Monon Porter
Broad Ripple Brew Pub

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Monon Porter (when offered from a cask) is the height of porter excellence. It is beautiful in appearance and smells of rich coffee and bittersweet chocolate. In taste, the carbonation is superfine and exceptionally drinkable. When the BRBP is not offering anything new or unusual, I default to this brew. It is sometimes offered on regular tap or in a cask, but I think most usuals would agree that the cask is the preferred method of dispensation.
If it's in a cask, get it! If it's served from the regular tap, check their cask brews.... If they don't tickle your fancy, still order the Monon Porter. It is truly delicious!

Had this on tap at Broad Ripple. Not much head but I think this was simply because the waitress filled it almost to the brim. There was a little bit of lacing. Dark brown color with red highlights, very noticeable roasted malt and coffee. Taste is fortunately not as malty as the smell with a pleasant hoppy feel to it. There's also some coffee in the taste with chocolate undertones. Very pleasant to say the least.

Poured from half-gallon growler, into a pint glass. Appearance is opaque deep dark brown with lighter brown semi-translucent edges, practically no head to speak of, rough pour hardly stirred up more than a half finger of fizzy light beige foam that quickly disappeared, leaves no lacing on the glass. Aroma is mainly roasted malt and coffee, undertones of chocolate. Taste is also roasty maltiness up front, then to espresso-dark coffee flavors, finishes with a slightly dry coffee/chocolate aftertaste. Mouthfeel is silky smooth, lowest levels of carbonation for any carbonated beverage, slides on the tongue. Drinkability is great, smooth and well-balanced, simple porter. Would purchase again.

Not a bad porter, but not great. It had a nice dark color to it with all right lacing. Good scent, a nice dark aroma with very strong coffee hints. Unfortunately, the strong coffee hints went over into the taste as well, and were overpowering to the point of taking over everything else. It goes down fine, but is not the best porter out there.

EDIT -- so much better! A very rich and smooth cask porter with great roasted grains, and the coffee flavors/scents were much lower and better. Fantastic!