The Bearer
E9 Brewing Co.

 

Brewed with British malts and yeast according to the label. Handsome dark brown with a tawny glint and plenty of foam in the goblet. Coffee-like aroma. Quite frothy on the tongue with a very big mouthfeel. Rather dry and grainy with a malty flavor to start. Quite bitter in the aftertaste. Roasted malt with a touch of burnt sugar plus long coffee in the finish. Thoroughly drinkable but so flavorful I'd have to call it, um, robust. From the 16 oz can purchase at Elizabeth Station.

16oz can poured into a snifter.

A: Cola-brown pour sits jet black in the glass; initially the can was almost a gusher, with lots of foamy off-khaki head building up, but it settled down quickly.

S: Surprisingly smoky, with light caramel and toasted, bready malt, as well as some mild coffee and cocoa.

T: Moderately roasty, but I would say this leans more 'English' in its palate, with those same caramelly, bready, toasted, and smoky flavors. The presence of coffee and cocoa are very light.

MF: Smooth, velvety 6% body with a dry finish, as expected.

O: Really not as roasty and bitter as I'm used to for American Porters, but thats not a bad thing. Also, it isn't aggressively smoky but I will surprised at the presence of smoke in this one. Makes it pretty unique and enjoyable.

gorgeous porter, almost elegant, which i never think about with this style, its so layered but not overly complex, smooth without being too full bodied to be majorly drinkable, cocoa and coffee forward in the grain without being sugary, its just everything i want in the style and nothing i dont. shiny in the glass, heady from the tap, clean on the ferment, although with just a little something here from the yeast too. bitter in the taste all the way through, but not overly so, a melted dark chocolate thing to it, perhaps a hint of molasses, nothing astringent like there sometimes is in the style, and a pleasingly low abv which makes this a real drinker. perhaps just a trace of raisin, but this isnt all dried fruity like that, nor is it smoky, burnt, or bready, its just clean and flavorful, and like their excellent schwarzbier, its noticeably fresh, which is an uncommon thing to pick up from a dark beer like these, but its true of both of them. this is great cold weather drinking beer, it made me feel immediately cozy, god i love these guys! what a treat to get to hang out at the production brewery and drink with friends last weekend!

 

Last day before traveling home.... Leah found this gem! Cool old fire house. Very very solid Porter. Great smell. Strong coffee up front.. Ends well! Excellent!