Big 'Effin Porter
Woodland Farms Brewery

 

 

Wonderful, luscious

 

Can. Dark brown with lasting small head. Delicate aroma for such a big beer coffee chocolate ash smoke booze and fruit. Similar sweetness with chocolate and medium yeasty fruit. Roasted finish withe coffee and woody bite and some fruity tartness. Full body a little fizzy internal. Very good.

From the 16 oz. can dated 09/13/19. Sampled on Nov 10, 2019.

It is an attractive pour with its brown color and reddish hues when held to the light., Tan fading head.

Roasted and cooked dark malt presence in the aroma. Maybe a floral character too.

Smooth light-medium mouthfeel. Typical of a Porter.

Kind of a burnt yet sweet dark roasted m alt taste and a floral finish. It is basically clean. You got to love Porters.

Tap at River Road Tavern
Dark brown bordering on black with a good sized tan head that persists. Rich roasty chocolate and hints of caramel and dark dried fruits.

Poured from a 16 oz can into a tulip glass.

Pours a dark cola brown color with a finger of fluffy khaki head. The head leaves a nice crown of lacing before settling into a thin sheet.

The aroma is very roasted and grainy, with notes of roasted coffee and dark chocolate, followed by a wave of caramel, toffee, and dark fruits.

The taste follows the nose: Grainy and malty throughout, with lots of roasted qualities. Coffee, cola, dark chocolate and caramel with a finish of black cherries and fig. Hop presence is very subtle.

The feel is medium-full bodied with moderate carbonation. Very creamy and smooth. The alcohol is non-existent.

Overall, a great robust porter that is full of flavor yet shockingly drinkable. I did not believe this beer was 8.1% and I still don't. It's just too damn crushable.

I purchased a single 16oz can for $3.50 at Prost! in North Hampton, NH this evening. I'm not familiar with the brewery even though they're relatively close by. The artwork on the can is brilliant and made me laugh, I don't recall anyone making such an effective play on the word "porter" before.

The code on the bottom of the can says "12/18/19 08:53 Live Free Or Die". Poured semi-chilled into a room temp tulip.

L: a rigorous pour puts up a good 3 fingers of tan head which threatens to overflow my glass. It sticks around quite well. The brew is quite dark, appears mostly clear and reveals ruby highlights when held to a bright light.
S: A strong dose of starchy grains was evident during the pour. I've been drinking Yerba Mate tea lately and the roasted graininess of that is very similar here. The darker grains come out more prominently as it breathes. No alcohol (despite the abv) is apparent and the hop character is very light if at all.
T/M: Wow this one's dangerous. Taste is of a good well-rounded robust porter and it hides the abv remarkably well. I would have guessed 6% rather than 8, so this could sneak up on some. A nice mix of roasted malts gives a full flavor but the feel is thin, delicately carbonated, and chuggable. Very easy drinking, not too thick, not too sweet, but full and satisfying at the same time. A tiny bit of bitterness mingles with the dark malts in the finish. I'm guessing a hint of lactose added.

O: This is a great effing porter but it doesn't taste quite as effing big as the abv indicates. Again this one could be dangerous to those who are not expecting it. This offering is well designed and brilliantly executed. The can artwork seems really fitting... big and powerful, but delicate and supple. I will def seek out more from this brewery.