Like Water For Chocolate Porter
Church-Key Brewing Company

 

On tap at C'est What's 2010 Fall Festival of Craft Beer. Pours a deep brown colour without any head. Some faint dark chocolate smell with some mild roast. Flavour isn't as big as you'd expect from an 8%abv beer. Mouthfeel was fairly flat. This was dissapointing.

20oz draught
8.0% ABV

The 8.0% ABV was clearly written on the keg. I tried this beer on January 11, 2008 at "Smokeless Joe's" in Toronto. The beer poured a brownish black with a finger thick tannish creamy head. The aroma was a mixture of roasted malts and chocolate. The mouthfeel was medium bodied, creamy, and medium carbonation. The taste was definitely chocolatey. The alcohol, while not tasted, was certainly felt.

On-line at C'est What. Kudos to them for babying this, it must be asked for by name. Last known keg. Black with great chocolate porter aroma. No known head, thought it a cask but there is carbonation there. Fine on the mouthfeel, but great porter and bittersweet choc taste.

A: Dark brown-black, tan head; light retention & lacing

S: Chocolate & roasted malt with hints of floral hops & fruity esters.

T: Chocolate & roasted malt, balanced bitterness, slightly fruity. I enjoyed most when it was first served. As it warmed to room temperature, the alcohol became a little much.

M: Well-attenuated moderate body with a fairly dry finish.

D: The alcohol is a little much.

Grabbed a tulip of this beauty at Volo. Pours a dark brown, with a thick mocha head, that left behind attractive sheets of lacing. The aroma contained a good amount of chocolate, but not as much as I was expecting, as well as burnt brown sugar and roasted grains. The flavour played the chocolate well - it was there, but again not as strong as I expected, which stopped this from becoming a one trick pony. Strong roasty notes pair with caramel and vanilla, with the slightest hint of alcohol (I think this is a big beer, but the alcohol is very well hidden). The mouthfeel was medium to heavy, and almost oily in texture, although this is balanced by the medium carbonation. In fact, the mouthfeel is awesome, and makes this a very enjoyable sipper. A clear winner for Church-Key!

On tap at Volo.

Pours an opaque brown, pretty dark, thick tan head forms, leaves some nice lacing and settles to a thin layer, looks nice. Smell is chocolate, some light roast, caramel, oats, cereal, lightly grainy, bit of floral, not bad. Taste is chocolate roast, vanilla, oats, caramel, some light wood and earth, cherry and assorted fruits, some anise, roasted bitter chocolate finish, some weak flavours but half decent. Mouthfeel is medium bodied with medium carbonation, kind of slick. Pretty impressive coming from Church Key, a solidly drinkable porter, leaves some to be desired but hides the alcohol well.