Test Batch Porter
Al's of Hampden / Pizza Boy Brewing

 

 

Served on cask at Al's of Hampden. This is the kopi luwak / vanilla bean edition.

A - Pours pitch black with a dense one and a half finger tall tan head leaving thin sheets of lace down the entire glass.

S - Smells of dark roasted malt, sweet vanilla, dark roasted coffee grounds and dark chocolate. A bit muted at the beginning but once it comes to room temperature it really started to take off.

T - Starts off with a big dose of dark roast slowly giving way to a mix of coffee, chocolate, and vanilla. Nice body initially growing a bit thin toward the middle / end of the glass. Finish still packs quite a bit of dark roast, clinging to the pallet long after consumption.

M - Heavy body and flavor with moderate carbonation. Dark, roasty feel that clings to the pallet long after each sip. Grows a little watery at the end of the glass.

O - One of the better beers I have had from Pizza Boy. I am unsure how much the additions helped this one, I will need to go back and try the regular version, but this one was very enjoyable none the less.

Picked up a growler from Al's of Hampden on my way from Philly to visit family in Carlisle...

Decanted into a pint glass...

A - What you would expect from a porter...dark brown to black...very slight haze...nice thick creamy head that hangs around...and a good bit of lacing left on the glass as it is consumed...

S - Its important to drink this beer a little warmer (as with most dark ales)...let it hang at room temperature for a bit to help open up the aroma and flavors...A very nice mix of vanilla-coffee-chocolate...great aroma...makes my mouth water...

T - Superbly balanced...not overly sweet or bitter...the vanilla, chocolate, and coffee all come through nicely...again its important for this to be served a bit warmer to preserve the flavors...

M - A bit thin and water...the weight on this maybe needs a bit more of something...nice carbonation...very smooth

Overall - A beautiful american session porter with some clear UK/European influence...the vanilla and coffee qualities are so delicious and it is so drinkable that I could finish the whole growler myself possibly in one evening...but I'll save some for tomorrow : ) I'm definitely stopping by Al's on may way back to Philly for another growler fill...hope they still have some of this Porter test batch left...or something new to try! Great Stuff!! If you live in the Harrisburg area or are passing through definitely try the Pizza Boys brews at Al's!

Cheers!

Pizza Boy's Test Batch Porter with vanilla beans and kopi luwac coffee.

A: The porter is dark, boldly black in my glass, The firkin doesn't generate much of a head.

S: The vanilla beans stand out nicely, sweet against the porter's darker backdrop. That backdrop has roasted chocolate along with a noticeable coffee aroma. Very civety.

T: Again the vanilla leads things off admirably. Mixing with the porter body, the beans add just the right amount of sweetness. The roasted body is obscured by the colder serving temperature. As a result, the roast, chocolate and coffee doesn't come through as much as I'd like. As the coffee slowly emerges, it pairs nicely with the vanilla. Generally mild, the lack of carbonation is noticeable, thinning the ale out a bit.

M: Back and forth: thin then vanilla and so on and so on. I do like the vanilla lead-in.