Cincinnati Beer Week 2013 Embree's Northern Dark
Rivertown Brewery & Barrel House

 

 

 

Appearance - pours opaque for all intents and purposes. A finger of mocha forms and forms and falls to a thin but complete cover.

Aroma - molasses out of the shoot, roasty malts following with elements of coffee then Hershey's syrup. Some soy notes after a bit.

Taste - roasty, a little sweet, distinctively 'porterish' in flavor. More chocolate than coffee, the reverse of what I expected. Better coffee presence as the beer warms. A light abv going on, not pushy at all, very elegant.

Mouthfeel - smooth, a bit weighty, moderate carbonation. Well done.

Overall - I wouldn't mind seeing this one done again, I'd buy a case to last a few years. Saved this last one to review and decided to enjoy it tonight for no particular reason. Cheers!

 

 

 

 

Served from a bottle into a Sam hybrid glass.

A: Dark. Very dark. No light shall penetrate this darkness.

S: Roasted malt and toffee.

T: Aforementioned roasted malt gives it some sweetness and some hop bitterness in the background helps to balance out. And there's no avoiding the taste of ethanol at this ABV.

M: Medium-to-thin and low carbonation.

O: This is a massive beer. I'm not too familiar with the style, so I'm not going to tread too far; this porter manages to possess some tasty flavor, which is no easy task at near 11%. It's dark as all get out, has a magnificent smell to it, and doesn't taste like pure rocket fuel, so I'd call it a success.

Poured from a slightly-chilled bottle into a Founders snifter. It pours out an extremely dark mahogany color (nearly black). Carbonation is extremely low. What little head there is quickly dissipates. The appearance may be a bit of a disappointment, but the nose makes up for it. I get some nice treacle and toffee notes, some roastiness, and a hint of booze.

The beer has a medium-full body and a wonderful malty flavor. Sweet toffee, caramel, and bready notes up front are followed by slightly smoky, licorice notes at mid-palate. The finish has a nice, slightly dry alcohol warmth. Very smooth, slightly creamy feel, but just a bit thin. Delicious dessert beer.

This is the second collaboration beer brewed in honor of Cincinnati Beer Week and I really enjoyed it. I thought it would be tough for the team of local brewers to hit another homer after the barleywine they brewed last year, but they pulled it off. This was a really nice brew.

 

 

Appearance: black body with a tan half finger head

Aroma: dark fruit that reminds me of fig; mild-medium roasted coffee; just a touch of toasted caramel; touch of mocha; hint of sour mash

Flavors: nice dark fruits on the mid and aftertaste – raisin and fig; medium coffee; just a touch of bitterness that reminds me of a 70% dark chocolate bitterness; there is a tart note on the back and aftertaste; nothing really stands out; lack character

Mouthfeel: medium body; mild carbonation; smooth feel; alcohol does not stand out – just a little warmth; aftertaste seems short; lacks depth

To the Point: easy to drink for a 10.94 abv; the alcohol was not really a factor; nice tasting; fun to review but nothing special when just sitting back and sipping;

This porter paired well with a fine cigar - La Perla Habana Black Pearl Morado Robusto

A: Poured in a pint glass, dark brown with a little carbonation on the sides. a small light brown head quickly dies.

S: Wow! dark fruit, figs and dates with a little tart cherry in there. a little roast on the end with a nice sweet caramel finish

T: The taste plays off how it smells. a very nice roasted, caramel malt, slight chocolate covered tart cherries in the middle with a coffee finish. cant taste the 11%!

M: perfectly carbonated, and smooth. like i said the alcohol isn't there, it goes down very easy.

O: this was a delicious baltic porter, a must try. Has a nice tart fruit, coffee aroma with a flavor that doesnt disappoint. the mouthfeel is great and it never weighs you down. Cheers!

 

 

 

12 ounce bottle. Served in a snifter, the beer pours dark brown/black with about a 1/4 inch light tan head that fizzled away quickly. There's a small amount of lacing. The brew smells like dark fruit (prunes, cherries, red grapes), roasted malt, caramel, and a bit of chocolate and coffee. The taste is pretty much just like the aroma, it tastes like roasted malt, dark fruit, bittersweet chocolate, nuts, and coffee. I do think the aroma is much fruitier compared to the taste, in which I think the bitter flavors are stronger. Mouthfeel/body is medium, it's a bit thin for a Baltic Porter, but also smooth with a good amount of carbonation. I liked this brew, it's definitely worth trying. $11.99 a 6-pack.

Poured into a snifter. Dark brown, not a huge head. Smells sweet, almost like a brandy, of dark--almost to the point of being burnt--caramel. Clings to glass quite well. Malty--almost like a barleywine or a quad. Perhaps I've had Baltic Porters that defy the style, or perhaps I haven't had enough of them, but this beer doesn't match up to to others I've had. Tastes include toffee, blackcurrant, and again, caramel. Quite good. Thanks to ksurkin for the brew.