Universal Porter
Equinox Brewing Company

 

A: Dark brown color. Hard to assess carbonation since 4 oz pours in a sampler flight but certainly acceptable.

S: Strong roasted notes on the nose with mild coffee/burnt aroma.

T: Very dry initially but transitions to smooth malt sweetness unlike dryer Irish stouts. Great balance as the flavor mellows with minimal alcohol flavor/warming and undetectable hop bittering.

M: Smooth, not thick or heavy with solid texture. For the lower ABV this beer has substantial body likely contributed from the malts used.

O: Great to see breweries continuing to make this style. It is an important part of beer history and still very tasty if done right as this tasty example is.

Pours a deep dark brown, with hints of black the farther inward sit gets, with a nice mocha head and nice lacing. Aroma is roasted barley, chocolate, caramel, nutty, and light roasted coffee grind. Flavor was similar but not quite on par, not packing quite the same punch. Slightly less depth. A medium bodied, creamy mouthfeel. Overall, another solid porter from the folks at Equinox. Probably my least favorite of their darker beers (stout /porter) but more due to style than quality, as I prefer American porters to English porters, and this one is still leagues better than mamy other breweries porters. Would happily drink this again.