Padre Porter
Karl Strauss Brewing Company

 

On tap at churchill's Pub. Dark brown, not very drinkable, lacy. A bit astringent, burnt rather than balance,even the chocolate had some astringency, and not a great example of the style. A bit light mouthfeel for the style as well. Maybe its better at the brewpub fresh.

12/23/2011

On tap at Karl Strauss.

A: Dark brown with a slight dark red tinge and an inch of light brown foam.

S: A little coffee with dark chocolate and a nutty presence. Roast is evenhanded. I get a little dark fruit.

T: Roasted grains are prevalent and they accompany a pleasant blend of chocolate and coffee. I get a light nutty note and a low earthy bitterness.

M: Upper medium body with matching carbonation.

Overall: A good Porter. Pairs well with dance music and a spot overlooking a certain pond.

On-tap at the Costa Mesa locale, on to the beer:

A tiny bone white head clings around the glass of this nearly black ale with ruby red hues. There is some charcoal smokiness in the nose, also tocuhes of chocolate and coffee. In this case, the aromas don't seem to work as much magic as they sound.

Liquid charcoal chocolate? Bitter chocolate syrup towards the end. This porter gives the feeling that other characteristics want to crawl out, but can't. Averagely one dimensional. Medium bodied, though it does seem to have a syrupy consistency at times.

Decent enough to drink, and that's about as good as it gets. At least it isn't a year-round tap.

On Tap

Karl Strauss Brewing Company
Carlsbad, CA

Very dark brown with ruby edges. Thin light brown head. Spots and thin sheets of lacing left down the glass.

A lot of roasted malt and coffee in the aroma. While simple, all the proper elements are here and it all comes together extremely nicely.

A very full flavor consisting of roasted malt, toasted bread, espresso and coffee, and a bit of toffee sweetness. The roast and a touch of smoke lingers. Very nice.

Thin mouthfeel per the style, though not particularly detracting.

A delicious, complete, solid porter. Incredible drinkability.

Tasted at the San Diego downtown location as the October tap-only special. Listed at 5.6 ABV and 30 IBU.

Fairly rich with a nice dark roasted malt flavor. Smooth, without a trace of the sourish burnt malt. Quite carbonated on the tongue, chestnut-tinged black in the pint glass. Sweetness starts out every sip, and merges into the dark caramel taste. Not much in the way of hop flavor, but a very slight bitterness goes under the radar. Not very distinctive. More of a pleasant big gulp.

I just had this at the brewery - not retired.

The beer was served with a decent tan head. It was a cola colored brown. The aroma had a roasty, sweet smell. There were smokey/roasty flavors with a malty, dark chocolate backbone and a dry smooth finish.

It's actually NOT retired, as I just had it at Karl Strauss Restaurant in Costa Mesa. Pours very little head atop a black body, exhibiting a teensy red tinge as I hold it up to the light. From talking to the manager, she says its style matches more specifically to a robust porter. Somewhat of a watery appearance in the legs as I tilt.

The aromas are quite toasty, with some mild coffee smells in the bouquet. Nay on the intensity side though, as I gotta take a deep *whiff* to get some.

Flavors are bready/malty, with some strong bitter espresso on the palate. Shows off excellent balance with what is present but it's not highly complex.

Mouthfeel is medium-bodied, smooth and pleasant.

Overall, a good porter that's drinkable to the point where I could go for another and enjoy both rounds well. The balance between the espresso bitterness and maltiness is really the secret weapon of this brew.

Consumed 12/14/08 at Karl Strauss Universal CityWalk, Universal City, CA.

Very dark brown with caramel colored highlights. Creamy head made up of very fine tan bubbles. Plentiful lacing.

Aroma of coffee and dark roasted malts.

Mouthfeel is properly porter-thin.

Flavor is on the meek side. Surprisingly, some black currant flavor. A slight hint of style-acceptable sourness. Nicely bitter overroast flavor on finish.

Not an awesome porter, but the berry note makes it an interesting experience.

Presentation: Poured from a growler filled 3 hours ago at the Costa Mesa location. Growler was capped on foam, and taped around the seal.

Appearance: Pours a very dark red-brown color, with a nice tan head. Head fades, but leaves a good amount of lacing on the top of beer and glass.

Smell: Lots of roasted aroma, with hints of coffee and caramel.

Taste: Similar to the smell - taste has a lot of coffe flavor, with some roasted flavor, and caramelized sugar. Medium mouthfeel, and low carbonation.

Overall impression: This is a nicely drinkable porter. Nothing outstanding, but a solid creation - I'm looking forward to the rest of the growler. Might be just a little bit thin for a porter.