Pixan Pepper Porter
Left Hand Brewing Company

 

A thanks to the incredible woodychandler for this beer. Poured from a 12 oz. can. Has a black color with a 1/2 inch head. Smell is of chocolate, chili peppers. Taste is dominated by hot peppers, light smoke in the background. Feels medium bodied in the mouth and overall it ain't bad, but the heat was a little overpowering.

Here is CANother beer that got overlooked during my Porter & Stout Purge back in early-June. I have been redding up my house while CANvalescing this Summer & SO many beers have surfaced for me to drink, review & rate, including this one.

From the CAN: "Brewed on the banks of the mighty St. Vrain"; "Seasonal"; "Employee Owned. Righteously Independent (tm)"; "Porter with Peppers Added"; "Notes of Dried Cherry and Plum with Subtle Smoke, Roasty Malt Sweetness and the Warmth of Chiles."; "34 IBU".

I enjoy Crack!ing open the vent on Porters & Stouts because then I CAN perform an inverted Glug in the hopes of seeing a pseudo-cascade. I was not disappointed by this one as it settled to form just under two fingers of dense, foamy, rocky, deep-tan/light-brown head with good retention. Color was Black/Opaque (SRM = 44), allowing ZERO light penetration. Nose was chocolaty with a light spiciness, much like MexiCAN hot chocolate. Mmm. Mouthfeel was lightly-medium, not watery, but not much past it. The spiciness had really begun to assert itself in this one, giving it a smoky cinnamon quality & causing me to sweat. I like the taste of spice, but I do not do as well with it as my brother & a couple of locals, all who seem to thrive on peppery spiciness. For me, it was more of an opportunity to sweat. I really did not get the fruit flavors that the label mentioned, but that was okay. I got plenty of peppery heat, some smokiness, some dark chocolatiness and some light malty sweetness. Did I mention that it made me sweat? Finish was dry, as any beer that uses spices/chilies as an adjunct should be expected to be. For me, it was more of a novelty, but I CAN see revisiting it in the winter as part of my ongoing double-boiler project.

Black color, thin brown head. Noticeable pepper notes, and indeed there’s a spicy kick on the finish. A bit of sweetness comes through as well. The mouthfeel is creamy and provides a lacey finish. The structure is a bit weaker than I’d expect. Also, it doesn’t leave a warming feeling I’d expect from the style.

 

 

On tap at McGillicuddy's

 

12 oz can in a lager glass. 12 February 2019 date stamp on the bottom of the can.
Pours with a reddish dark brown, nearly opaque body that is topped by a somewhat weak off-white head.
Aroma: peppers, moderate smoke and spices.
Flavor: very smokey with plenty of cooked pepper flavor.
Overall: too smokey; more rauchbier than porter.

Best by 10/03/2019.Pours a deep dark cola brown with a thinner beige head atop that is gone pretty quickly.Cherry and chocolate over top of smoldering pepper,a nice mix of sweet and spice going on.The chili plays a bigger role on the palate but never gets too 'big',smoldering heat mixed with chocolate and dark fruit,there is aslo a light smoke that comes into play a little more as I drink more.If the feel was amped up just a little this would be top notch.As is it's very good.

 

 

Very nice roasted malt with a hint of chocolate cherry flavor. Not a super heavy feel especially for the abv. With a lovely, not overwhelming, pepper spice at the end. Very nice porter.

 

 

 

 

 

Pours the deepest of browns with almost a half finger of light tan head with a medium pour. Aroma is mostly semi-sweet and milk chocolate, not much else. Taste is a bit more complex than the aroma with some cherry, good hop bitterness, a decent balance and a good punch from the peppers. Taste gives me thoughts of chocolate covered cherries with. of course black pepper sprinkled on top. Balance is decent, not overwhelming and the finish is semi sweet chocolate and pepper. Not a bad beer, just not overwhelming

LOOKS: Dk brown with very little foam. Very mild lacing, tight carbonation when I rock the glass.
AROMA: Definite smoky, spicy chili pepper notes. Roasted malt, minor chocolate, and I see where they're coming from with the dark dried fruit description.
TASTE: The smoky, slightly spicy peppers are the name of the game, here. Great flavor, not too spicy, though; just right. Just enough of the other qualities to give it some depth.
FEEL: Well carbonated, tiny bit sticky, but, drier on the finish, and medium bodied.
OA: Building that spice to a crescendo. If you're a smoked pepper (flavor) fan, like me, you're gonna like this one.