Salted Caramel Porter
Lead Dog Brewing

i saw the abv of this listed differently all over reno when i was there, im not sure its actually as strong as its listed here, sure doesnt drink like it, but either way this one was a small doses thing for me, unique i guess in that its actually salty which my palate likes, but also not super rich and well structured so the sugar really stands out, it smells and tastes almost like it needs more roast for balance and to sort of grow into itself, its a lot of flavor for a beer that doesnt have a ton of malt support, and so it feels a little thin and cheap, even if it would otherwise be good, i dont know, just dont feel like they nailed the recipe or execution of this even though the actual salted caramel part, which is why im here, is quite well done, if that makes sense. reddish brown rather than black, not really viscous at all, kind of looks like root beer, good carbonation for what it is, dont usually expect beer like this to pop off like that, but this one does, a little odd really. nose is sweet, actual caramel sauce to me, salt and its minerality even though i dont think about that really having a smell, it does, some chocolate and chocolate malt, molasses, raisin, and subtle ale yeast, some light bitterness too but its the cooked sugar thing that wins, breakfast bread, cola, maple, vanilla bean, desserty and not super beery, which is also true in the flavor, although credit for how proper the salted caramel part really is, it hits, and it moves, and it even feels right, the salt is great, almost a big pretzel salt thing at the end. cocoa, milk chocolate, vanilla from the caramel, but without this part, the base porter doesnt hold up, super imperial or not, its runny and watery and even with the huge bubbles just isnt right, even being not barrel aged. i also think it needs more low end, more roast, some heft overall to keep it beery and balance the caramel. not what i hoped it would be, but they did the hard part very well, an odd one for sure, very sweet.

edit: quite a bit better from the can than it was from the tap a few weeks ago, abv now confirmed, at least for the packaged version, at 8.4% abv. i think the base beer is quite a bit better, darker looking too for some reason, although i still do think its thinner than the flavors kind of seem to want, brown ale malt character not real luxurious or decadent for what it is, despite some residual sugar. i again love the caramel aspect, especially the salt, which is drying and enhancing of the right elements at the right times, cocoa and raisin in the middle, quite a bit fresher and more cohesive to me now, raising some scores, still didnt love the mouthfeel but overall this is pretty tasty from the can...

edit: after more than a year (i think) in my beer fridge, i finally got into the last can of this, and to my surprise i liked it more than i remember liking it last time, drier now for sure, holds an awesome almost nitro looking head now too, and the thinness is less obvious without all the sugar dominance, more balance, and the caramel part is still the star, fully in tact. raising the mouthfeel score slightly, its been cold the whole time but its changed for the better a little bit i think. still a can to share, but ahead of expectations with some age on it for sure!

smooth porter could have used more caramel and malt taste.

Appearance - Pours black with cola brown edging and a tan, two-finger width head. Displays fair retention before dying to a thin, consistent layer of suds across the surface. Good amount of lacing, with broken webbing decorating much of the sides, a few broken lines and a handful of spots.

Smell - Caramel, toffee, salt, chocolate, lesser roast and a hint of booze.

Taste - Follows the nose. Sweet caramel and a touch of salt upfront, then a hint of chocolate kicks in mid-taste. Finish brings a bit of roast and slight booziness. Flavor profile is a bit lighter than expected.

Mouthfeel - Medium-bodied with fair carbonation. Slick, smooth drinker before a hint of dryness in the finish.

Overall - I like the concept, and can't argue with the ease it goes down at 10.2%, but the flavor just doesn't quite do it for me. I've had less than a handful of salted caramel brews, and none I have had have quite lived up to my lofty expectations. Good beer overall though.