March 8, 2014 Show

 

During the winter season many of us switch from lighter colored beers to the darks (stouts and porters) in "celebration," and we use that term lightly, we took a look at the wonderful world of porters.

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.- Porter:  This American Porter showcases the American take on the style with a fair amount of hop bitterness coming through up front before the sweet chocolate and caramel malt flavor wash over.  A textbook example of the American porter style.

Fuller's- London Porter: The English were the first to produce the porter style so there is no doubt that they also perfected the style and this is certainly try with Fuller's London Porter.  The side by side comparison with the Sierra Nevada Porter also alerts the drinker to the difference between how the English and how the Americans view this style.  The London Porter has nearly no recognition of hops and is extremely smooth and creamy.  This is quite possibly one of the best porters.

Deschutes Brewery- Black Butte Porter:There is a reason that this beer has a 100 rating on Beer Advocate, it absolutely deserves it!  The rich flavors locked within and an aroma giving off wonderful chocolate and coffee notes, this is a breathtaking beer.  The mouthfeel is perfect, smooth, and creamy.  Everything that you could want in a porter with a light 5.2% ABV!

Founders- Porter:  Founders is simply a brewery that does not disappoint with any of their beers, so it stands to reason that their porter is world class, and you would be right in thinking this!  The aroma and flavor lean heavily toward the chocolate end of the spectrum with very subtle coffee background notes.  The mouthfeel straddle the line of being a stout, but is absolutely phenomenal, another must tru!

This weeks special 5th beer from the dark recesses of Derek's refrigerator...

Stone Brewing Co.- Suede Imperial Porter: Another collaboration  brew for Stone, something they have done a lot of this year with tremendous success! The name perfectly describes just how smooth this beer feels on the palate.  This is also another beer that straddles that line between porters and stouts, something we discussed on the show.  The big ABV (9.6%) and imperial porter status tends to lean more towards being a stout stylistically, but would still be classified as a porter for most who drink it. The honey, jasmine and calendula flowers give off unique flavors and make this beer even more complex and certainly a talking point for craft beer fans.