Mocha Porter | Rogue Ales
Brewed by:
Rogue Ales
Oregon, United States
rogue.com
Style: American Porter
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 5.60%
Availability: Year-round
Notes / Commercial Description:
No notes at this time.
Added by BeerAdvocate on 02-16-2001
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Ratings: 2,898 | Reviews: 1,369
4/5 rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A: Dark amber with moderate carbonation and a light brown head that dissipates somewhat quickly into a foamy lace.
N: Fresh coffee and dark chocolate. It lives up to its name.
T: Delicious, creamy and smooth, with strong chocolate overtones. One of the best porters around.
M: Not as thick as you'd expect, and more carbonated than your average stout. Rogue has definitely captured the essence of a porter with this brew.
D: A versatile beer. You could savor this in a snifter, or drink it straight from the bottle with a group of friends; it's great either way.
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look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A: Dark amber with moderate carbonation and a light brown head that dissipates somewhat quickly into a foamy lace.
N: Fresh coffee and dark chocolate. It lives up to its name.
T: Delicious, creamy and smooth, with strong chocolate overtones. One of the best porters around.
M: Not as thick as you'd expect, and more carbonated than your average stout. Rogue has definitely captured the essence of a porter with this brew.
D: A versatile beer. You could savor this in a snifter, or drink it straight from the bottle with a group of friends; it's great either way.
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3.8/5 rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
12 ounce bottle into signature pint glass, no bottle dating. Pours moderately hazy very dark reddish brown color with a 2 finger fairly dense and rocky tan head with great retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lasts. Nice soapy lacing clings down the glass, with a moderate amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of big chocolate, cocoa, caramel, coffee, toast, toffee, biscuit, nuttiness, herbal, and roasted earthiness. Very nice aromas with good balance and complexity of dark/roasted malt with light hop presence; with good strength. Taste of chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, toast, toffee, biscuit, herbal, light pine, light nuttiness, and roasted earthiness. Light earthy pine/roast bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, toast, toffee, biscuit, herbal, light pine, and roasted earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Nice flavor balance and complexity of dark/roasted malt and moderate hop flavors; with solid robustness and zero cloying flavors after the finish. Medium carbonation and body; with a moderately creamy, smooth, and lightly chalky mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is very well hidden with minimal warming present after the finish. Overall this is a very good porter. Good balance and complexity of dark/roasted malt and moderate hop flavors; and very smooth to drink. A nicely enjoyable offering.
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look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
12 ounce bottle into signature pint glass, no bottle dating. Pours moderately hazy very dark reddish brown color with a 2 finger fairly dense and rocky tan head with great retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lasts. Nice soapy lacing clings down the glass, with a moderate amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of big chocolate, cocoa, caramel, coffee, toast, toffee, biscuit, nuttiness, herbal, and roasted earthiness. Very nice aromas with good balance and complexity of dark/roasted malt with light hop presence; with good strength. Taste of chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, toast, toffee, biscuit, herbal, light pine, light nuttiness, and roasted earthiness. Light earthy pine/roast bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, toast, toffee, biscuit, herbal, light pine, and roasted earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Nice flavor balance and complexity of dark/roasted malt and moderate hop flavors; with solid robustness and zero cloying flavors after the finish. Medium carbonation and body; with a moderately creamy, smooth, and lightly chalky mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is very well hidden with minimal warming present after the finish. Overall this is a very good porter. Good balance and complexity of dark/roasted malt and moderate hop flavors; and very smooth to drink. A nicely enjoyable offering.
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3.64/5 rDev -5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours a nice dark golden brown color. A nice head that stays around, leaving some gorgeous lacing. Very Nice!
Smell is very light carmel, almost a smokey like smell going on (I am not very fond of it). Taste is a strong burnt carmel, along with some dark chocolate.
Not to much carbonation going on here. Drinkability, I would have to say is moderate. It isn't my favorite porter, and the bottles are quite big, seeing myself only having one at a time.
Overall, not to bad, definately worth a shot.
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look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours a nice dark golden brown color. A nice head that stays around, leaving some gorgeous lacing. Very Nice!
Smell is very light carmel, almost a smokey like smell going on (I am not very fond of it). Taste is a strong burnt carmel, along with some dark chocolate.
Not to much carbonation going on here. Drinkability, I would have to say is moderate. It isn't my favorite porter, and the bottles are quite big, seeing myself only having one at a time.
Overall, not to bad, definately worth a shot.
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4.15/5 rDev +7.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Very, very dark brown... black! The light tan head needs a little coaxing to bring it up, then dies fairly readily but leaves a decent collar & surface foam as well as some lace. The aroma is hoppy, chocolatey, and roasty. The body is medium with a gentle carbonation and a silkiness in the mouth. The flavor is hoppy up-front, followed by dark bittersweet chocolate and some limited cocoa, then a flash of hop flavor and a solid roastiness which leads to a dry finish. There's some lingering roastiness and an earthy/mineral character (probably from hops), as well as a very slight astringency which doesn't seem bothersome. The balance is definitely more towards roasty bitterness than malty sweetness! This is a beer that's best enjoyed at cellar temperature where it's full character can be appreciated. Very nice, but not spectacular, with alot of character and a moderate complexity. Makes a good pub pint.
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look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Very, very dark brown... black! The light tan head needs a little coaxing to bring it up, then dies fairly readily but leaves a decent collar & surface foam as well as some lace. The aroma is hoppy, chocolatey, and roasty. The body is medium with a gentle carbonation and a silkiness in the mouth. The flavor is hoppy up-front, followed by dark bittersweet chocolate and some limited cocoa, then a flash of hop flavor and a solid roastiness which leads to a dry finish. There's some lingering roastiness and an earthy/mineral character (probably from hops), as well as a very slight astringency which doesn't seem bothersome. The balance is definitely more towards roasty bitterness than malty sweetness! This is a beer that's best enjoyed at cellar temperature where it's full character can be appreciated. Very nice, but not spectacular, with alot of character and a moderate complexity. Makes a good pub pint.
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4.07/5 rDev +5.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
undated 12 oz. bottle served in pint glass.
pours a nearly black, opaque and hazy (I think, although it is too dark to be sure) liquid with 2 fingers of tan foam. The head has good retention.
A surprising level of hops, which actually dominate the aroma. Upon tasting, their bitterness is more evident than other hop flavors; and a hop-induced bitterness lingers in the finish. There's a strong roasted malt flavor mid-taste. Notes of expresso, burnt toast and dark chocolate. Overall, this definitely has more bitterness than malty sweetness, and is richly flavored even for the style.
M - creamy smooth with good carbonation; medium body
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look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
undated 12 oz. bottle served in pint glass.
pours a nearly black, opaque and hazy (I think, although it is too dark to be sure) liquid with 2 fingers of tan foam. The head has good retention.
A surprising level of hops, which actually dominate the aroma. Upon tasting, their bitterness is more evident than other hop flavors; and a hop-induced bitterness lingers in the finish. There's a strong roasted malt flavor mid-taste. Notes of expresso, burnt toast and dark chocolate. Overall, this definitely has more bitterness than malty sweetness, and is richly flavored even for the style.
M - creamy smooth with good carbonation; medium body
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3.88/5 rDev +0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 4
A: Pours an extremely dark brown (almost black in color) with light amounts of gentle visible carbonation along the edges of the glass and some dark amber highlights. The beer has a three finger tall sudsy foamy tan head that slowly reduces to a finger + half tall medium sized cap in the center of the glass surrounded by a large finger thick layer covering the remainder of the surface of the beer and a thick ring at the edges of the glass. Significant amounts of lacing are observed.
S: Moderate aromas of coffee and bittersweet chocolate over the top of light aromas of roasted malts.
T: Upfront there are light to moderate flavors of roasted malts with moderate to slightly stronger than moderate flavors of bittersweet dark chocolate and a light amount of coffee. Hints of burnt malts towards the finish which all contribute to a light to moderate amount of bitterness which fades away slowly.
M: Just shy of medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Thin.
O: Easy to drink and definitely one you could have a couple in a session due to the lighter body and lower ABV. Enough complexity to keep you interested but not too bold in flavors/aromas.
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look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 4
A: Pours an extremely dark brown (almost black in color) with light amounts of gentle visible carbonation along the edges of the glass and some dark amber highlights. The beer has a three finger tall sudsy foamy tan head that slowly reduces to a finger + half tall medium sized cap in the center of the glass surrounded by a large finger thick layer covering the remainder of the surface of the beer and a thick ring at the edges of the glass. Significant amounts of lacing are observed.
S: Moderate aromas of coffee and bittersweet chocolate over the top of light aromas of roasted malts.
T: Upfront there are light to moderate flavors of roasted malts with moderate to slightly stronger than moderate flavors of bittersweet dark chocolate and a light amount of coffee. Hints of burnt malts towards the finish which all contribute to a light to moderate amount of bitterness which fades away slowly.
M: Just shy of medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Thin.
O: Easy to drink and definitely one you could have a couple in a session due to the lighter body and lower ABV. Enough complexity to keep you interested but not too bold in flavors/aromas.
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3.54/5 rDev -8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3
Pours a creamy thick large 1.5 finger head that fades at a med pace but leaves tons of lacing, very dark black beer.
Nose starts with a blend of coffee grinds and cocoa powder, little baker's chocolate, cocoa powder and hint dark chocolate like, light roast with some burnt coffee grinds, and some light smoked malt in there as well, and a hint of vanilla somehow.
Taste starts with the light smoke actually, a little smoked meat and campfire, which is not what I was expecting. Then dark malts, light roast and black malt char, little burnt coffee grinds, then into a very light powdered cocoa and charred chocolate somehow. Bitterness comes with acrid roast, and hint of bitter earthy hops. The middle seems like it's missing something too despite all those contrasting sharp flavors. Finish is drier but a long lingering earthy roasted malt and charred slightly burnt like flavor lingering, and a little smoke.
Mouth is med to a little fuller bodied, nice carb.
Overall meh... doesn't really go where it should, barely mocha, too much acrid burnt flavors, the smoke is out of left field and tastes like it, bitterness is more from the dark malts than hops which are also meh, beer just doesn't seem to come through. This seems to sum up Rogue pretty well lately IMO. They just seem to throw a bunch of ingredients together and hope for the best, and not only that but a hodgepodge of different things to try that shouldn't be like that. This is a mocha porter, it should have more chocolate, more coffee, no burnt or acrid flavors, no smoke (although a little would be OK if it blended well which this doesn't), too many sharp not so great flavors that don't blend well, eh.
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look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3
Pours a creamy thick large 1.5 finger head that fades at a med pace but leaves tons of lacing, very dark black beer.
Nose starts with a blend of coffee grinds and cocoa powder, little baker's chocolate, cocoa powder and hint dark chocolate like, light roast with some burnt coffee grinds, and some light smoked malt in there as well, and a hint of vanilla somehow.
Taste starts with the light smoke actually, a little smoked meat and campfire, which is not what I was expecting. Then dark malts, light roast and black malt char, little burnt coffee grinds, then into a very light powdered cocoa and charred chocolate somehow. Bitterness comes with acrid roast, and hint of bitter earthy hops. The middle seems like it's missing something too despite all those contrasting sharp flavors. Finish is drier but a long lingering earthy roasted malt and charred slightly burnt like flavor lingering, and a little smoke.
Mouth is med to a little fuller bodied, nice carb.
Overall meh... doesn't really go where it should, barely mocha, too much acrid burnt flavors, the smoke is out of left field and tastes like it, bitterness is more from the dark malts than hops which are also meh, beer just doesn't seem to come through. This seems to sum up Rogue pretty well lately IMO. They just seem to throw a bunch of ingredients together and hope for the best, and not only that but a hodgepodge of different things to try that shouldn't be like that. This is a mocha porter, it should have more chocolate, more coffee, no burnt or acrid flavors, no smoke (although a little would be OK if it blended well which this doesn't), too many sharp not so great flavors that don't blend well, eh.
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4.47/5 rDev +15.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Poured from a 12oz. bottle into a pint glass.
A: The beer is a dark brown color with a short but thick tan head that fades slowly and leaves a thick lace on the glass.
S: Strong roasted coffee & chocolate malt aroma, as the name implies, along with some smokiness and a little bit of hops.
T: The smoked flavor hits first, then the sweet, roasted mocha-coffee taste, followed by a bitter dark chocolate & hops combination. The smoky flavor is what sticks around in the after-taste. I definitely wasn’t expecting such complexity, which is a pleasant surprise.
M: Rich and very smooth, with medium carbonation, medium body and a clean finish. It doesn’t leave the sticky or oily film that some other beers in this style can.
D: It’s tasty, smooth and goes down easy. Normally I take my time drinking a beer as I review it, but I found myself down to the last sip well before I finished typing the review. I could certainly make short work of a sixer, too bad I just bought one bottle (which is the only downside to mixing a six-pack in those liquor stores that allow it). However, it does seem possible that as you move through a sixer, it may fill you up just a bit. An excellent beer from Rogue. In comparing it within the style, I liked it a bit more the Stone Smoked Porter and the others that I’ve tried. I don’t smoke, but I would image this beer would go well with a cigar too.
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look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Poured from a 12oz. bottle into a pint glass.
A: The beer is a dark brown color with a short but thick tan head that fades slowly and leaves a thick lace on the glass.
S: Strong roasted coffee & chocolate malt aroma, as the name implies, along with some smokiness and a little bit of hops.
T: The smoked flavor hits first, then the sweet, roasted mocha-coffee taste, followed by a bitter dark chocolate & hops combination. The smoky flavor is what sticks around in the after-taste. I definitely wasn’t expecting such complexity, which is a pleasant surprise.
M: Rich and very smooth, with medium carbonation, medium body and a clean finish. It doesn’t leave the sticky or oily film that some other beers in this style can.
D: It’s tasty, smooth and goes down easy. Normally I take my time drinking a beer as I review it, but I found myself down to the last sip well before I finished typing the review. I could certainly make short work of a sixer, too bad I just bought one bottle (which is the only downside to mixing a six-pack in those liquor stores that allow it). However, it does seem possible that as you move through a sixer, it may fill you up just a bit. An excellent beer from Rogue. In comparing it within the style, I liked it a bit more the Stone Smoked Porter and the others that I’ve tried. I don’t smoke, but I would image this beer would go well with a cigar too.
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3.8/5 rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A solid beer all the way around for me but maybe a little to hoppy for a porter for me,pours a deep mocha color with a light stichy head,aroma is of powdered sugar and of course mocha.Taste like I said is a little hoppy for the style in my opinion but there is some nice chocolaty tones with some dried fruit tones as well.A nive earthy flavor hits in the finish to give this beer a decent taste grade.
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look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A solid beer all the way around for me but maybe a little to hoppy for a porter for me,pours a deep mocha color with a light stichy head,aroma is of powdered sugar and of course mocha.Taste like I said is a little hoppy for the style in my opinion but there is some nice chocolaty tones with some dried fruit tones as well.A nive earthy flavor hits in the finish to give this beer a decent taste grade.
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3.06/5 rDev -20.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Bottle picked up at Total Wine in Alexandria. Served in a Hill Farmstead wine glass.
Pours near black with a thin off-white head and quite a bit of lacing as it eventually moves down. The nose brings some very dryly-roasted malt plus a bit of faint chocolate with some bold coffee in the background. The flavor has some strong roast and nothing much more than that. Very, very small amount of chocolate there as well. With the finish, the espresso and coffee from the nose begin to take over. Finish is very dry and uncompromising; it's also quite bitter. Not a bad beer, but not something I'd go out of my way to get again.
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look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Bottle picked up at Total Wine in Alexandria. Served in a Hill Farmstead wine glass.
Pours near black with a thin off-white head and quite a bit of lacing as it eventually moves down. The nose brings some very dryly-roasted malt plus a bit of faint chocolate with some bold coffee in the background. The flavor has some strong roast and nothing much more than that. Very, very small amount of chocolate there as well. With the finish, the espresso and coffee from the nose begin to take over. Finish is very dry and uncompromising; it's also quite bitter. Not a bad beer, but not something I'd go out of my way to get again.
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3.78/5 rDev -2.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
A - Big, rocky caramel colored head on top of totally black body. Very good head retention as well.
S - Hops, alcohol, and dark chocolate. Notes of plums and roasted grain with some citrus aromas coming from the hops.
T - Lots of coffee flavor and roasted bitterness with hop bitterness coming in to compete as well. Some hints of chocolate.
M - Thin body with moderate to light carbonation.
D - Pretty easily drinkable, especially if one were a coffee drinker already. The bitterness is a little much, and I think it would be better balanced if the body was somewhat heavier.
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look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
A - Big, rocky caramel colored head on top of totally black body. Very good head retention as well.
S - Hops, alcohol, and dark chocolate. Notes of plums and roasted grain with some citrus aromas coming from the hops.
T - Lots of coffee flavor and roasted bitterness with hop bitterness coming in to compete as well. Some hints of chocolate.
M - Thin body with moderate to light carbonation.
D - Pretty easily drinkable, especially if one were a coffee drinker already. The bitterness is a little much, and I think it would be better balanced if the body was somewhat heavier.
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3.83/5 rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
First had: on tap at Rogue, Portland, OR
Poured a dark brown-black with a small but cream tan head. Aroma of roasty malts, cocoa, coffee, and some herbal hops. While the flavor profile contains many elements of a typical coffee porter--roasted dark malts, coffee, cocoa--there was a definite herbal presence throughout, very reminiscent of a black tea, presumably from the hops used. This gave a dry and somewhat bitter finish. Medium body, nice balance, not too coffee-y, and pretty drinkable overall.
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look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
First had: on tap at Rogue, Portland, OR
Poured a dark brown-black with a small but cream tan head. Aroma of roasty malts, cocoa, coffee, and some herbal hops. While the flavor profile contains many elements of a typical coffee porter--roasted dark malts, coffee, cocoa--there was a definite herbal presence throughout, very reminiscent of a black tea, presumably from the hops used. This gave a dry and somewhat bitter finish. Medium body, nice balance, not too coffee-y, and pretty drinkable overall.
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3.8/5 rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
12 oz bottle into a pint glass.
Pours an extremely dark amber/brown, with 2+ fingers of foamy mocha tan head. Retains with a thin layer of creamy foam, which stays rich and just drenches the sides of the glass with lace. Just like the name suggests, this has a nice mocha aroma to it. Almost latte like, with light roasted coffee accents mixing with some sweeter notes as well. There is also a sturdy underlying layer of roasted malts and a touch of floral hops, which gives this some extra presence in the nose.
That same coffee sweetness is much more subtle in the taste, instead taking a backseat to a pervasive combo of roasted smokey chocolate malts and hop character, which makes itself really known in the finish, lying a dry feel in the mouth. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with a relatively creamy carbonation up front, which then switches gears to a chewier layer underneath, giving the overall feel some crunch.
Not too bad. I wish that a bit more of the coffee character had carried over to the taste but the quality roastiness of this provided the sort of Porter character that I like. This is a quality staple beer from Rogue that is worth a look.
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look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
12 oz bottle into a pint glass.
Pours an extremely dark amber/brown, with 2+ fingers of foamy mocha tan head. Retains with a thin layer of creamy foam, which stays rich and just drenches the sides of the glass with lace. Just like the name suggests, this has a nice mocha aroma to it. Almost latte like, with light roasted coffee accents mixing with some sweeter notes as well. There is also a sturdy underlying layer of roasted malts and a touch of floral hops, which gives this some extra presence in the nose.
That same coffee sweetness is much more subtle in the taste, instead taking a backseat to a pervasive combo of roasted smokey chocolate malts and hop character, which makes itself really known in the finish, lying a dry feel in the mouth. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with a relatively creamy carbonation up front, which then switches gears to a chewier layer underneath, giving the overall feel some crunch.
Not too bad. I wish that a bit more of the coffee character had carried over to the taste but the quality roastiness of this provided the sort of Porter character that I like. This is a quality staple beer from Rogue that is worth a look.
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3.75/5 rDev -2.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.09/5 rDev -19.9%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
Mocha Porter from Rogue Ales
Beer rating:
3.86 out of
5 with
2,898 ratings
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Bottle: Poured a pitch-black color beer with a nice foamy head with great retention. Aroma of roasted malt is dominating and seems to leave little place to the coffee aroma that I was expecting. Taste is dominated by bitterness and roasted malt and again I find little of the coffee/chocolate taste I was expecting. Overall, not bad but Im a bit disappointed by this one.
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