Poplar Porter
Northwoods Brewpub and Grill
- From:
- Northwoods Brewpub and Grill
- Wisconsin, United States
- Style:
- American Porter
- ABV:
- 4.5%
- Score:
- 76
- Avg:
- 2.91 | pDev: 19.59%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 8
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- Oct 29, 2014
- Added:
- Apr 03, 2002
- Wants:
- 0
- Gots:
- 0
SCORE
76
Okay
76
Okay
No description / notes.
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Reviewed by WastingFreetime from Wisconsin
2.48/5 rDev -14.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5
2.48/5 rDev -14.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5
Reviewed from session notes.
A. Dark brown in color with a light foamy head and minimal lacing.
S,T. Smokey nutty milk chocolate with just a dash of chicory coffee. Unfortunately there is also about half a stick of butter in there as well. I can really tell that would have been a great porter if only there wasn't any butter contamination in it, which makes me sort of sad. :(
M. The conflict that arises between the thin body and the buttery diacetyl is a real turn off.
May 19, 2012A. Dark brown in color with a light foamy head and minimal lacing.
S,T. Smokey nutty milk chocolate with just a dash of chicory coffee. Unfortunately there is also about half a stick of butter in there as well. I can really tell that would have been a great porter if only there wasn't any butter contamination in it, which makes me sort of sad. :(
M. The conflict that arises between the thin body and the buttery diacetyl is a real turn off.
Reviewed by emerge077 from Illinois
2.68/5 rDev -7.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2
2.68/5 rDev -7.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2
Poured into a small footed Hamms goblet (RIP Johnnie's Hamms Bar).
Appears black, though you can see a bit of a chestnut highlight where the light passes through the meniscus of the glass. Creamy tan foam up top, which is surprisingly long lasting in the retention department. After a few sips, there's only a small break in the skim on one side.
Smells like wet roasted barley, a bit watery. Reminds me of a Polish euro dark lager, or the Brazilian Schwarzbier (Bohemia Escura) we had recently. Ashy and maybe a touch oxidized.
Diacetyl city! Wish it was Chocolate City, oh well... butterscotch it is. Tart and astringent, ut oh. Some ashy roast and fig/plum notes are there too, but the watery astringency brings the whole beer down into painful mediocrity. Definitely some kind of infection here. All of the other beers in the sampler were "fine" (in the sense they were not infected), this seems to be the only one. Still infected after all these years :S
Aug 05, 2011Appears black, though you can see a bit of a chestnut highlight where the light passes through the meniscus of the glass. Creamy tan foam up top, which is surprisingly long lasting in the retention department. After a few sips, there's only a small break in the skim on one side.
Smells like wet roasted barley, a bit watery. Reminds me of a Polish euro dark lager, or the Brazilian Schwarzbier (Bohemia Escura) we had recently. Ashy and maybe a touch oxidized.
Diacetyl city! Wish it was Chocolate City, oh well... butterscotch it is. Tart and astringent, ut oh. Some ashy roast and fig/plum notes are there too, but the watery astringency brings the whole beer down into painful mediocrity. Definitely some kind of infection here. All of the other beers in the sampler were "fine" (in the sense they were not infected), this seems to be the only one. Still infected after all these years :S
Reviewed by smibroncos from New York
2.52/5 rDev -13.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2
2.52/5 rDev -13.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2
A. Poured a clear coffee brown. No head, no lacing
S. Coffee, leaved, barley
T. Light tones and notes of coffee, chocolate, but really watered down.
M. Medium bodied light carbonation, thin not creamy.
D. I probably would not trt this beer again as it is weak and thin for the style.
Aug 24, 2009S. Coffee, leaved, barley
T. Light tones and notes of coffee, chocolate, but really watered down.
M. Medium bodied light carbonation, thin not creamy.
D. I probably would not trt this beer again as it is weak and thin for the style.
Reviewed by ChainGangGuy from Georgia
2.48/5 rDev -14.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2
2.48/5 rDev -14.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2
Appearance: Pours a clear, brownish body with ruby-hued edges and a thin, off-white head.
Smell: Aroma of watered down chocolate and still more of the diacetyl character these Northwoods beers seem to be absolutely riddled with.
Taste: Light, sweet chocolate flavor and a tiny spritz of lemon. The chocolate tries in vain to hide the butter. Finishes with the taste of buttered cocoa.
Mouthfeel: Medium-thin body. Mild carbonation.
Drinkability: The porter qualities failed to hide the glaring flaws of Northwoods. Their stout is up next, so let's try and keep a little optimism.
Oct 03, 2007Smell: Aroma of watered down chocolate and still more of the diacetyl character these Northwoods beers seem to be absolutely riddled with.
Taste: Light, sweet chocolate flavor and a tiny spritz of lemon. The chocolate tries in vain to hide the butter. Finishes with the taste of buttered cocoa.
Mouthfeel: Medium-thin body. Mild carbonation.
Drinkability: The porter qualities failed to hide the glaring flaws of Northwoods. Their stout is up next, so let's try and keep a little optimism.
Reviewed by mattcrill from Ohio
3/5 rDev +3.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
3/5 rDev +3.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Thanks to mmmBeeer for the chance to sample this one.
Nothing useful on the label.
Aroma: Carmelly, a bit of artificial sweetness, hints of maple, and a bit nutty.
Appearance: The website states that it's "nearly black" but based on the pour I'd say it's "barely brown". A clear leather brown pour with a vibrantly carbonated body and a bubbly white head.
Flavor: Maple, nuts, a touch of the artificial sweetness, and maybe some roasted malts in there.
Mouthfeel: Light and a bit over the top on the carbonation.
Overall impression: Too light. Either the mash temp was too low or there are some adjuncts in there because it just didn't seem to have enough body. Almost soda-like in quality. The flavor was complex and interesting but it just needed more body. Worth a try.
Dec 17, 2006Nothing useful on the label.
Aroma: Carmelly, a bit of artificial sweetness, hints of maple, and a bit nutty.
Appearance: The website states that it's "nearly black" but based on the pour I'd say it's "barely brown". A clear leather brown pour with a vibrantly carbonated body and a bubbly white head.
Flavor: Maple, nuts, a touch of the artificial sweetness, and maybe some roasted malts in there.
Mouthfeel: Light and a bit over the top on the carbonation.
Overall impression: Too light. Either the mash temp was too low or there are some adjuncts in there because it just didn't seem to have enough body. Almost soda-like in quality. The flavor was complex and interesting but it just needed more body. Worth a try.
Reviewed by feloniousmonk from Minnesota
3.02/5 rDev +3.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 3
3.02/5 rDev +3.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 3
Come on, baby, come on...you can do it, I'm counting on you...let's see if we can make this 2 for 6 in the Northwoods 6-pack.
Dark brown, transparent at the bottom, with little head, swiftly degenerating into a sad, bubbling ring of faint cola-ish carbonation.
Aroma: roasty and bitter, notes of cocoa and coffee, ...not bad.
Taste: Far too faint in the mouthfeel to really count as a porter, this enters the mouth limply, and exits just as weak. Trickles of dark, chocolatey flavors, waft over the palate, then drip away. Doesn't really make much of an impression anywhere. Really needs to have bigger body to be a porter worth it's roasted barley, and this ain't working. No chewiness, no girth. But, I suspect this brewery was built around low expectations and pleasing the common denominator above all else.
Oh, well...I'll give this half-credit for at least coming close to being a good porter, without becoming a total abomination.
And must say I've noticed that the darker beers of this breweries bottling are the least offensive, and the closest to their marks. More in the brew to hide the flaws?
Aug 25, 2005Dark brown, transparent at the bottom, with little head, swiftly degenerating into a sad, bubbling ring of faint cola-ish carbonation.
Aroma: roasty and bitter, notes of cocoa and coffee, ...not bad.
Taste: Far too faint in the mouthfeel to really count as a porter, this enters the mouth limply, and exits just as weak. Trickles of dark, chocolatey flavors, waft over the palate, then drip away. Doesn't really make much of an impression anywhere. Really needs to have bigger body to be a porter worth it's roasted barley, and this ain't working. No chewiness, no girth. But, I suspect this brewery was built around low expectations and pleasing the common denominator above all else.
Oh, well...I'll give this half-credit for at least coming close to being a good porter, without becoming a total abomination.
And must say I've noticed that the darker beers of this breweries bottling are the least offensive, and the closest to their marks. More in the brew to hide the flaws?
Reviewed by DrunkMcDermott from Illinois
1.52/5 rDev -47.8%
look: 3 | smell: 1 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.5
1.52/5 rDev -47.8%
look: 3 | smell: 1 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.5
As with most of their packaged beers, there's a very distracting aroma of wet salted peanut shells. This time, at least, the porter is can overpower it. Pours a repectable porter-type head on an attractive body. Again, the peanut shell aspect is in the taste, but so is a well-roasted chocolately porter taste, and a noticeable load of hop bitterness. Clearly, if they can just work out thier bottling problems, they might have some winners here. Try this on tap at the pub instead, and you'll find it's pretty nice.
Dec 11, 2003
Reviewed by Bighuge from Minnesota
4/5 rDev +37.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4/5 rDev +37.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Appearance is dark ruby. Thin milky tan head. Aroma is of chocolate, brown sugar and roasted malt. Very creamy mouthfeel. Medium bodied. This one's got some good flavor. Roasted tones dominate. Under that blanket exists some chocolate and coffee tones. Good Porter
Apr 03, 2002
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