Retro Porter
Sebago Brewing Company - Tasting Room at the Brewery

Appearance: Pours a dark brown with red highlights and a beige head that lasts. Nice lacing.

Smell:Malty, chocolate, coffee

Taste:Malty, bitterness provided mostly by the malt, light tones of chocolate, some coffe taste

Mouthfeel: A bit lite for a porter. I would have expected a bit more body

Drinkability: Nice and smooth. Nothing spectacular here but I would drink it again. I see this as a sessionable porter.

Sampled at the South Portland location.

Off-white head atop a not completely opaque deep brown.

Like most Sebago products, it has no burly aroma. Roasty nose of nuts and dark bread is somehow still subtle.

Slight slickness in mouthfeel (take the oiliness of Imperial Stout and make the oil sensation nut-based.) No sweetness. Not complex, but in possession of the full, round, nutty, roasty malt a porter fan looks for.

I think this porter's drinkability is outstanding for a "heavier" style. Recommended.

Sampled at the 2003 Maine Brewers' Fest.

"Retro Porter" produced a nice foamy head but it was bashful-- after a few minutes, where the head lingered and grew turned into a dark dialated pupil with an iris of what remained of the foamy head.

The flavor came on with a rather earthy character- reminding me of the "black gold" of the forest floor and conjuring images of the dark wild woods. In fact, I'd use this flavor note to characterize this porter. After the initial earthy notes pass, a hops bitterness remains; subtle malt hints continued on my palate to taper down to a long lasting flavor and a clean finish. Hints of toasted malt way down on the finish profile lingered...

In conclusion, primarily an interesting porter because of the earthy like flavor start. I'd like a little more flavor body with a heavier mouthfeel, but as it is, it's perfectly permissible for a porter.