Hearthside
Castle Island Brewing Co.

Pours near black with only the faintest of light coming through. Off-white, small head but it gives plenty of streaky lace as the beer is consumed.

Sweet cocoa aroma. I'm reminded of the breakfast cereal cocopuffs.

Thin bodied with a seemingly elevated carbonation level. The taste is closer to a semisweet chocolate bar. There's a hint of cinnamon. The finish is more cocoa but without any cream.

 

6.5 abv American Porter from the gang at Castle Island.

Perfect late fall/winter porter. Two or three of these in front of a fire couldn’t be better. Not so heavy that you won’t be able to function after two or three - - if that is what you’re looking for – look for TWO from CIB)

Dark malts, chocolate, coffee and a little caramel and cinnamon in there.

Airy head that leaves some nice lace on the glass as it disappears. Finish is dry with a little bitter snap (not over powering).

From a can, in a pint glass

 

Canned 12/05/17

Pours a huge frothy foamy head that hits 2 fingers and fades slowly, sticky lacing, very dark black color

Nose nice porter, toasted biscuity dark malts, cocoa, a little caramel, roasted malts, some coffee, very nutty, nutty coffee, plenty of vanilla, roasted coffee beans, a touch of cinnamon

Taste brings loads of vanilla up front, a touch of cinnamon, toasted roasted coffee beans, quite nutty again, nutty coffee and a little biscuity toasted dark malts, creamy lactose like, a bit of cocoa and touch char. Finishes drier and some bitterness, some from spicy hops and some from the dark roasted malts.

Mouth is fuller bod, a bit creamy lush, decent carb

Overall a fun beer, lots of great characters, enjoyable and drinkable, but a bit over the top maybe so hard to drink too much of it.

 

 

 

 

A Winter-inspired porter with coffee, cinnamon and vanilla bean... Castle Island definitely has some excellent ideas up their collective sleeve, eh? Riverwalk did a beer quite similar to this a few years ago which became their Storm Door Porter, but I don't think it ever included coffee... guess we'll see how local favs CI fare with this robust effort.

The pour here is a dark ruby/mahogany color with heavy opacity and a tan-looking khaki-ish head which seems to leave behind some sparse and aleatoric lacing. The surface is mostly obscured by the head, but some slight carbonation can be seen if the beer is held up to light. Overall, this feels playful and coy; it initially seems to have a very dark body when raise to direct light, but it also seems to have some subtle charms which are apparent only under certain conditions.

The nose is heavy on the spices present, with a big whiff of cinnamon and vanilla cream right upfront. The coffee blends in with the intense roastiness just underneath the spice, kind of lending a "Mexican coffee" element to the proceedings. Ceylon cinnamon, which is used in this beer, is supposed to have a more mild spice characteristic than "cassia" cinnamon, but I certainly sense its presence in this brew nevertheless. Tannic notes alongside complex earthy spice and roast really lend an intense aroma to the proceedings.

On the tongue, this Robust Porter demonstrates intense espresso-like flavors ranging from the earthy to the berry-forward upfront with some support from the vanilla flavor and cinnamon aspects. The cinnamon's drying and earthy aspects carry through the beer to the finish, while the lightly-sweet vanilla vies for attention throughout each sip. I must say, this brew definitely seems to leave the Madagascar vanilla in the dust, as it overall drinks quite roasty, full-bodied and bold. The balance of these flavors is insanely hard, and CI has definitely done quite a good job here, but in a perfect world, I'd prefer this to be just slightly less roasty with a bit more vanilla. It is an awesome beer, and one I am very glad to have a few more of, but the flavor could be just slightly more well-balanced. The feel here is impeccable, with a pillowy carbonation and slight kick of effervescence that lets you know you're drinking a porter (not a stout!)... I really dig this one. Castle Island succeeds once again!

 

 

 

Look is pitch black with less than a finger of tan head.

Aroma is coffee upfront, followed by bakers chocolate, spice, maybe raisin or plum and some vanilla.

Taste follows nose. Roasted coffee first and foremost followed by bitter bakers chocolate, spices and some vanilla. Background flavors seem to pick up as this porter warms fr9m fridge temp.

Feel is creamy and smooth. Body is moderate.

Overall a nice porter that would be perfect for a nice cool fall evening.

 

 

 

Too much roast. The cinnamon and vanilla don't show. Lots of correct and roast.