Flight of the Beagle
Three Four Beer Co.

my first beer from these guys now that they are making their own in here. its a very tasty porter brewed with coffee and vanilla and i believe lactose as well. shiny and sleek looking in the glass with a half inch of tan head on it slowly settling back and some apparent density. big chocolate and coffee aromas to this one, huge milk chocolate sweetness and dark chocolate bitterness, all from the grain i believe, enhanced by the sweet but natural vanilla, and the coffee, which must be blended in after fermentation, strong and roasty in its own right, and perfectly proportioned with the roasty almost burnt character of the dark barley in here, great balance between them, and its all there in the flavor too, with the coffee leading the way and these cocoa and vanilla notes in behind. even with the lactose, its not too sweet, the roasted bitterness more than balances the subtle sweeter character here, and it finishes abruptly and quite bitter, which i like for a flavored beer of this nature. lots of coffee, even a caffeine hit to this one, and very smooth in feel. overall a really solid first impression from these guys, and a beer that inspires plenty of confidence, has me wanting to get back in and drink through the rest of their lineup. a nice take on the style, not overdone, and quite distinct. good stuff here for late winter!