Nolan's Porter
Gentle Ben's Brewing Company

Pure black with little head. Big roasty nose. Roasted barley on first taste with sweet smooth malts which die suddenly and completely. After an implausible delay, hop hit comes back with residual dark cocoa notes.

What seems like it will be a thin and lifeless porter is saved by a layered and subtle finish. Flavor profile would approach an Irish stout if not for the light body. Very sessionable - almost at the expense of some depth of flavor.

This beer has a frothy layer of tan foam atop a dark brown, almost black, beer, but it shows a clear amber brown color when held up to the light. There is a nice aroma of toasted nuts to the nose, as well as some notes of sweet toffee and caramel. After a couple of draughts of the aroma, it starts to pick up a hoppy spice note. The taste is light and dry up front, but picks up certain fullness as it crosses the palate. This has a nice nuttiness as well as a bit of roasted coffee notes to it.

This is a nice light Porter; the flavors are a clean mix of dark malts and hops. The hops contribute an herbal, slightly spicy note as well as a biting bitterness in the finish. This is just a really nice, well balanced Porter with enough hops to keep it interesting; this is much better than I was expecting.

Med/dark brown color. Small head. Aroma is rich malts, dark fruits and chocolate. A full bodied Porter. Rich dark malts. Smooth taste. Full flavor. Mouthfeel is rich and full, some alcohol bite. Finish is clean and smooth. Aftertaste is malty, slightly sweet.