Espresso Porter
Central Coast Brewing

 

Purchased a bomber of this at the brewery about a month ago. Bottling date unknown.

Poured straight down the center into a New Belgium globe.

Appearance: Pour nets about an 1/8 inch of brown foam that quickly dissipates to off-white crown. It remains that way for the rest of the session. Body is black, and damn near opaque. Spotty lacing.

Smell: Espresso, black pepper, caramel, and a cardboard-like off note. Bummer. I remember this smelling better at the brewery. Not too bad all in all, but certainly below average.

Taste: The espresso comes through milder in the taste than the nose, and for the cardboard it's just the opposite. Espresso picks up in the finish and aftertaste though, melding with black pepper and piney bitterness. Yeah, that cardboard's looming pretty large - I just can't seem to get past it after the first two or three sips.

Mouthfeel: Bitter, prickly, medium-bodied, and moderately carbonated. Each sip paints another layer of espresso-laden film on the palate. Weee...

Drinkability: I'm not one to waste beer, or anything for that matter. This wasn't exactly how I was hoping to spend the next hour though. Avoid.

EDIT: 40 minutes later, it's drinking much better. Maybe I'm just getting too buzzed, but this certainly doesn't deserve a D. Taste upped from 2.0 to 2.5; Overall upped from 1.5 to 2.0.

Poured a deep brown, good carbonation with a small tannish head. Nose is light cocoa, coffee, and thats about it. Taste is smooth, straightforward with light roasted malt and chocolate malt being a big player on the taste. Mouthfeel is lighter and not creamy, pretty underwhelimg. Drinkability is average overall.