Raspberry Porter
Market Cross Pub & Brewery

Sampled on-tap from the Carlisle pub; poured into a pint glass.

A - Pours a creamy black with a tan head...looks like motor oil.

S - Aroma consists of smoked/roasted coffee and raspberries...the berries make it smell a little too sweet.

T - Sweetness carries through the taste, but the fruit isn't overbearing. I believe they brew this with raspberries, rather than adding the flavor, and it comes through in the taste...it blends well with the dominant coffee presence.

M - Creamy, medium body with a bold finish.

D - I enjoyed this selection from Market Cross...I like the Naked Porter more (the pub porter without the raspberries), but this is a good occasional brew.

On draft at the brewpub: Poured dark black with a towering foam tan head. This is an excellent fruit beer in disguise. Lightly bitter, the raspberry flourish is the predominate flavor. A very interesting and well-balanced porter, set apart for sure! (#2720, 2/19/2007)

Served as a very deep brown, almost black color with notable tannish puffy head.
Smell is a nice mixture of roasted malt, chocolate and fruit.
Taste also balances the rich chocolate flavors with a subtle hint of fruit in the background.
Rich and full in the mouth.
I'm not a big fan of fruit beers, but this one is excellent. The fruit lies nicely in the background to serve to enhance the chocolate of the porter.

The second beer of the day. I again get a 10 oz sample and the beer arrives in a mini english pint glass. There is no lite passing through the dark brown color of the beer and a thin but sturdy surface layer of fine tan head rests on the beer. There is also very tight latticework as the head recedes and after each sip. Aroma is mild but some chocolate and roasted malt but surprisingly no raspberry really shows up here. First sip reveals very mild carbonation and a farily thick body. Flavor is sweet chocolate with tangy raspberries, think of a chocolate dipped fruit in fondue. The finish is rather roasty and ends the beer nicely. This is very drinkable and I enjoyed it a lot. It is mild and the fruit is not cloying so could be a session beer.

• Poured from a tap into a pint glass.

L- Pours a motor oil black w/ ½” of tan, frothy head which sustains very well. Head clings to the glass nicely.

A- Not much aroma there but some roasted malts and a bit of chocolate maybe. I think other bar aromas made this one hard, so that is the reason for the lower rating.

T- Thank God I can taste it! Sweet raspberry chocolate, which blew me away since I’ve never had a raspberry porter before! Very tatsy. Some nut flavors (almonds) come through. The raspberry comes through big time but it is enjoyable and new to me! Well done!!!

F- Lightly carbonated w/ some tingle on the back of my tongue. Not much alcohol here to note, and basic feeling for a porter. Nothing new.

D- Thank you Sir, may I have another!? (which movie?)

Served in a nonic pint glass at Market Cross. The color was black, with a nice thick creamy beige head. The smell was fairly roasty with just a bit of the raspberry. The taste was fairly strong dry coffee roastiness, with just a bit of the raspberry that didn't interfere with the roasty flavor and melded nicely with it. Mouthfeel was smooth. As for drinkability, certainly this would have been a nice one to session with!

A solid beer from Market Cross. I first enjoyed this one at the Harrisburg festival and made the trip to Carlisle to give it a try in its element. All in all, a beer I'd definitely enjoy having again!

This cask-conditioned ale was served at the perfect temperature. It had a small light tan head wheen served that dissipated quickly. The beer itself had low carbonation, making it smooth and drinkable. It had a nice roasty aroma, with a hint of maly sweetness. Curiously, I detected no raspberry aroma or flavor at all. It was slightly chocolaty though. It is a very drinkable porter.

Dark Dark Brownish black with slight red hue. Thick tawny tan and creamy head. Sticky lace clings to side throughout. Rich roasted aroma with slight swee raspberry liquer like smell. Smells slightly burnt. Full roasted flavor, rich hop bite countered by slight Raspberry sweetness. Slightly less body than I'd like, but nontheless, a supberp beer! Very tasty on cask.