Buzzards Bay West Porter
Buzzards Bay Brewing

Buzzards Bay West PorterBuzzards Bay West Porter
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From:
Buzzards Bay Brewing
 
Massachusetts, United States
Style:
American Porter
ABV:
5.2%
Score:
84
Avg:
3.68 | pDev: 13.59%
Reviews:
28
Ratings:
42
Status:
Active
Rated:
Aug 07, 2020
Added:
Jan 03, 2001
Wants:
  1
Gots:
  3
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Photo of Jwale73
Reviewed by Jwale73 from Rhode Island

3.42/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
16oz. can served in a Spiegelau ale glass. Pours a deep brown with ruby highlights when backlit. Head is two fingers, khaki-colored and quickly dissipates and coalesces around the edges. Great nose - roasty and hints of bakers chocolate and perhaps flaked oats. Taste is pretty bland and mediocre. All of the qualities in the nose drop-off. Basically, their's a lot of char which dissipates into an earthy character at the finish. Mouthfeel is somewhat watery with an even carbonation. Overall, a pretty lackluster porter. It was all downhill after the pour and the nose.
Aug 07, 2020
 
Rated: 4 by Maltyhead from Massachusetts

Jun 04, 2020
 
Rated: 3.89 by Bogdawg from Massachusetts

Oct 19, 2019
 
Rated: 3.85 by Abstractspirit from Rhode Island

Feb 19, 2019
 
Rated: 1.96 by lakamoso from Massachusetts

Nov 13, 2015
 
Rated: 3.67 by Rtm05002 from Massachusetts

Jun 01, 2015
Photo of superspak
Reviewed by superspak from North Carolina

4/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Got in a BIF from ZebraCakez. 22 ounce bottle into signature pint glass, bottled in 12/2014. Pours crystal clear very dark brown color with a 1 finger dense khaki head with good retention, that reduces to a thin cap that lingers. Light spotty soapy lacing clings down the glass. Aromas of chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, toast, dark bread, light smoke/char, herbal, and roasted earthiness. Very nice aromas with good balance and complexity of dark/roast/bready malt and moderate earthy hop notes; with good strength. Taste of chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, toast, dark bread, light smoke/char, herbal, and roasted earthiness. Fair amount of herbal/roasted bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, toast, dark bread, light smoke/char, herbal, and roasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Damn nice complexity and robustness of dark/roast/bready malt and moderate earthy hop flavors; with a great roasted bitterness/sweetness balance and zero cloying flavors after the finish. Medium carbonation and body; with a smooth, fairly creamy/bready, and slightly sticky mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is very well hidden with minimal warming present after the finish as expected of 5.2%. Overall this is a damn nice porter style. All around great robustness, complexity, and balance of dark/roast/bready malt and moderate earthy hop flavors; and very smooth to drink. A very enjoyable offering.
Jan 31, 2015
Photo of ZebraCakez
Reviewed by ZebraCakez from Massachusetts

3.76/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75
A: Pours an oily black with a very tiny head of tan foam.

S: The aroma is that of dark chocolate and smokey roasted malt.

T: The taste follows the nose well, it's smokey and malty. There's a note of chocolate and ground coffee beans. It's sweet, but well balanced.

F: It's slightly thin, but not terribly. Plenty of carbonation.

O: A very smooth, drinkable example of a porter. Nothing amazing here, just a well crafted beer from a great brewery. Definitely worth a shot.
Jan 20, 2015
 
Rated: 3.75 by hit728 from Connecticut

Dec 07, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by paresis from Massachusetts

Oct 31, 2014
 
Rated: 5 by Chieflegendre from Massachusetts

Oct 01, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by wrightst from Maryland

Jun 22, 2014
 
Rated: 3 by DuxburyIPA from Massachusetts

Apr 22, 2014
Photo of natescape
Reviewed by natescape from Massachusetts

4.21/5  rDev +14.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Another excellent brew by the recently up-swinging Buzzards Bay Brewing. I've always been a fan of the West Porter, and this year's edition is particularly hoppy and delicious. Had on tap and their new pub, I was impressed with the hoppy aroma and straight-forward delicious flavor. Well-balanced, malty and roasty, with a welcome hop bite. Very good. Would have bought a case if they had it in bottles.
Dec 15, 2013
 
Rated: 3.75 by Desmondloki from Massachusetts

Oct 29, 2013
 
Rated: 3.75 by petermethot from New Jersey

Jul 17, 2013
 
Rated: 3.5 by jfcaa193 from Canada (QC)

Feb 19, 2012
Photo of ThomasMetal75
Reviewed by ThomasMetal75 from Massachusetts

3.98/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5
Had a mix case of this beer and the Farmhouse Barrel Aged Ale lying around in the basement, so I put both in the refrigerator and decided to give the porter a shot.

A- dark, pitch black beer. Head is real creamy/carbonated. About a finger in height.

S- Malt, light coffee mixed in with spicy type smells I cannot pinpoint.

T- Creamy and rich at the start. A moderate amount of carbonation is noticeable. Typical taste of what porters and stouts are like. I even detected oak nodes. The beer gets more and more bitter the further one drinks it. Not too pleasant for me towards the end of a pint.

D- Because of the bitterness towards the end of the beer, I can only call this beer moderately drinkable as appose to very drinkable.

Overall, this is a good beer by Buzzards Bay.
Jul 09, 2009
Photo of Oxymoron
Reviewed by Oxymoron from Colorado

3.58/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Pours a midnight black color with some haze when held to the light. A good light tan head with good retention and lacing though did not last through the whole tasting.

The nose is limited but understandable due to its age. There was a noticeable oxidation issue, also understandable due to age. And it was in a corked bottle. Some minor roast notes. A touch of yeast and sherry notes but small.

The taste is more prominent with the malt. Some good roast and chocolate notes as well. A little like for style, would have like more astringency but ok. A touch of lactic on the backend. Some light earthy hops notes in the finish. Surprisingly clean with no really off yeast notes. Noticeable oxidation.

The body is a little light. Would like a bit more astringency. Overall did well with age. Found the bottle while cleaning out my cellar so it is at least a year old. Not bad.
Nov 12, 2008
Photo of MurphysIrish
Reviewed by MurphysIrish from Massachusetts

3.22/5  rDev -12.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3
Picked up at Wine Gallery in Brookline and cellared it for about two months. Finally getting around to drinking it and I find that Beer Advocate has it listed as "retired".

Oh well. Here goes anyway.

Noticed that the neck of the bottle, near the top, had a substantial amount of sediment as though it was being stored on its side. Doubt it was my local beer store's fault, but somewhere along the line this beer was put on its side for a while

Poured into a pilsner glass. Big tan foamy head that took its time dissipating. Smelled like coffee, chocolate and a bit of a sour malt flavor. No burned smells.

Body is somewhat light for what I expect from the style, but the flavor notes are spot on with some molasses in there with the coffee/chocolate. Some sourness at the end.

Pretty decent. Dinged it for the mouthfeel, but otherwise perfectly quaffable.
Jun 15, 2008
Buzzards Bay West Porter from Buzzards Bay Brewing
Beer rating: 84 out of 100 with 42 ratings