Dark Aisle
Meier's Creek Brewing Company

looks like this has also been called dark isle, different spelling, same beer, i have to assume, and it was presented as isle when i had it at the world famous dinosaur bbq in syracuse on tap, unlikely these are two different beers, but i have seen pictures of purple cans with both spellings, weird. anyway, its a lovely porter, like really really good, up there with the best beers ive had from this brewery and a perfect daytime sipper that fit right in with the food we were crushing here, full but drinkable too, smooth and long without being sweet, dark and roasty and in some ways kind of simple, as a positive attribute though, wintery all the way. the pour is pretty, near black and shiny with an almost nitro looking creamy light brown head, nice retention. aroma is tight when its cold, roast and a cold brew coffee note, some light molasses and caramel to it, but its not a sweet beer, and the malt layers are welcome. some cocoa to this, hearty even in the nose, a subtle yeast element is flattering, and it warms up beautifully, its cozy stuff without being real strong, i love it. the flavor is killer too, bitter all through it from the roast with an espresso layer, but its not too much, dark bread and raisin and even granola in the mix, milk chocolate, a kiss of smoke, and awesome minerality which i dont always notice in dark beers like this but i certainly do here, and its more compatible with smoked and spicy food than anticipated, really good in this food context. quite a bit of body but warming without being filling per se, pleasant cigar note with the chocolate in the aftertaste, enough roasted bitterness to be plenty balanced, smooth and soft in texture. of excellent overall refinement and quality, lots of depth and interest for a basic style, a robust porter maybe, or pushing that way, impressive. one of the better straight up porters ive had in ages...

Old school porter, on tap at the Gryphon Gastropub. A bit of sour finish. Good above average mouthfeel. Very drinkable with nuanced twists of complexity. Well made.