Pandan Porter
Mountain Toad Brewing

Poured from a crowler into a pint glass.

L: Pours black, with a tan head with okay retention. Not really any lacing.

S: Smells like off-vanilla, which is what pandan is apparently. Not very strong.

T: Off-vanilla notes with an ever-so-slightly fruitiness at first, transitions to a slight roasted bitterness. A tiny bit herbal, in a good way. Very well balanced; complex and subtle. The pandan flavor is familiar yet elusive; I quite like it. All really good flavors, I just wish they were a bit stronger.

F: Thick and creamy.

O: The better of the dark beers at Mountain Toad for sure, IMHO. A nice and sessionable porter that's easy drinking yet substantial.

 

 

I love my porters, this one good but not great.

I was excited to try this fairly new brewery in Golden and add a growler to my collection. I tend to enjoy the darker fare, particularly porters and stouts, so I was looking forward to this porter. It's a little disappointing, though.

A: Pretty much what you'd expect and that's a great thing. Dark and rich, with a thin head that doesn't last long.

S: Sweet and smoky, though the sweetness dominates a little more than I'd like. It's almost overwhelming, but certainly reminds you of a typical porter or even a brown ale.

T: The nose tells it, with the sweetness dominating. Too much, in my opinion. There's a smokiness on the swallow that I'd normally enjoy if it beter complemented the other elements, but instead they come across as disparate, incomplete flavors.

M: Fairly smooth, but also thin and diluted. Something else that feels incomplete.

If anything, this beer tastes like a work in progress. I'd like to give their other beers a try though. Golden's a nice little town and their brewery is a great new space, so I'll be back to sample others, but I doubt Pandan will be part of my usual purchases.