Pitchfork Porter
Niagara Oast House Brewers

 

 

Head and lace disperse fairly quickly. Smoky aftertaste sticks around and is awful.
I tried very hard but couldn't finish the pint.

Look: Rich chestnut brown with a 3/4 finger head. Head has very poor retention, at the 3 minute mark it has left a small ring around the top of the glass.

Smell: Milk and dark chocolate. roasted malts, and I would never of picked this up without taxandbeerguy pointing it out but there is a hint of vanilla as well.

Taste: Chocolate with hints of vanilla, creme coffee, and dry sandalwod on the front end. It does become a little watery on the middle and back end.

Feel: Lightly carbonated, and light to medium bodied.

A super drinkable, almost session type porter. I'd reach for 3 or 4 other Ontario porters first, but would never turn down the chance to drink this again. This earns a B+

Dark brown, clear, head colour of brown butter, just barely forms, and limited retention.
Aroma of medium roast malt, touch of sweetness like semi-sweetness chocolate; whisper of dark cherry, currant.
Simple and approachable roasted malt flavour, predominantly of chocolate (50%), lightly nutty, and of cola; crisp and finely carbonated, it's super drinkable; medium body, medium-light carbonation, off-dry finish.

It's simplicity and clean roasty flavours make for a great everyday choice and Guinness-like feel.

 

 

 

473 mL can from the LCBO; dated Dec 11 2019 and served barely chilled.

Pours mahogany brownish-black with crimson red highlights; one inch of khaki-coloured head is initially situated atop, gradually wilting over the next five minutes or so. A messy coat of lace is splattered about in the process, with a wide, foamy collar and a patchy cap left floating upon the surface; looks good. It smells of toasted nuts and treacle, with suggestions of milk chocolate, roasted grains, vanilla and toffee sweetness, as well as an understated smokiness. So far, so good.

A fine English-style porter, tilting a bit more towards the bitter and roasted side than is typical. I'm tasting plenty of roasted malt goodness - cocoa and chocolate, as well as hints of treacle and toasted nuts. Towards the back end is where flavours of coffee grounds and earthy, grassy hops eventually develop; roasty-sweet finish with a faint smokiness in the aftertaste. Medium in body, with low carbonation and a smooth, creamy texture which I found rather appealing, and also helps contribute to this beer's high level of drinkability.

Final Grade: 3.85, a B+. Pitchfork Porter is the first Oast House product I've had the opportunity to try, and it earns a reasonably solid thumbs up. They could've just as easily called this one Shovel Stout: it has a prominent roasted quality that I tend to associate more with stouts than porters, but I don't particularly enjoy quibbling over the details of the stout/porter dichotomy, certainly not enough for it to have any impact on my grading. The fact of the matter is that this is a good English-style porter that I plan to pick up again, and would encourage others to try.

 

November 17 2019

473 ml can served cold into a pint glass. Review from notes. LCBO purchase for about $3.45 CDN.

Appearance - Dark hazelnut brown, two fingers of creamy light tan head that fizzle off in a fairly short period of time.

Smell - Some coffee, chocolate faint hint of acrid smoke, subtle elements of vanilla.

Taste - Initially quite sweet with vanilla, chocolate and maybe even a touch of caramel coming through. That turns to an absence of flavor and followed up with a woodsy, acrid smoke flavor that is subtle and not overpowering. Roasty malts are evident through this.

Mouthfeel - Very smooth, medium bodied with a creamy finish. Carbonation is pretty spot on.

Overall - A pretty solid porter that falls just a bit short of some of the local competition, but it's not far off. A nice backup if some of my favorite local porters aren't available.