Export India Porter
Machine House Brewery

So now the word "India," in the beer world, means "bitter." As in totally hopped up. Brewed to withstand the long voyage in a van to Elizabeth Station in Bellingham where it is consumed by a thirsty yeoman on duty in the overheated Northwest.

Pours a very dark brown with abundant beige foam. Taste starts with a touch of malty sweetness and massive roasted grain. Then flavors of old coffee, some kind of bittering hop, and dark, unsweetened chocolate. This is really quite interesting and flavorful, but just too bitter for more than a few sips. Put it in a 22 oz bottle next batch, guys, so we can put the cap back on for another day. This one is in the 16 oz can not dated.

Poured into a Fremont small snifter. Pours a very dark mahogany brown, appearing opaque in the glass with a one finger khaki head that dissipates to a thin cap with light lacing. Aroma of dark toasted malt, Postum, cocoa, hints of coffee. Flavor is dark toasted malt with light to moderate char, cocoa, café au lait; coffee char bitterness in the finish. Medium bodied with light to moderate creaminess. Some well roasted barley in this one that has some resemblance to dark dark roasted coffee. The aroma pointed to a export stout leaning porter, and the taste also leans into stout territory. The char is deeper than I can remember in a porter, but the depth of the malt flavor supports it well. A bit dry and some bitterness in the finish along with the smokiness. I was surprised by the profile of this one at first, but liked it from the start. One of the more interesting and pleasing porters this year. I'd like to see this be a regular rotation for Machine House.