Stoned Crow Imperial Porter
Independence Brewing Co.

Beer Geek Stats
From:
Independence Brewing Co.
 
Texas, United States
Style:
Imperial Porter
ABV:
9%
Score:
Needs more ratings
Avg:
3.78 | pDev: 9.52%
Reviews:
4
Ratings:
7
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Dec 14, 2013
Added:
Apr 23, 2011
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews.
Ratings by bisonkron:
Photo of bisonkron
Reviewed by bisonkron from Alaska

3.58/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
A: dark black, but not pitch black. half a finger of head forms, but dissipates quickly. little to no lace left behind.

S: chocolate/coffee/toffee. a bit of toasty-ness. All of which is very subtle.

T: A bit of chocolaty-fruit sticks out here. Fairly sweet, with all the smell characteristics. Has a bit of chocolaty milk taste to it as well.

M/O: Very Smooth, easy drinking, fairly light compared to the porters I am used to. I grabbed a few growlers of this while it was on tap. Carbonation was well balanced here.
Jun 07, 2011
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.75 by greenspointexas from Texas

Dec 14, 2013
 
Rated: 3 by t0rin0 from California

Oct 14, 2012
 
Rated: 4 by drummermattie02 from Texas

Dec 21, 2011
Photo of champ103
Reviewed by champ103 from Texas

3.97/5  rDev +5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
On tap at the Petrol Station in Houston.

A: Pours nearly opaque black. A one finger tan head forms, but recedes to nothing in an instant. Not a lot of lace is left either.
S: Sweet chocolate malt and toffee. Light roasted aromas, but that is not over barring which I like. Some coffee, molasses and even a bit of dark fruits lingering.
T: Follows the nose. Lots of milk chocolate flavors. Pretty sweet with the toffee flavors. Light roast and coffee. Dark fruits that I like, and gives this a bit more depth.
M/D: A full body that is low on the carbonation. Creamy, thick, and smooth. Very easy to drink. I put down a pint without a thought.

This is well done. Lots of flavors going on, and not just acrid roasted coffee that so many other ramped up porter offerings are known for. Independence is starting to make some good beers finally.
May 07, 2011
Photo of davemont
Reviewed by davemont from California

4.05/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
On tap at the Petrol Station; another indication of the good things to come from the burgeoning Austin craft beer scene.

From the Brewluminati series, made at Independence Brewing.  To quote the Brewluminati’s Wordpress site:  “The Brewluminati with the assistance of Independence Brewing Co. are setting out to prove that not all beers are created equal.  Once a month Independence Brewing Co. will release a single batch, draught only brew.  They are not attempting to convert the faceless mass of lite beer drinkers into craft beer enthusiasts but instead are rewarding the ones who have seen the “lite” and politely refuse.”  (While it seems a little late, even locally, to announce the craft beer revolution, judging from this beer, the drinkable results of the Brewluminati are laudable.)

The caramel-colored head is compact and diminishes quickly leaving less lacing than you might expect from an Imperial Porter.  (Not sure how you would distinguish this, or for that matter any, Imperial Porter from a Stout.) I liked the carbonation on draft, but would like to try this either bottled or on nitro.  Too dark in the bar to say anything about the obviously dark color of the beer.

The nose is probably suppressed by the cold serving temperature, a slightly ammoniated initial impression along with chocolate, vanilla, and woody notes, increasing as the beer warms.

The taste has a subtle bitterness (hops) that nicely complements a balanced sweet-but-not-too-sweet maltiness with a hint of molasses, some impression of smoke, and finally a thinning finish of bitter chocolate.

Superb mouthfeel:  unctuous and what you want in a Stout.

A very drinkable beer, not boozy at all for 9%.  Something I would gladly seek out as probably the best Imperial Stout (ok, Imperial Porter) I've had so far from Texas.  Highly recommended.
Apr 29, 2011
Photo of lnashsig
Reviewed by lnashsig from Texas

4.08/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
On tap at Petrol Station in Houston. Picked up a growler, opened it about 2 hours later. Poured from growler into DFH snifter, pours a pitch black completely opaque color, about 1 finger of off white head, which recedes, only leaving a sparse amount of foam on top. Smell- faint molasses and chocolate flavors, buttery dark malt. Some millky scent. Taste- the first noticable flavor is a milk chocolate, paired with biting hops, some roasted malt and coffee flavors are there on the end, but are very faint. Chocolate is the prevailing flavor here, and it goes very nicely with the rich carbonation in the mouthfeel. Without the carbonation, the sweetness from the chocolate flavor would almost be cloyingly sweet and would ruin the balance of this beer. Drinkability- the abv (9% supposedly??) is incredibly well hidden. I see no proof of the alcohol here, this is an amazingly well balanced beer. In the end, the only complementary flavor I wish there was more of was coffee- the chocolate needs something to distract you away. Well done beer from one of my favorite new breweries in Texas, I hope this one comes out in bottles soon.
Apr 23, 2011
Stoned Crow Imperial Porter from Independence Brewing Co.
Beer rating: 3.78 out of 5 with 7 ratings