Robust Porter
Bridge Road Brewers

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From:
Bridge Road Brewers
 
Australia
Style:
Robust Porter
ABV:
5.2%
Score:
82
Avg:
3.55 | pDev: 17.46%
Reviews:
22
Ratings:
30
Status:
Active
Rated:
Apr 29, 2020
Added:
Dec 20, 2005
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  5
Big chocolate, roasted and mocha notes are the key to this style. A wise country football coach once said: “there’s no point half doing something”. And in making this porter we’ve taken his advice on board, our Robust Porter uses plenty of roast barley and chocolate malt to give you a big porter that won’t leave you asking for more.

Try this one with dark chocolate and liquorice. Bridge Road’s Porter, like many of its beers, pulls no punches. Make no mistake, the Robust Porter is big and bold, yet its smooth roasty texture makes it one to convert the non-dark drinker. Match it with rich chocolate deserts, cold winter nights or freshly shucked oysters.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by norwichboy:
Photo of norwichboy
Reviewed by norwichboy from Australia

3.25/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Bottle has a cartoony image of Ned Kelly on the front, describes the style as a "robust porter", says a little of the origins of the style and jokes that "rumour has it that Ned himself was a porter man". I'm entertained already.

As to the beer itself, it pours black, completely opaque, with a moderate light brown head that produces good lacing. Roasted aromas of milk chocolate and coffee are fairly restrained, a few dried fruit notes. The dried fruit is more prominant on tasting, with a bitter finish in which the roasted flavours emerge. Slight carbonation, maybe could do with a bit more.

Overall this pretty subdued. It makes a good easy drinking beer, but I'm left wanting somewhat more. I think I'll get more than just the one bottle next time...
Oct 27, 2006
More User Ratings:
Photo of FalconOz
Reviewed by FalconOz from Australia

3.66/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
This beer might have changed considerably since its first inception as none of the 4 bottles I drank from different batches had a head retention and differ significantly from older reviews.

The brewery correctly classifies its profile as 4 for hop and 9 for malt (scale 1-10)

Smell: Roasty aroma with a lightly burnt, black malt character moderately strong.

Look: very dark brown almost black in color and quite opaque. When held up to the light, shows a brownish tar at the edge of the glass. No retention in the head after being poured in a cold dry glass.

Taste: Moderately strong malt flavor with a lightly burnt, black malt character and chocolate with a bit of roasty sweet and bitter dryness in the finish.

Mouthfeel: medium-full body. Moderately moderately high carbonation. Slight astringency

Overall Impression: A substantial, malty dark ale with a complex and flavorful roasty character.
Apr 29, 2020
Photo of RichardLeahy
Reviewed by RichardLeahy from Australia

4.02/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
From dark bottle with different branding to that shown. L. Hard to tell but appears appropriate. S. Promising, rich, some chocolate and coffee. T. Definite chocolate and some toffee. A little back end alcohol. F. Smooth, a little creamy, really enjoyed. I didn't notice the carbonation that some do. O. Excellent porter, surprised by the modest rating here.
Sep 18, 2018
Photo of patre_tim
Reviewed by patre_tim from Thailand

3.94/5  rDev +11%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Dark brown with an amber tinge when held to the light. Topped with a half finger of beige head.

Smells of coffee, molasses and toffee.

The taste is of caramel, taffee and coffee. Hints of chocolate as well.

Medium to light body with moderate carbonation.

Drinking this in Chiang Mai, June 14th, 2018. Well done porter.
Jun 14, 2018
 
Rated: 4.88 by johngudmann from Australia

Jul 25, 2017
Photo of 50wolves
Reviewed by 50wolves from Australia

3.81/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Appearance - pours dark with off brown frothy head that retains, moderate lacing for this style of beer. Aroma - roasty coffee aromas. taste - again the roasted coffee aromas come through as does a slight hint of chocolate. Feel - astringent, not overly so, however more than I would like from a darker beer. Overall quite impressed with the beer, would drink this one again.
Jun 02, 2015
Photo of Mosant
Reviewed by Mosant from Australia

3.46/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
I had a 330ml bottle. This beer won a bronze medal at the 2014 CBIA Craft Beer Awards in class 3B Robust Porter.
Appearance: deep dark and black. Fantastic colour. Good head on the beer like a good dark chocolate milkshake. Does not last long but adequate time.
Aroma: rich toasted malts on the nose some light coffee presence but not overwhelming. Could have been better.
Flavour: surprisingly has a more carbonated mouthfeel than expected hence looses a bit of creaminess I might expect. Flavours a very nice with roasted malts well balanced with the mild bitterness and very easy drinking. Reasonable coffee flavours coming through to me.
Overall : good example and nice beer.
Apr 08, 2015
Photo of pagriley
Reviewed by pagriley from Illinois

4.06/5  rDev +14.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Poured jet black. Thin head with quite a lot of carbonation.
Sweet chocolate and burnt caramel on the nose. Lots of toasted malts
Vanilla, roasted malts with some nuttiness and hints of bitterness on the finish. Very smooth
A bit thin and light in the body with prickly carbonation. Would have liked a creamier texture with less carbonation

Overall a really nice porter.
Jan 01, 2015
 
Rated: 1 by Southernocean from Australia

Nov 27, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by Juffermans from Australia

Aug 20, 2014
 
Rated: 3 by Kroehny_Loves_Hops from Australia

May 01, 2014
 
Rated: 3.25 by Vanz from Australia

Jan 27, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by admiral from Australia

Dec 23, 2013
Photo of Hoptron_3000
Reviewed by Hoptron_3000 from Australia

3.24/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
A: Tiny hiss on opening suggesting low carbonation. Pours cola colour with no head. Swirl brings a tan head that doesn't stick around. Bottle conditioned.
S: Coffee with hints of dates. Earthy dark roast malt. No hop aroma.
T: Super rich roasted coffee. A little dark chocolate and caramel. Dry roast malt finish.
M: Medium body. Very low carbonation.
O: Nice beer. I haven't had any other Robust Porter so difficult to compair.
Jun 30, 2013
Photo of soju6
Reviewed by soju6 from Missouri

3.6/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75
A: Pours a deep mahogany color with a nice full head that fades slowly to good lacing.

S: Aroma of roasted malt with a bit of roasted nuts, coffee and chocolate mixed in.

T: Taste of roasted malt, bit of caramel sweetness with some chocolate, coffee and bit of roasted nuts. Nice bitterness and a dry finish.

F: Fairly full body, smooth and creamy with a nice balance.

O: Very enjoyable beer that has a bit of character. Nice offering from the brewer.
May 30, 2013
 
Rated: 3.75 by pin from Australia

Aug 03, 2012
Photo of heygeebee
Reviewed by heygeebee from Australia

3.15/5  rDev -11.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
No visible BB date - from Warners.

Pours black n atn. One finger head dies faster than usual for a Porter. Leaves film. Little lace.

Muted aromas of chocolate, roast malts (burnt even) and some nuttiness. Coffee later.

Taste is as aromas but watered down. Some roast burnt bitterness, but overall watery and thin.

Light carbonation. Ok. Medium to light bodied.

Not sure if I have been spolit bu high ABV porters recently, but his doe not hold my attention - too watery is main complaint.
Jul 08, 2012
 
Rated: 3.5 by Kornoms from Texas

May 23, 2012
Photo of joecast
Reviewed by joecast from Australia

3.67/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Nearly pitch black with a dark tan foamy head. As dark as any porter I've had before. Certainly looks robust.

Smell dominated by those dark malts. Roasty, charred and a touch of caramel sweetness.

An earthy hoppiness combines with the drying dark malt. This certainly straddles the blurred line between porter and stout if it does not cross it. The bottle recommends pairing with chocolate and this works well. The sweetness of the chocolate gets cleaned up nicely by the dry charred character of the beer.

Had in my mind this was much higher in abv. Quite an enjoyable porter as it is. And it wont knock you to the floor after a couple.
Dec 18, 2011
Photo of Stew41
Reviewed by Stew41 from Thailand

3.68/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Soft caramel and roast; very friendly and approachable. As good as any Oz porter getting around at the minute. Very dark brown tending to black. The very thin, dark, creamy head gives a distinct mochiato look....very appealing. Nose is sweet, milk shake like with the malt aromas. Reasonably thick palate with more chocolate powder notes, and I certainty didn’t find the roast notes as overt as some previous tasting notes. Finishes clean with late bitterness.
Aug 11, 2011
Robust Porter from Bridge Road Brewers
Beer rating: 82 out of 100 with 30 ratings