Praying Mantis Porter
The Hartford Better Beer Co.

Praying Mantis PorterPraying Mantis Porter
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From:
The Hartford Better Beer Co.
 
Connecticut, United States
Style:
American Porter
ABV:
Not listed
Score:
83
Avg:
3.57 | pDev: 11.48%
Reviews:
11
Ratings:
23
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Jan 05, 2015
Added:
Jul 16, 2007
Wants:
  1
Gots:
  4
The water chemistry provides mineral flavor and body to complement the complex malt and hop ingredients that are drawn from the best of European and U.S. Pacific Northwest strains as sources as well as the time-honored process of traditional brewing techniques. The mineral factor influences the key brewing steps: mashing, sparging, boiling, fermenting and conditioning. Imported from England, the malt bill includes 2-row Pale Ale Barley Malt, Chocolate Barley Malt lively Yorkshire-origin Ringwood culture (a top-fermenting "ale" yeast) is used to ferment the beer.
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Ratings by steve8robin:
Photo of steve8robin
Reviewed by steve8robin from Massachusetts

2.94/5  rDev -17.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
Got this at a beer judging event I helped serve at. 12oz bottle, best before 10/2012...

A: A very deep, super dark clear red that is so dark red that it's almost black. When held up to light, you clearly see the clear red. 1/2 in tan colored head that fades very quickly to small bubbles atop the brew. Eh.

S: Some sweet nuttiness upfront with some mild chocolate and vanilla quickly following. Some smoked malt on the backend. Decent.

T: A very watery mild malt taste upfront. This is followed up by a mild smoked malt and some mild vanilla. Maybe some mild cocoa too. Very mild porter. Usually the flavors are more pronounced. Eh.

M: Medium body with a great carbonation. A creamy watery finish. Decent.

O: All in all, what can I really say about Praying Mantis porter. Drink this is you like water and want to try a dark beer. Otherwise, if you like porters, this will hardly fulfill as this beer does not offer enough flavor to compete with any of the heavy hitters in the style.
Jan 02, 2012
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.22 by Halvey from Connecticut

Jan 05, 2015
 
Rated: 3.75 by Duesler from Connecticut

Nov 16, 2014
 
Rated: 3.8 by zanthus from Connecticut

Nov 08, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by grahuba from Connecticut

Oct 26, 2014
 
Rated: 3.25 by CTHomer from Connecticut

Oct 26, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by jefftuck47 from Connecticut

Oct 19, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by WillieThreebiers from Connecticut

Apr 24, 2013
 
Rated: 3.75 by rorjets from Connecticut

Feb 10, 2013
 
Rated: 3 by Adlar2789 from Connecticut

Dec 26, 2012
 
Rated: 4 by slim2043 from Connecticut

Oct 09, 2012
 
Rated: 3 by jfcaa193 from Canada (QC)

Jan 30, 2012
 
Rated: 3 by JAHMUR from Connecticut

Jan 02, 2012
Photo of plaid75
Reviewed by plaid75 from New York

4/5  rDev +12%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
On draft at Willimantic Brewpub, Willimantic, CT.

Poured a deep black hue with a one finger off white head. There was good retention and decent lacing.

The smell featured a roasted malt and some lactose.

The taste consisted of an upfront roasted malt as expected, followed by a lingering lactose toward the finish.

The mouthfeel was typical of the style.

Overall a good porter, but not as dry as I would have liked.
Jul 27, 2010
Photo of Gambrinus1184
Reviewed by Gambrinus1184 from Connecticut

3.42/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Poured from a 12-ounce bottle into a MH Circus Boy pint glass at Ditto's In Litchfield, Conn.

A: Poured a mahogany amber brown color with deep brown and ruby highlights. The fluffy two-finger head of wispy carbonation faded into a thin ring of lace.

S: Smells fairly roasty with a nice whiff of fruity ale aromas; apple, berry and a little cocoa powder.

T: Decent roasted malt flavor, but not enough black malt or dark roasting happened. A good sweet roasted blend of caramel and coffee beans with the added bitterness of dark chocolate. A mild grassy hop flavor tries to cut the slick malt mouthfeel near the finish but leaves it a little sticky.

M: Mouthfeel is full-bodied and a little sticky towards the end. Slightly creamy and pretty easy drinking.

D: I won't pull a homer here and say this is a great beer or even a good session porter. I will say that it's worth a shot and for those who like a sweeter, mellow malt poretr as opposed to aggressive coffee and dark roasted malts might find it pretty palatable. Unlikely to purchase a sixer for personal consumption but it's worth a shot.
Jan 12, 2010
Photo of bgjohnston
Reviewed by bgjohnston from Connecticut

4.08/5  rDev +14.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5
I was pleasantly surprised by this beer in a couple of ways. First off, when poured into my snifter, it became the first ever 12 oz beer to fill it entirely with foam when the head formed. Dark chocolate color, and good carbonation until the last sip. Smell was sweet with a hint of hoppy sharpness.

Second, it had a very solid sweet malty backbone. Not too much for the style, in my opinion, but it just sang out from underneath the chocolate spiciness that it started out with, finishing slightly sweet. A fine, very drinkable porter when you are in the mood for the style.

Third, at less than $8/6-pack, it was good value for the money.
May 08, 2009
Photo of jdhilt
Reviewed by jdhilt from New Hampshire

4.13/5  rDev +15.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Explodes out of bottle and leaves a five+ finger light tan head that fades slowly, leaving a good lace. Totally black color. Good carbonation and medium-heavy bodied. Roasted coffee nose. Flavor is sweet roasted coffee/chocolate, well balanced, decent porter. $1.50 for a 12oz bottle from Manchester Wine and Liquors Manchester, CT
Sep 02, 2008
Photo of TheManiacalOne
Reviewed by TheManiacalOne from Rhode Island

3.53/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Poured from a 12oz bottle into a US tumbler pint glass.

A: The beer is a dark reddish brown color, with a large beige head that fades very slowly and leaves a thick lace on the glass.

S: The aroma is of coffee, dark chocolate, roasted malts, some dark fruit and a touch of hops.

T: The taste is malty, a little creamy and a little smoky, with flavors of coffee, dark chocolate and a little dark fruit. There's a mild hops presence that provides a little balance. The after-taste is slightly sweet.

M: Crisp and smooth, medium body, medium-to-high carbonation, finish is slightly sticky.

D: Tasty, goes down easy, not too filling, decent kick, good representation of style, this is a decent beer that's worth drinking for a while if you're in the mood for the style.
Mar 27, 2008
Photo of BuckeyeNation
Reviewed by BuckeyeNation from Iowa

3.45/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Chocolate-caramel brown with cranberry-pumpkin highlights. The toasted ecru crown was on the large side following a louder than usual escape of CO2 on crown cracking. It looks pretty good, though, and is gracing the glass with splotchy patches of lace.

The nose is dominated by a dry chocolatiness and a modest amount of roasted malt. Hops aren't appreciated, but then that's never a sin in an American porter. There's no Ringwood yeast either, although it's supposed to be present.

Praying Mantis is an odd sort of porter. Not 'off the wall', just different somehow, in some less than obvious way. It has to be the Ringwood because all of the other ingredients are pretty standard. Malt: pale, chocolate and whole wheat. Hops: Willamette, Cascade and Tettnang.

I'm reminded of a sourish Irish dry stout with a Burton-on-Trent hard water character. The flavor profile includes baker's chocolate, black coffee, unripe fruit and a wee dab of butter. Although it isn't bad, the various flavors and flavor sensations (sweet, bitter, sour) clash rather than meld into a unified whole.

The mouthfeel favors the light end of the light-medium spectrum and is too energetically bubbled. The fact that it settles down in the bottom half of the bottle allows an average score to be granted.

Praying Mantis Porter is more interesting than it is good and is nothing that I feel like losing my head over (that's a praying mantis sex joke, by the way). Buy a single before springing for an entire six-pack.
Feb 04, 2008
Photo of far333
Reviewed by far333 from Connecticut

3.65/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Named for Connecticut's state insect. Label looks like it was done on a desktop printer.

Deep mahogany colored with ruby highlights, a big frothy beige head rises three inches up and over the top of the glass and onto the floor.

Aroma of faint cocoa and talc.

Flavor of roasted malt, cocoa and coffee, some cherry notes, a bit of smoke. Serve at cellar temperature, this one seems to open up a bit as it warms.

Mouthfeel is a bit thin, somewhat watery. Finishes dry.

Fairly drinkable, but just above average.
Dec 21, 2007
Praying Mantis Porter from The Hartford Better Beer Co.
Beer rating: 83 out of 100 with 23 ratings