Mail Call Imperial Porter
Willimantic Brewing Co.

 

The beer is presented in a 12oz snifter glass. It's opaque black, topped with a thin tan head which dies quickly, leaving the beer naked. No lace.
The aroma is a very soft, yet powerful roated maltiness. Rich coffee and a bit of chocolate. Some fig and black cherry fruitiness with a touch of burnt toffee. Some light apparent alcohol. Very soft and subtle.
The flavor starts with powerful maltiness. Very smooth and mature. A pleasant coffee flavor washes across the tongue, settling throughout the sip and into the aftertaste. A molasses flavor carries through as well, although I didn't find it overbearing. Very clean flavor. Some soft, over-ripe fruitiness slides into the middle, with hints of black cherry, fig and a touch of prune. Some mellow cocoa inthe finish. Balancing herbal hops are apparent in the finish, but allow the malt to continue through unhindered. A subtle trace of alcohol in the very end, leaving a slight bitter warmth down my throat. Very smooth mouthfeel with a fairly heavy body and soft carbonation.
Absolutely excellent. This is one of John Watson's recipes, and he concocts some damn fine brew. Scarily drinkable, with the alcohol well masked until it sneaks up on you a couple glasses later. Based on the flavor, I would have guessed this around 7%. I preferred the Thomas Hooker imperial porter, which is very similar, but it's pretty much an issue of smoothness. It's near impossible to beat that one, and this is pretty close. If they didn't come out at the same time, I wouldn't have compared Willi's to the Thomas Hooker. They're both great.

Served in a snifter glass, but poured right to the top with no head. Aroma is light, and consists of some roasted malt and a bit of hop. Color is basically black, with nearly no light coming through. Mouthfeel is a bit watery. Flavor seems to hit the tongue inconsistently - very little at the front, but a big assortment of flavors as it rolls across. Cocoa, bitter chocolate and cheery, some strong coffee, and a raisin finish. Feels a little crisp and tannic in the finish and lingering aftertaste, perhaps even a bit chalky. Interesting flavors as it warms. I would like a little more body and aroma, but overall a very good beer.

I had a beautiful 12 oz. snifter of the Mail Call Imperial Porter at the Willimantic Brewing Company tonight with dinner, didn't expect to find it on tap already. Color is a deep opaque black, with just mere traces of deep tan lacing around the edges. Aroma is sweet and coffee-ish with plenty of rasted malt. Body is medium to full, with moderate tight carbonation. Taste is a blend of coffee, roasted malt, and notes of chocolate with a nice sweetness throughout. Finish is fairly crisp, leaving just a hint of coffee and hop bitterness on the tongue. The 9.3% alcohol in this imperial porter is very well concealed, the mail call is very smooth. One could easily put down a coulple of these without blinking. An excellent inperial porter without being too devastating.