Ol' Mo
Rubicon Brewing Company

 

On tap at Congregation Ale House in Pasadena, CA.

Pours an opaque super dark brown with a foamy khaki head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Thick rings of lace line the glass on the drink down. Smell is of dark roasted malt, cocoa, dark fruits, and herbal hops. Taste is much the same with a char flavor on the finish. There is a mild amount of hop and roasty bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp but medium bodied mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer with a hoppy presence that I wasn't expecting.

 

On tap at Beachwood BBQ
A - Super opaque black/brown with a tan head that stays. Nice lacing.
S - Little sour grain dark malt, bitter chocolate, coffee.
T - Tangy up front, a slight sour. Some of the nose come through on the taste...chocolate, coffee. Also some licorice. Fairly sweet.
M/F - Medium body with a creamy mouthfeel.
D - It's a sipper and it's pretty tasty.

On-tap at Beachwood BBQ, on to the beer:

This one is solid black and leaves a great amount of lacing on th glass. It is hoppier porter, not quite what I was expecting, but it will do. Hoppy with some semi-sweet chocolate notes, bitter coffee, and a dry lingering aftertaste of bitter chocolate. In the end, it is a good drinkable porter.

On tap at the brewery. A fairly strong porter weighing in at 7.7% (their stout is only 4.8%). Brownish-white head with big bubbles. Malted barley is the featured smell and taste, with deep roasted esters. Similar to freshly boiled wort, which I also got from their strong ale. Black coffee, rich chocolate, and hot cocoa, with a dry hard water aftertaste including bitter and roasted malts galore. Not particularly hoppy, but hops do make a presence by adding to the bitterness. Sweet and thick. Really clings to the glass. Fun to drink but not the greatest.