrus

BODY: Medium

TASTE: Nice pine, citrus bitterness with a bit of caramel malt

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS: Can't Get Enough!

COMMENTS: "This is the style of IPA I first fell in love with; Really classic West Coast style; Wonderful bitterness with lots of citrus, pine; Really clean finish that lingers; Some grapefruit in there and a bit of caramel for balance; Discovered this on a trip to Florida a few years ago and it's finally available here; Nice beer!"

INTO THE UNIVERSE GALAXY IPA

COPPER CITY BREWING

THE BEER FACTS: BREWERY: Copper City Brewing, Rome, NY; STYLE: American IPA; ABV: 7.5%

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "Imagine floating through the galaxy on a cloud of melon and citrus. Subtle fruit aroma, mild bitterness, a bit cloudy, with pleasing melon and berry flavor."


COLOR: Golden

POUR: Decent Head

AROMA: Piney, hoppy

BODY: Medium

TASTE: Fruit, a bit of anise with clove, banana, kiwi, mango all in there.

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS: Can't Get Enough!

COMMENTS: "This is a really unique taste for an IPA; Yeah, I like it though; Some anise in there, with a kind of tropical fruit thing going on; Really flavorful beer; I get a little clove like you get in British ales; Really different though, good beer."

DEEP CUT DOUBLE IPA

BIG DITCH BREWING

THE BEER FACTS: BREWER: Big Ditch Brewing, Buffalo, NY; STYLE: Double IPA; ABV: 8.2%: MALT: 2-Row, Munich; HOPS: Nugget, Citra, Calypso, Meridian; AWARDS: Best New York State Brewery - 2016 - TAP NY. Deep Cut won gold in Strong IPA category TAP NY 2017.

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "The final obstacle in constructing the Erie Canal was leveling a 7 mile section of the canal 40 feet deep - by hand -between Lockport and Lake Erie. Our Deep Cut Double IPA is our most ambitious beer to date. It's layered with citrus, tropical punch, and wild berry flavor, with moderate bitterness and a dry finish."

COLOR: Cloudy, unfiltered wheat

POUR: Big, long lasting Guinness-class head

AROMA: Grassy

BODY: Medium

TASTE: Balanced with hints of toffee, malt, citrus and tropical fruit

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS: Can't Get Enough!

COMMENTS: "Freakin' delicious!; Deep Cut taste; Excellent double IPA, with a nice balance of malt and hops; Really tasty."

PAVEMENT DIPA

FOAM BREWERS

THE BEER FACTS: BREWERY: Foam Brewers, Burlington, VT; STYLE: New England Double IPA; ABV: 8.2%


COLOR: Unfiltered pale yellow

POUR: Decent Head

AROMA: Lemongrass

BODY: Medium

TASTE: Lemon, pineapple, citrus and tropical fruit with some malt for balance.

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS: Can't Get Enough!

COMMENTS: "Tastes light, refreshing and juicy for a beer over 8%; I get just a bit of sour on the end but it works; This is a big ol' juice bomb, I wouldn't have thought it was as big a beer from the taste, it is very drinkable."

FEARLESS

MIDDLE AGES BREWING

THE BEER FACTS: BREWERY: Middle Ages Brewing, Syracuse, NY; STYLE: Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Coffee Stout; ABV: 12%; MALTS: Specialty malts, oats

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "Fearless is a Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Coffee Stout. This beer uses massive amounts of specialty malts and a huge amount of oats. after aging in freshly dumped bourbon barrels for over a year, this beer is hit with a big dose of coffee beans from Recess Coffee and Roastery."


COLOR: Black

POUR: Not a huge head but some lingering caramel colored lacing

AROMA: Dark chocolate

BODY: Full

TASTE: Chocolate, coffee, bourbon.

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS: Can't Get Enough!

COMMENTS: "Looks like blood from a vampire; A dessert beer; I don't get the alcohol until the very last thing; Cold coffee with too much sugar; Nice dark chocolate taste in there; This is a real rich, full flavored sipping beer. A nice change-up from the IPAs tonight."

Slante,
The BOTB Guys

A Pack of Porters

AN IPA WITH NO IBUs?

Been seeing a lot on this trend lately and for me it's a bit of a head-scratcher. As I'm sure you know if you've followed us at all, we (that's both the royal 'we' and the inclusive 'we' meaning all of the BOTB Guys) are big fans of IPAs. While we certainly enjoy and appreciate other beer styles as well (note this month's foray into Porters and next month's Ambers) IPAs and hoppy Pale Ales are our go-to beers. After a lifetime of boring mega-brew American lagers the introduction of Pale Ales and then IPAs was like Dorothy stepping out of her black and white world into one of technicolor. The taste-buds sang with joy. The intense citrus, pine and floral flavors imparted by the hops were just glorious, but wonderful bitterness that accompanied these flavors just amped up the intensity. For us, the bitterness is part and parcel of what makes an IPA a great beer. Now a number of brewers are experimenting with IPAs that have the hop flavors without the bitterness. To me it's almost like saying: "We're going to make a Sour beer only we're going to make it so that it's not, you know, sour." I like my IPAs with solid IBUs. Without the bitter bite is it really an IPA? Not having had the opportunity to have tried a zero IBU IPA, I reserve judgement. But I remain skeptical. 

WE TAKE THE BLACK

Night gathers, and now my watch begins.

It shall not end until my death. I shall take no wife, hold no lands, father no children.

I shall wear no crowns and win no glory.

I shall live and die at my post.

I am the sword in the darkness

I am the watcher on the walls.

I am the fire that burns against the cold, the light that brings the dawn, the horn that wakes the sleepers, the shield that guard the realms of men.

I pledge my life and honor to the Night's Watch, for this night and for all nights to come.

Thus is the pledge recited by those who "take the black" in Game of Thrones. To join the Night's Watch and become one of the Watchers on the Wall means a life bereft of carnal pleasures. But at least they have beer. We at BOTB won't forego earthly pleasures (we're not dead yet!) but we will delve into darkness this month as we check out some tasty Porters from traditional to New World interpretations. 

BLACK DUCK PORTER

GREENPORT HARBOR BREWING COMPANY

THE BEER FACTS: BREWER: Greenport Harbor Brewing Company, Greenport, NY;  STYLE: Porter; ABV: 4.7%;

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "A black ale that puts the flavor of the malt front and center. It has a mild hop character that balances strong notes of cocoa and hints of coffee. A full bodied roasty treat that finished dry."

COLOR: Walnut

POUR: Decent porter head, a dark ecru color, long lasting with good lacing.

AROMA: Coffee with cream

BODY: Fairly full-bodied

TASTE: Coffee with hints of chocolate - kind of mocha flavor

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS: Between "I Could Drink This!" and "Can't Get Enough!"

COMMENTS: "Very tasty; Smooth; Not as creamy as some; Really? I thought it was quite creamy; A little more carbonated than many; Could drink more than a couple of these; Really nice, smooth Porter."

VANILLA PORTER

BRECKENRIDGE BREWERY

THE BEER FACTS: BREWER: Breckenridge Brewery, Littleton, Colorado; STYLE: Vanilla Porter; ABVs: 5.4%; IBUs: 16

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "Deep in the jungles of Papua New Guinea and Madagascar grows the perfect ingredient for an extraordinary Porter brewed in Colorado. Breckenridge Brewery's Vanilla Porter. An ale that has all the chocolate and roasted nut flavor of a classic Porter, with an enigmatic surprise thrown in for good measure."

COLOR: Mahogany

POUR: Decent Head

AROMA: Not a real strong aroma, hint of vanilla

BODY: Full

TASTE: Initially pretty sweet, with coffee/mocha notes to start followed by vanilla

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS: Between "I Could Drink This!" and "Can't Get Enough!:

COMMENTS: "Coffee/mocha at the front - vanilla at the end; Creamy, somewhat thicker than the Black Duck; Not as carbonated, gives it a richer feel; Bitter in the back; Vanilla is not overpowering, which is a good thing. I've had a few vanilla porters that are just too much vanilla so it ends up with a kind of sicky-sweet taste. This is nicely subtle."

ROBUST PORTER

BELL'S BREWERY

THE BEER FACTS: BREWER: Bell's Brewery, Comstock, MI; STYLE: Porter; ABV: 5.6%

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "Our award winning Porter bridges the gap between malty brown ales and heavily roasted stouts. Notes of chocolate, coffee and roasted barleey are offset with just a slight hop bitterness. Enjoy any time of the year."

COLOR: Black - inky and opaque

POUR: Near "Guinness Class" head - thick head with an attitude

AROMA: Dark chocolate

BODY: Full

TASTE: Sweet dark chocolate, malty, borderline burnt roasted barley

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS: Near "Can't Get Enough!"

COMMENTS: "Right at my limit for burnt taste; A bit carbonated; Chocolate cherry taste at the end, giving it a sweetness; Decent; Wouldn't expect less from Bell's."

PAYCHECK PORTER

ALEWERKS BREWING COMPANY

THE BEER FACTS: BREWER: Alewerks Brewing Company; STYLE: Porter; ABV: 5.6%

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "This particular beer is known as Paycheck Porter. It's a Robust Porter, boldly American, and big in all the right places. We brew this beer for, and with, rough hands and hearty appetites. Look for notes of roasted coffee and toasted cocoa."

COLOR: Black Walnut

POUR: Decent Head

AROMA: Malty

BODY: Between Medium and Full

TASTE: Sweet malty with hints of cocoa, dark chocolate and bit of sweet cloves.

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS: I Could Drink This

COMMENTS: "Tastes like a Sugar Daddy but with chocolate (maybe Black Cow?); Sweet on the front  - pleasant aftertaste; Too sweet for me; British vibe with the clove taste; I couldn't drink a lot of it; I could drink this, but I wouldn't actively seek it out."

COCONUT HIWA PORTER

MAUI BREWING COMPANY

THE BEER FACTS: BREWER: Maui Brewing Company, Kihei, Maui, HI; STYLE: Porter; ABV: 6.0%; IBUs: 30

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "A robust dark ale with hand-toasted coconut and hints of mocha."

COLOR: Opaque black

POUR: Between "Decent" and "Guinness Class" head

AROMA: Coconut

BODY: Near Full

TASTE: Sweet with strong hints of chocolate and coconut

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS: Between "I Could Drink This" and "Can't Get Enough!"

COMMENTS:"Coconut taste is not overpowering, but it is there: Mounds Bar - coconut and chocolate; I'm not a big fan of coconut (or fruit) in my beer - I would leave this one on the shelf; Head dissipates all too quickly; I like the vanilla better, but I like this second best so far; Too light and watery; Not as creamy as I was hoping for; Not bad, though."

GENERAL PULASKI'S PORTER

GRINDSTONE FARM BREWERY

THE BEER FACTS: BREWER: Grindstone Farm Brewery, Pulaski, NY; STYLE: Porter; ABV: 7%

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "We liked the idea of taking a Porter and hopping it up a bit. It's a bit of a bitter take on the traditional Porter.

COLOR: Black walnut with a ruby glint

POUR: Decent Head

AROMA: Somewhat neutral, not a strong aroma

BODY: Near full

TASTE: Malty with hints of chocolate but with more hop presence. Less sweet than the others.

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS: Near "Can't Get Enough!"

COMMENTS: "Smooth, creamy; Hoppy at the end; Unusually bitter for a Porter; I like it - a nice twist on Porters which can be a bit too sweet at times; Good beer, it's one where you could enjoy more than one because it's not so sweet."

GEORGE WASHINGTON'S TAVERN PORTER

YARDS BREWING COMPANY

THE BEER FACTS: BREWER: Yard's Brewing Company; STYLE: Porter; ABV: 7.0%; IBUs: 40; MALTS: Crystal and Chocolate malts; ADDITIONS: Molasses

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "LIQUID COURAGE. Detailed in a letter from the General to his officers during the war, Washington's recipe employed molasses to aid fermentation and give rich caramel notes to this robust, roasty ale. The recipe reflected his admiration for Philadelphia-style porters, especially those brewed by Robert Hare (whose original brewery stood just blocks from wherre ours is now). Our Tavern Porter, inspired by Washington's, is dark, smooth and complex with just a hint of dried fruit in the finish."

COLOR: Black

POUR: Decent Head

AROMA: Toast - biscuit

BODY: Full

TASTE: Hints of molasses, maybe licorice, dark fruits, roasted malts with a little chocolate

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS: Close to "Can't Get Enough!:


COMMENTS: "Enough malt presence to support the alcohol; Nice beer; Very tasty; Nice - a little sweet, but not cloyingly so; The molasses gives it a kind of interesting depth; Easy drinking because it's not overly sweet; Nicely balanced beer, very enjoyable."

TUPPENCE

STILLWATER ARTISNAL ALES COMPANY

THE BEER FACTS: BREWER: Stillwater Artisnal Ales at Crazy Mountain Brewing Company, Denver, CO; ABV: 7%

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "Old World Porter Fermented with Brett. Playing off the English bent of our Baltimore brothers Oliver Ales, this Old World Porter brings a little bit of the Stillwater funk to the party. Drink it and don't feed the vultures."

COLOR: Near black

POUR: A bit more than Decent

AROMA: Yeasty

BODY: Fairly full bodied

TASTE:Somewhat sour, bit of roastiness, malt dominates, yeast

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS: Leave it on the shelf

COMMENTS: "It would take a real pirate to drink this; Cross between Dr. Pepper, Coca Cola and a Porter; Not a fan; Not one I'd go after; It has a taste almost like a sour; Got that barnyard funky, musty thing going I just don't care for; I think it's the Brett - I just can't seem to develop a taste for beers that rely on it; The 'yeast' of your problems."

THE BOTTOM LINE

Since all the beers were Porters this month we could in fact compare apples to apples. In fact we even put it to a vote, each of us rating the beers 1 - 8 with 1 being our favorite. Ergo, as in golf, low score wins. Here's the results:

THE WINNER: Yards Brewing George Washinton's Tavern Porter. We found this beer to be a perfectly balance Porter - not too sweet but with all you would expect from a good Porter. (16 pts)

2. Grindstone Brewing's General Pulaski's Porter. A very close second, we liked this for many of the same reasons - a nice hop presence making it not too sweet and a pleasing maltiness as well. Very rich and creamy Porter. (17 pts)

3. Breckenridge Vanilla Porter. A very tasty Porter with just the right amount of vanilla to give it a little different twist. Smooth mocha followed by vanilla. (21 pts)

4. Bell's Robust Porter. Delicious dark chocolate notes with hint of cherry and roasted malt. (23 pts) 

5. Greenport Harbor's Black Duck Porter. Tasty, smooth and creamy though a bit more carbonated than many Porters. Low ABV makes it a good sessionable Porter. (24 pts)

6. Maui Brewing Coconut Hiwa Porter. No consensus on this one. Coconut was not overpowering, but those who didn't like that taste in beer didn't care for it while others found it an interesting change-up (30 pts)

7. Alewerks Paycheck Porter. While no one actively disliked this beer, most felt it was a bit too sweet - okay for an occasional sipper, but not one we'd seek out. (37 pts)

8. Stillwater's Tuppence Porter. This was the only one with consensus. We all gave it an 8. No one particularly cared for the Brett yeast. Still love ya' Stillwater - just not this beer.

Next month: Ambers

Sláinte,

The BOTB Guys