Sunset
New Trail Brewing Company

I had SUCH a great day this past Sunday on/for New New Trail & Feeling Light-Hearted About Happoshu Beer Sunday (Week 784) that I have decided to just CANtinue where I left off, as opposed to waiting until this CANming Sunday. I am really digging New Trail's beers from Bill Town, aka Williamsport, PA. These guys seem to be onto something!

From the CAN: "Chocolate Porter"; "Keep Cold[,] Drink Fresh".

I Crack!ed open the vent & beCAN a slow, gentle C-Line Glug into the awaiting glass. I watched in rapt fascination as it CANducted a pseudo-cascade that resulted in the formation of just under two fingers of fizzy, foamy, rocky, deep-brown head with modest retention, quickly falling away to wisps. Color was obsidian Black/Opaque (SRM = 44), allowing ZERO light penetration. Nose had a rich roastiness along with the semi-sweet Baker's chocolatiness which the brewery attributes to cacao nibs from Ghana (!). Mouthfeel was thin-to-medium, not watery, but not far beyond it. The taste, while chocolaty, did not rise to the level of its nose. Frankly, it lacked Ooomph! where the nose had a presence. The site's Style Guide allows for a wide range on this one, but I do not want to be overly generous (& by extension, misleading) on/with this one in my scores. The taste remained an undefined chocolate, like they were trying to go for an admixture of milk (sweet) & bittersweet/ Baker's chocolate, but not finding the sweet spot (no pun intended, for once). Finish was semi-dry, which was again odd, given that they seemed to be trying to strike a balance. I did not dislike it, but I didn't really like it, either. CAN we call this damning with faint praise & move on? YMMV.

Sampling a cellar temp 16 oz can poured into my snifter. The beer is a gift from my brother Brian. Thanks!
Beer pours a dark coffee brown color with no light passing through my glass. I get a fizzy tan head of 1 cm that quickly fades to nothing after the pour.
The nose is very roasty, almost charred malt. THere is much more of a coffee or espresso nose than any chocolate that the label implies. I maybe get some very dark high percentage cacao notes, but roasted malt dominates. No hops and no booze either.
First sip reveals a medium body with fine and tingly carbonation. Smooth texture and easy drinking physical traits.
The flavor is similar to the nose, VERY roasty with again some charred malt or burnt wood notes. Maybe extremely bitter coffee too. There isnt much chocolate that I get here and the burnt flavor is not really that great. Even if this was marketed as a smoked porter, the burnt wood note would be aggressive. I dont get any hops nor booze.
The lingering charred note stays on my palate after each swallow. Im a little disappointed with this one, will try others from this newer brewery, but not feeling this one right now.

 

 

Dark smooth and good