Bean Geeks Session Porter
Mikkeller ApS

Pours a pitch-black coloration with a huge, foamy head. Smells of roasted, slightly caramelly malt and dark chocolate, with lighter coffee and licorice also coming through. Taste is a great balance of quite roasted, slightly caramelly malt, distinct dark and bitter chocolate and lighter coffee, licorice and hints of dark fruits, with some light accents of raisin and fig. Finishes rather dry, with a medium bitterness and some roasted malt, chocolate and coffee lingering in the aftertaste. Full mouthfeel with a medium body and carbonation.

Not sure why they call this a "Session" Porter when it's actually well within the standard range for a Porter at 5.5% ABV. I guess that modern craft beer drinkers are so used to everything Stout/Porter being "Imperial" nowadays that anything beneath 6% ABV needs to be labeled "Session" now... In any case, this actually has a very robust flavor profile and body/mouthfeel for the ABV as well, which is quite an achievement and renders the "Session" label even more absurd. It's quite roasted, dry and bitter, which is exactly how I like my Porters, and the dark, bitter chocolate notes play right into that, while some coffee, licorice and dark fruit add a bit more depth here.

The colour is dark brown, almost black. The three fingers head is brown and compact, it sinks slowly leaving lots of lacing on the glass.

The smell is dry with district notes of freshly ground coffee and chocolate. Sour notes of dark malts. Red berries and toffee in the background.

The taste is very smooth with a passing metallic bitterness. Growing notes of coffee with some sour flavours. Growing bitterness and hints of green hops. Full body. The aftertaste got less coffee and more roasted malts (but no burned flavours) and some chocolate/cocoa. The finish is dry and rather short with coffee drops and some milk chocolate.

The carbonation is mild, the small bubbles are fresh and long-lived. The liquid is semi-smooth.

A nice porter, but I noted a bit too much metallic flavours and dryness.