Porter B
Ruhstaller - BSMT

I like that Ruhstaller breaks the mold of California brewers relying too much on the IPA. There are so many other wonderful styles and interpretations of them. It is not necessary to dumb-down the buds to the lowest common denominator IPA. Our buds are better than that.

That said, Porter B is a well-crafted interpretation of the style. A nearly perfectly balanced AP. Not too sweet, not too sour, not too hoppy. Something that can be drunk with great appreciation and I did.

Looks normal. Smells like a mostly dark malts (70 IBU hops well hidden to start.) Tastes a nice sweet/sour blend and only at the end do I recognize how many hops are in this. Finishes dry with a medium body.

I like Ruhstaller's commitment to Sacramento's brewing legacy and its approach to incremental innovation. If I lived in Sacto, I would sample more as here is a young brewer with what I hope is a bright future.

A: The beer is essentially jet black in color - only slight traces of dark red are visible near the edges of glass when it is held up to a bright light. It poured with a collar of light tan bubbles around the edge of the glass.
S: Light to moderate aromas of iodine and dark malts are present in the nose.
T: The taste follows the smell and has flavors of dark malts with notes of iodine.
M: It feels light- to medium-bodied on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This beer is light on the palate and easy to drink and has a lot of iodine-like flavors without being smoky at all.

Serving type: bottle