Gilpin Black Gold
Hogshead Brewery

On cask at the brewery taproom, nonic pint glass

Black in color, thick layer of creamy colored head. Good head retention. Aroma of dark cocoa, bakers chocolate. Similar taste, with a drier finish. Fuller bodied, very smooth feel.

 

Of all the ones I sampled here, I had the highest hopes for this one, but it didn't quite get there. It almost seemed a little watery maybe? I love porters and this one didn't quite have the fullness of flavor that I expected. I had the cask version, for what that's worth. Maybe I'd try the keg version next time to see how they compare.

Poured from a 16oz, canned on 9-23-2022

On the pour an attractive 2 fingers of dark khaki head formed, then over 5 minutes or so becomes rocky, then settles at a thick sticky covering that leaves nice lacing. Color is not a true black when held up to light but it is very close, and essentially black while sitting on the table.

The aroma comes off as sweet and chocolatey, with a nice balancing dark roasty coffee note as well. This canned version has some pretty expressive yeast almost to the point of overpowering the style, but as it warms more surprisingly that mellows out and melds with the malt. Slight earthy and floral hop aroma in the very back.

Taste is bigger and more attenuated than the aroma made me expect. A sweet but roasted malt comes through on the very front before sweetness quickly drops off and a roasty as well as hop bitterness creeps in. There is a sweetness present throughout, but not anymore than expected from any other porter, arguably this is a tad dry through the end. There is a distinct nuttiness that builds into the finish which I appreciate.

The feel is quite drinkable, but not to the point of Guinness draught. Honestly this doesn't really compare to most stouts as they are brewed for the most part. This does have a bitterness from hops, but no American fruity or piney hops which makes this a very balanced easy drinking pub style sweet & bitter drink.

Overall, I'd definitely drink this again, and would be even more excited to go into the brewery to try this fresh on cask. A nice evening beer, but still versatile for year round consumption.

Canned on date is hard to make out as it's printed on the edge of the side and bottom. 2 finger beige head with good retention on a pretty close to black body. Fully laced. Chalky roasted malt and dark fruit are prominent in the aroma...chicory. Bakers chocolate, roasted malt abound in the flavor as the beer warms up there's less and less dark fruit. Medium body with low carbonation, sweet and roasty in a very balanced finish. Very Good to Outstanding.

5-18-25
On cask at the brewery. Confirmed Outstanding.

(proper cask pint at the brewery yesterday afternoon... review copied from notes taken on my phone)

Incedible nose: roasted barley, espresso, burnt bread crust, with some earthy hop cleaving through... malty but not sweet; more dark bread; dry and biting... one of the best (domestic) Porters

what I can add from memory: color, foam, lacing all superb... second time having it, first this past Friday, and I do believe this pint was more perfect... yes, I know this is a lofty view, but this pint was seriously one of the best (certainly top on cask) pints/slugs of Porter I think I've ever had; testament to getting a well-made product like this fresh at its source (2033)

great dry malt taste pours dark with great head not sweet but great malt after taste

Poured from a crowler. Pitch black body with a tan head that is billowing. Roasted malt with dark chocolate, barley, and earth for the smell. Taste leads with roasted malt, creamy dark chocolate, faint dark fruits, and earthy yeast to round out. Feel is soft, medium-light bodied, smooth and frothy. Pretty much as expected, a model for the style in many ways

Deep, dark brown liquid where light passes easily through the edge but not at all through the center. Large, dense beige head which subsides slowly in a rocky fashion. Impressive 3D lumps of lace on the glass.

Semisweet chocolate, like a cooled down hot cocoa.

The taste is far less sweet. It starts with darker chocolate malt, on the border of burnt black patent malt. The body is neutral with a lighter carbonation level. The finish brings forward some straight-up hop bitterness in addition to the burnt flavors. The aftertaste lingers with an almost Baker's chocolate flavor.

 

Pours black with a finger of dense khaki foam. Head retention is amazing. Aroma is roasty and toasty malts with caramel, chocolate and toffee sweeping in at the midway point. Flavor profile is chocolate, cocoa powder, caramel, raisins and brown sugar with hearty roasty and toasty malts behind. Mouth feel is medium-thick with a heavy creamy texture. Overall, bold with a little malt bite beyond the initial cocoa chocolate.

Draft. Cask.

 

 

 

 

 

L: Dark black color with a few hints of mahogany red with a creamy tan head and lines of lacing around the glass.

S: Earthy Roasted malt with notes of coffee and chocolate some smoke in the nose

T: Earthy Roasted malt with notes of coffee and chocolate. A nice note of smoke interweaved throughout. Very delightful porter.

F: Creamy smooth with lower carbonation.

O: One of the best porters I have had.