Hazelnut Porter
Fillmore 13 Brewery

16 ounce prowler into pint glass, filled on 3/10/2019. Pours clear nearly opaque dark brown/black color with a small dense khaki head with great retention, that reduces to a thin cap that lingers. Nice spotty soapy lacing clings on the glass, with a light amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of big hazelnuts, milk chocolate, cocoa, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, vanilla, cream, marshmallow, fudge, and toasted dark/brown bread; with lighter notes of coffee, molasses, dark fruit, smoke, herbal, grass, and yeast/roast/toasted earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of dark/roast/bready malts, hazelnuts, and light fruity yeast/earthy hop notes; with great strength. Taste of huge hazelnuts, milk chocolate, cocoa, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, vanilla, cream, marshmallow, fudge, and toasted dark/brown bread; with lighter notes of coffee, molasses, dark fruit, smoke, herbal, grass, and yeast/roast/toasted earthiness. Mild herbal, grassy, roasted bitterness on the finish. Lingering notes of hazelnuts, milk chocolate, cocoa, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, vanilla, cream, marshmallow, fudge, toasted dark/brown bread, coffee, molasses, dark fruit, smoke, herbal, grass, and yeast/roast/toasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Awesome complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/bready malts, hazelnuts, and light fruity yeast/earthy hop flavors; with a solid hop/roast bitter/sweet balance, and no cloying sweetness after the finish. Slightly increasing dryness from lingering bitterness. Light-medium carbonation and medium-plus body; with a very smooth, creamy/silky/velvety, and slightly sticky/chalky mouthfeel that is fantastic, Minimal warming alcohol for 6.5%. Overall this is an outstanding dessert style English porter. All around awesome complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/bready malts, hazelnuts, and light fruity yeast/earthy hop flavors; extremely smooth and easy to drink with the minimally bitter/drying finish, amazingly soft feel. Fantastic balance of super rich malts and hazelnut flavors; with just enough hops to balance sweetness. Feels like there is a lot of lactose, but no mention on the description. A highly enjoyable offering, and outstanding style example.