Summer Black Forest Porter
Holgate Brewhouse / Keatings Hotel

Beer Geek Stats
From:
Holgate Brewhouse / Keatings Hotel
 
Australia
Style:
American Porter
ABV:
5.3%
Score:
+8 ratings needed
Avg:
3.97 | pDev: 0.76%
Ratings:
2 | reviews: 1
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Jan 27, 2014
Added:
Jan 12, 2014
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  1
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews.
 
Rated: 4 by Vanz from Australia

Jan 27, 2014
Photo of lacqueredmouse
Reviewed by lacqueredmouse from Australia

3.94/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Tried on-tap at the Quarryman's in Pyrmont.

Pours a fairly light-bodied but dark hued brown with some red coming through on the edges. Head is a little coarse, surviving as a thin film but leaving very solid lacing. Fine languide carbonation belies the lighter body. Looks pretty decent.

Nose is relatively light-on. Slight, subtle fruit with a touch of cherry coming through and a milk-chocolate sweetness which is pleasant just like their Temptress. It does feel toned down a little bit, but it's pleasant enough.

Taste is great, however, and here the concept seems to come together pretty well. Mild smooth chocolate flavour is lifted from being stick and sweet by the fruity lilt on the back, which in turn provides a slight freshness to the palate. A slight dry cocoa character sticks around, giving a mild tobacco smoke evanescence on the back. It's still dark, but it has the evocation of a late evening barbeque, or the blanketing bushfire smoke of a summer in Australia.

Feel is relatively good. Clean, but light, without adding much weight to the beer itself.

Overall, I'm pretty happy with this. I wasn't quite sure what this was going to be like, but they've pulled off the concept with some degree of success. I'm always happy to drink a rich, dark beer in summer anyway, but if I had to have a "summer porter", this is pretty close to what I'd like.
Jan 12, 2014