Karminator - Port Edition
Hoppin' Frog Brewery

At home in July 2020, pretty damn good for 5 years old!

Appearance - The beer poured a murky brown color with very little head crowning the glass.

Smell - The red grapes of the port really jump out of the glass.

Taste - The red grapes of the port merge with the chewy malts of the doppelbock. Chocolate notes danced with sweet dried fruits, and a little caramel. The port notes came back in the finish.

Mouthfeel - The doppelbock was full bodied with an almost chewy feel.

Overall - Port and doppelbock really work well together.

 

Very dark hazy red with a soft tan head that retains as a fluffy blanket.

Super sweet poppingly fruity aromas of grape abound, with some toasted, bready malt. After a while, I start to smell grape gummies.

At first sip, it is tangy grape with prune. It comes across as very substantial regardless of the size of your sip. The Port is prominent, but only its lighter elements--it is not hot or overpowering with booze. Toasted pie crust and berry pie emerges, just as it takes on a character very similar to a less hot, fortified wine paired with sticky toffee pudding.

Port Barrel Aged Karminator features some tingly carbonation under a medium yet fulfilling body, mellowed by aging.

I would say overall in the finish it is more like a zippy, bright barleywine. The tanginess I was getting in the beginning does not persist throughout the lifespan of the pour.

Since reviewing this, I've had my last bottle in August of 2018, and it held up incredibly well, nailing my entire review, and retaining just the same amount of perfect carbonation through all this time.

 

 

The beer hits of sweet caramel up front, a big melanoidin and toasty flavor of a traditional doppelbock. It follows throughout very well of the style, along with the barrel character and grape flavor from the port.

The barrel and base beer combine decently, but not exactly combined too well.