Company Porter
Bluejacket Brewery

Ok, I am straddling the concept and the core style guidelines for this review...
Nicely dark body and enough creamy tan head to make this look enticing, a good while after pouring. A charred wood bitterness permeates the nose, without a lot of nuance. Taste is highly bitter, roasted malt and smoky char - a bit like an RIS without the balance that a few extra ABV could provide. I'm originally ticked feel for the aggressive void of sweetness and gave the boost to taste, but after debate, I flipped the two due to the richness on the feel that doesn't seem to be coming from any added sugary compounds.

Overall, a baker's chocolate like bitter roasted brew, one that takes a certain lover of beer to appreciate; I am still not sure if I am one of those people, but am leaning maybe.

16 ounce pour - $8.50 at Woodstock Beer Market in Woodstock, Georgia.

Appearance: Pours a very (very) dark brown, near black body with a slim, beige head.

Smell: Dark malts with a blackstrap molasses, lightly smoky, lightly charred vibe, spent coffee grinds and earthy hops.

Taste: Burnt breadcrust, roasty malts imparting a hint of smoke-tinged molasses. Unsweetened chocolate powder, days-old coffee left in the workplace coffee pot. Low-level fruitiness lurking within the inkiness. Chiefly earthy hop profile, some spice. Moderate bitterness. Drying, bitter, roasty tones lean into the aftertaste.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Medium-light carbonation.

Overall: Hey, who doesn't enjoy a fun, recreated historical beer? Very instructive and educational.

On cask at Bluejacket in Washington, DC.

This one pours a very dark and glossy black color, with a small head, and lots of lacing.

This smells like crusty black bread, chocolate, smoke, roast, and coffee.

This is kind of fantastic, and I love that it’s on cask here. It’s well-hopped, with almost charred spicy pine thing, citrus, and herbal hops. There’s a huge malt backbone, especially for the lower ABV here – coffee, roast, smoke, and crusty and toasty black breadiness.

This is medium bodied, creamy, and well suited to the cask profile. It finishes smoothly but also pretty dry.

I love the idea of this – that it’s a recreation of a West India Porter from 1858. It also helps that it tastes pretty great.

No can date
Pours a big frothy foamy 1 finger head with med retention, a bit of frothy lacing, clear dark mahogany brownish red colour

Nose brings a nice English porter, a bit of roast and coffee, little chocolate, biscuity with a little caramel, earthy herbal hops, toasted malts

Taste brings more dark malts, little roast and coffee, cocoa, biscuity again, big earthy spicy UK hops with med higher bitterness, some roasted bitterness, little baking spice, caramel, drier finish, big spicy hop bitterness lingering

Mouth is med bod, a touch creamy, med lighter carb but typical for style

Overall solid East India porter, pretty close to what I would expect to have traveling to India from UK back in the day, especially the hop levels