Flying Armadillo
Sweetwater Tavern

Pours a dark color with a slight head and lacing
Aroma has chocolate and caramel hints
The taste follows the nose with chocolate and caramel flavors
A medium bodied decently carbonated beer
A good Porter

 

 

 

Well, I decided to stop in to Sweetwater one more time before my trip comes to an end...

Appearance: The pour is a deep, dark dark brown. So dark, in fact, I'd swear the brew was black. Of course, the lighting is dimmed down in the bar, I guess they are trying to set the mood a bit. Anyway, there's a fair amount of head atop this brew, far more than I expected for a porter. The head is an off-white, toffee color, and the retention and lacing is rather impressive.

Smell: I will admit, I've "sampled" a few brews before I got to this one, but I feel that this one is rather mild compared to other porters I've had. It has a little chocolate to it, plus a slight hoppy kind of bitterness. Other than that, it's pretty basic.

Taste: Basically a mirror image of the smell. A bit of chocolate and some bitter hops. It isn't bad, I just feel it could be a lot better.

Mouthfeel: I rarely get to say this in a review, but this beer is a bit over-carbonated for the style. It's saving grace is that it has a nice full body. I guess it all balances out in the end...

Drinkability: Not a terrible drinking porter. Being the first to review this particular beer I don't want to give the impression that it's a bad beer when it's really not. I would say it's a tasty, albeit average, porter. If you like this particular style, give it a shot. If not, try it anyway.

Looks solid. Very deep brown (almost black) with ruby highlights. Smell is some bittersweet chocolate, a touch of milky sweetness, some caramel. Not too bad. Slight earthy hop notes as well.

Taste is bit disappointing following the aroma. Faint hop bitterness, touch of bittersweet chocolate, and some caramel. Unfortunately, the milky sweetness I got from the aroma is nowhere to be found in the flavor. Body is on the thin side, carbonation is a good level for this brew (low to medium.)

Served on draft at the Sterling location. Beer is brown (dark brown) but I can see through it. Definitely a brown porter so I'll expect a hop free light adventure in porters. Carbonation is low and the head is medium and brown. Lacing is low.

Aroma is interesting, light roast and some caramel. Good, I like the smell.

Full bodied beer, wasn't really expecting that, good light roast at the end of the mouth and some sweetness from the caramel. I like this beer and am usually not a big porter fan. Drinkability high, mouthfeel is fine.

Draft at Centreville. Well, it starts out pretty good with a nice appealing reddish black hue. Then it begins to disappoint. Bit thin, for sure. There is a hint of chocolate character but in the end this fails to live up to the heartiness one would expect from a good porter. (#2647, 1/13/07)

2L growler

Ruby highlighted cordovan. Pillowy, deep tan head of jumbled bubbles that was slow to settle leaving strands of lacing. No visible carbonation streams. Roasted chocolate, light coffee, and a hint of alcohol wafts upwards. Rich burnt malt bitterness up front, along with some chocolate sweetness, there is a mild astringency. The finish has a nice meld of hop bitterness and dry chocolate which lingered for a short time. Medium to light body which was slightly thin and not overly carbonated and still felt smooth. Nicely done and definitely drinkable.

Had a few of these at the Sweetwater in Sterling Va. This appears a very very dark brown almost black color with a light brown head that leaves a good bit of lace as it is drank. Aroma consists of a bittersweet dark chocolate scent mixing with roasted coffee. The roasted smokiness is the main flavor component with elements of coffee, chocolate and a bit of earthy hop blending together to form a great tasting porter. The finish is a dry bitter one that balanced out the sweetness and smokiness. This is a medium bodied brew with good creamy mouthfeel to it. I had a few of these when I was there and could easily down a few more, recommend if you are there and its currently being brewed.

Dark brown, almost black with ruby red highlights and a low light brown head. Roasty coffee-ish aroma with chocolate tones and a light hop aroma. Roastiness dominates the flavor (coffee predominate) with chocolate periodically and a nice balanced bitter finish. Light-medium bodied with a dry roasty coffee-ish finish. Very complex with a nice weaving of aromas and flavors.

Note: This review was the growler version from Merrifield, VA.

Clear deep ruby around the edge of the glass. Thick, persistant tan head leaves Belgian lace. Lightly roasted malt & carob in aroma-- could be more pronounced. Milk chocolate, slightly sharp black patent w/ a touch of dark caramel. Not assertive enough flavorwise. Hop bitterness is moderate & appropriately balances the malt backbone. Moderately bodied, w/ a smooth, dextrinous mouthfeel. Finishes w/ a hint of diacetyl and roasted flavors quickly fading. Armadillo Porter is fairly enjoyable, but was a bit too tame all around in character. I wouldn't mind drinking several of these in a session, however.