Working Man's Porter
Henniker Brewing Co.

 

 

I am trying this beer off the tapper at the brewery as part of a six sample flight. It poured a murky opaque dark amber with off white ring head that is not leaving much lace. The scent had roast and espresso notes. The taste was nicely balanced and easy to drink with semi sweet dark chocolate malt base with roast and coffee presence. The mouthfeel was lighter in body with good carbonation. Overall it is a good beer.

 

 

 

Great taste,very very nice porter

 

 

 

A couple of 12 oz. cans were worked into a clear glass liter mug. The color of the porter is a deep dark brown with a modest, yet enduring biege head. The aroma is softly of roasted malt with a hint of hops. There's glass lacing aplenty. The taste brings much more heartily roasted malt than its smell indicated would come. It's almost like espresso in its bitterness and it shows at the finish. Overall, it's a smooth enough porter, but it's light on the tongue and actually could use just a little malty sweetness for balance. Not excellent, but good enough.

 

Poured from a 12 oz. can. Despite zero agitation, this beer came rushing out, resulting in a cola color with several inches of head. Smell is mild, roasted malts. Taste is roasted malts, light coffee and hops are present. Feels medium bodied in the mouth and overall it's not bad, but I was expecting a bit more.

12 oz. Can 4/3/19

I was very surprised to find that I had not reviewed this. It has been a favorite Porter for years.

Mohogny in color, opaque with Ruby hues in direct sunlight. Creamy tan colored top, lazily spreads out with a thin, even cover. Slightly Lacy.

Super roastie dark malts in the nose, coffee and nuts, black current style fruitiness, vanilla and blackened chocolate aroma is dense.

The feel is medium to full bodied in texture, relaxed with easy maltiness with some crispy-dry bite in the long run.

The roasted malty complexity in the grains is absolutely classic. A very deep, dark effect, even from the hops which adds pepper and black berry fruity undertones. There is a very nice, dried grains and dark bitter coffee grounds taste in the finish.

High grade in style points and impresive complexity.

 

 

Oh, man, their eastern neighbors get all the beer love, but I totally dig what is coming to me in CANs from the Granite State. Yeah, yinz CAN go chase all of the Lawson's & Hill Farmstead that you want, but I'm digging some NH goodness! Baby, I'm on a New CANned Henniker Beer Sunday (Week 733) kick today & the soundtrack for this one is "Working Man's Dead". Have the Porter bring my bags to the side entrance. I'll be acCANpanying the band afterwards!

From the groovy CAN: "Brewed in the tradition of England's Industrial Revolution, an age of rough-handed factory workers, a time before the weekend existed. Hearty and truly robust, this Porter's body is built with complex English brown and black malts, and refined by Brambling Cross hops, which lend notes of herbs and black currants. It pairs well with oysters, shepherd's pie, and sitting down after a long day."

I love the Crack! of the vent of a new CAN & this was no exception. I wanted to have some right away but I restrained myself to allow it to create a pseudo-cascade that eventually formed two-plus fingers of dense, foamy, rocky, deep-tan/light brown head with great retention, leaving nice lacing behind. Color was Dark Brown to Very Dark Brown (SRM = > 27, < 34) with cola highlights at the edges. Nose had the slightly smoky, lightly chocolaty quality that I think marks the style. It was definitely NOT a Stout! Man, I bristle when I hear the two being used interchangeably. Mouthfeel was kinda thin, not watery, but in the neighborhood. The taste was lightly smoky, kind of chocolaty in a dark/Baker's chocolate way, just the way it should be. I wouldn't want a steady diet of this, but for an example of the style, you CAN do MUCH worse! Take it from a seasoned CANprofessional.