Irish Porter
Shamrock Brewing Co.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

really good beer made by some really good dudes. had the pleasure of meeting them this weekend and tasting some beers. apparently been around for ages, but i have never heard of it, weak! this place is awesome and the beer is very good. i found this to be real dark, almost like an irish stout, dry from the yeast, but with a lot of body and viscosity for a porter, and all the roast you could imagine on the grain. coffee and tea biscuits are the main flavors for me, of course with the bitter and a hint of smoke before the irish yeast takes over and cleans it all away. patient beer, perfect for winter, and made by some of the more fun dudes in the game. i was impressed with its depth, its versatility with food, and its uniqueness. great with a nice greasy homemade reuben sandwich. highly stoked on this place.

 

Great looking draft porter, head was about an inch and lasted, leaving sheets of lacing behind.

A simple, yet delicious dry Irish stout. Great notes of toasted, roasted, burnt, chocolate, and coffee, in a body that's so thick you almost have to chew every bite. The most enjoyable of the three beers I had (tho all were fine beers).

Overall the drinkability, flavor, and finish of this one makes it one of my favorites that I've had in this style. Definitely a must-try if you're in this pub.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Served on tap at Shamrock Brewing in a pint glass. Bar tender poured with almost no head to speak of.

A: Light brown head over a nearly black body. Some lacing from minimal head retention.

S: The usual suspects: Chocolate, burnt coffee and darkly roasted malts. Nothing unusual here.

T: Follows the nose with nothing offensive or outstanding.

M: Higher carbonation than the style dictates, making this feel more like an American porter than an English porter. It could be smoother, softer and richer (think Fuller's London Porter). I gave low marks on this because the pub presents itself as an Irish pub and this porter specifically as an English porter. With all that, this needs to stay within the limits of the style.

D: Fine drinkability, but not outstanding.

Overall: An enjoyable drink for what it is, but not the best example of the style. I would drink this again, but would take other examples over this one.

Appearance - poured a nice black with a one finger head that popped away quickly
Smell - smokey vanilla, coffee, chocolate...all trademark porter smells present
Taste - simple porter, coffee-like bitterness up front - I really enjoyed it
Mouthfeel - clean finish, low carbonation, a little slick on the palate but not disappointing
Drinkability - not my favorite, but I can drink plenty-a-pint of this brew without hesitation

Listed as an English Porter though Shamrock calls it an Irish Porter. Nice large shamrock on the growler will make a nice addition to the collection.