Harley Pope
Check Six Brewing Company

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From:
Check Six Brewing Company
 
North Carolina, United States
Style:
Imperial Porter
ABV:
10.2%
Score:
87
Avg:
3.85 | pDev: 13.25%
Ratings:
17 | reviews: 5
Status:
Retired
Rated:
May 13, 2018
Added:
Apr 24, 2015
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  2
This fine vanilla porter is our way of honoring 1st LT Harley Pope. He crashed and died at the Cape Fear River in Jan 1919 while on a mapping expedition in the Curtiss Jenny. Later that year, the Army Air Corps renamed the air field at Fort Bragg to Pope Air Field, now it is known as Pope Air Force Base. Ingredients include 2 row pale, Munich, Chocolate and Brown malts with Magnum and East Kent Golding hops with Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Beans.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
 
Rated: 3.93 by Jlang2012 from South Carolina

May 13, 2018
 
Rated: 2.61 by yaksurf from North Carolina

Aug 25, 2017
Photo of briandschorr
Reviewed by briandschorr from North Carolina

4.09/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Gotta hand it to this place... they make good Porters and Stouts. The color is a hazy dark amber. The tan head dissipates quickly and slight lacing. The nose is a mix of vanilla, roasted malts, and a slight smoke element. The taste follows the nose. Medium body in spite of the ABV and the feel also has moderate carbonation.
Aug 21, 2017
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Reviewed by dbrauneis from North Carolina

3.67/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
A: Pours an opaque yet still clear very dark brown in color with light to moderate amounts of active visible carbonation and moderate cola brown colored highlights. The beer has a half finger tall sudsy foamy tan head that quickly reduces to a large patch of very thin film covering a little more than 75% of the surface of the beer and a thin ring at the edges of the glass. Light amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Moderate aromas of smoked malts with lighter aromas of roasted malts. Hints of vanilla.

T: Upfront there is a moderate flavor of smoked, roasted, and dark malts with a light amount of caramel sweetness. That is followed by light flavors of earthy hops and light flavors of vanilla. There is a light amount of bitterness in the finish but the dominating flavor is smoky and it lingers through the finish.

M: Medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation.

O: Kind of surprised there was so much smokiness in this beer, still enjoyable but the smoky flavors dominate over the vanilla. Not sure I would seek this one out again.
Jul 29, 2017
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Reviewed by metter98 from New York

3.71/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
A: The beer is hazy dark brownish amber in color. It poured with a short beige head that quickly died down, leaving a collar of large bubbles around the edge of the glass and some lacing on the surface.
S: Light to moderate aromas of smoke are present in the nose.
T: The taste has flavors of smoke along with notes of brown and toasted malts. There are some subtle hints of vanilla beans towards the finish.
M: It feels light- to medium-bodied on the palate and has a low to moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This beer has the type of body you would expect for a porter but is nowhere near as heavy I would expect from a beer that is 10% abv, particularly since there are no traces of alcohol. The smokiness is a unique characteristics.

Serving type: bottle
Jul 29, 2017
 
Rated: 3.89 by smithj4 from New York

Jul 29, 2017
 
Rated: 3 by stereosforgeeks from Virginia

Aug 30, 2016
 
Rated: 3.75 by GeorgeBeerS from North Carolina

Jul 27, 2016
 
Rated: 4.24 by rpbisaillon from New York

Apr 23, 2016
 
Rated: 4.36 by Wisconsin_IPA_Lover from Wisconsin

Apr 20, 2016
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Reviewed by hman43 from North Carolina

4.11/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Look: It pours dark brown with a light head.

Smell: It has aromas of nuts, a bit of caramel, roast, chocolate.

Taste: It has a nutty, roasted, vanilla flavor with some chocolate mixed it.

Feel: It has a medium body which is surprising based on the ABV. It is moderately bitter.

Overall: Here it is listed as a porter, but check six lists it as an imperial porter due to the ABV of 10.2. For that amount of alcohol, it is remarkably smooth without the normal alcohol warming elements with a beer this high in ABV.
Mar 26, 2016
 
Rated: 4.06 by walkinginplace from North Carolina

Oct 18, 2015
 
Rated: 4.14 by BMBCLT from South Carolina

Oct 12, 2015
 
Rated: 4.35 by GTJayG from North Carolina

Sep 20, 2015
 
Rated: 4.22 by iRun2Beer from Minnesota

Jul 27, 2015
Photo of thehooksman
Reviewed by thehooksman from North Carolina

4.38/5  rDev +13.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
The brewery's website calls this dessert in a glass. They aren't kidding.

This porter poured a dark coffee color with a good finger of brown head. The aroma is not a strong as the flavor but both boast big chocolate and vanilla flavors that blend well. The overall sweetness is balanced by a clean, dry finish so as not to be overly sweet. The mouth is full-bodied and cream. There's really no alcohol heat from the 10+ abv. Even with the full body and elevated abv, you feel like you could drink a few of these. It also held its carbonation well in a growler for a couple days. I'll definitely have this any time I am in the area.
Jul 25, 2015
 
Rated: 3 by DVMin98 from North Carolina

Jun 29, 2015