Ice Harvest Porter
Squam Brewing

 

Bought from Jasper's Homebrew Supply Store in Nashua, right before I brewed my own robust porter BIAB style. Poured from a bomber into a standard glass.

L- Dark mahogany, almost pitch black but with a slight opaqueness to it. One finger head quickly dissipated, but nice lacing.

S- First note I get is aged vanilla, smooth chocolate, almost candy-like sweetness. Some caramel and roasted malts and some smoke and dark fruits, mainly cherry. Too sweet for my liking.

T- Smokiness and dark malts, dark chocolate, some dark fruit as well. The sweetness in the aroma is a bit muted, the bitterness mainly comes from the dark malts, and the hop presence is rather muted as well.

F- A bit thin for a porter, but not watery by any means.

O- A decent porter, it does not really stand out but it's definitely one I would re-visit.

 

 

 

 

Poured from a bomber into a shaker pint, the beer is a ruby-highlighted, dark brown coloring with a frothy, light tan coating of head that is clingy and low profile. Aromas of roasted nuts, bitter coffee, woody notes, and hints of baker's chocolate. Flavors are roasted forward, with a chocolate and nutty blend, almost leaning into a mocha character, with a bitter build at the end. Thin and dry bodied, with a bittersweet and roasted aftertaste. The beer has a bitter chocolate and coffee linger in a dry, slow finish. Decent tasting beer, and it nails the feel for the style. Solid.

 

From the 22 fl. oz. bomber. Sampled on July 14, 2013.

The color is extra dark brown to practically black with an opaque clarity and a soft, silky head sitting on top for most of the session.

On the nose there is smoke and sweetness which tend to offset each other brilliantly. No coffee but a little chocolate or vanilla.

The medium body has a loose sort of texture too. Not astringent or acidic but kind of juicy for lack of a better description.

Sweet caramel and dark malts are forward in the taste with the smokiness playing up the rear more so. It reminds me a bit of an Irish Dry Stout although I think it is meant to emulate Samuel Smith Taddy Porter. Drinkable and something I would drink again.

Pours a mostly clear dark brown with ruby highlights and a decent sized tan head that slowly dissipates to a cap. Smells of caramel and chocolate with a hint of earthy hops and a nice compliment of sweet woody bacon. The flavor is sweet with caramel and milk chocolate with a hint of cherry and a solid shot of smokey woody phenols. Medium body with a moderate level of carbonation and a sweet and somewhat tart mouthfeel. Nice smokey dark beer, very well done.