Black Diamond Porter
J.T. Whitney's Pub & Brewery

J.T.Whitney's Black Diamond Stout delivers a black body beneath a creamy tan cap that lasts pretty well and leaves some good lacing about the glass. The nose offers generic dark malts with a dull roastiness and some chocolate. Hints of floral and grassy hops appear here and there in the background. In the mouth it's medium-light bodied and smooth with a moderate carbonation. The flavor is mainly malt with chocolatey notes and a roasty edge over a caramel underbelly. It's ashy, more than charred. Very little hop flavor works its way through. It's OK, but muddled. Or should I say murky. Kind of like an Irish stout in many ways (I'm thinking Murphy's or Beamish, not Guinness). Hmmm.... It finishes dry and roasty. Drinkable. Not a head-turned, but accessible and serviceable.

J.T. Whitney's porter pours out black with no head. Weak aroma of chocolate and cardboard. Maybe a hint of hop aroma. The flavor starts off with some chocolate and vanilla flavors. I expected some bitter, roasty flavors to come in, but they never did. Instead, there's nothing but a weird cardboard flavor that I find in many of J.T. Whitney's beers. Mouthfeel is thin. The carbonation was low, nearly flat. This is a pretty disappointing beer. It lacks any bitter flavors and the off-flavors are distracting. Not something I'll try again.

Very pretty, dark brew with a firm, retentive head and good lacing.

Sweet malt aroma with a hint of coffee. Very nice, firm malt taste with a slight floral hint only no follow-through. Pretty weak flavored for a porter, actually. The body was dissapointingly thin, too, though it might have been due in part to the fact that this beer was served so damn cold. Went down smooth.

Lovely cascading black body out of the cask. Forms a mousse-like head that never really fades.
Faint vapors of dark malts on the nose. Touches of floral hops.
Taste is dominated by a vanilla-tinged carmel sweetness. Powdery chocolate and earthy, chalky tones enter by the midway point. Somewhat woody as well. Turns mushy by the final corner, and ends with a dash of soggy floral hops.
This one could not go the distance and ended quite weakly. Pleasant tasting up front, but failed to produce any of the roasted tones I expect.
Big, fluffy body out of the cask, but the lack of any malt heft becomes appearant. Relatively thin.
Worthwhile when on cask, otherwise, I imagine this would be totally forgettable.