Penalty Shot Porter
Jack's Brewing Company

 

 

On tap at Jack's San Ramon location. As a hockey fan as well as a Porter fan I was drawn to this one immediately.

Forms a small for the style light tan head which caps the usual dark, near-black, porter body.

Aroma is big on chocolate while roasted malt notes are secondary and followed by a faint hop bitterness. Pretty much on style for an American Porter.

Tastes bitter on the entry followed by a chalky cocoa flavor. Roasted malt character isn't as well integrated as I'd like but still tastes pretty good overall. As I get halfway through the pint and the beer warms the chocolate really starts coming to the forefront.

Good carbonation leads to a prickly feel that seems to work for this beer but it's not as full bodied as I prefer in the style. The ABV seems low but for some reason I find myself sipping this one.

Overall, while not quite as enjoyable as my favorite Porters, this is a nice example of the style. Seeing as this new location is just a few minutes from my office I'll likely return for another at some point soon and also try some of Jack's other beers.

This arrived as a very dark color and had almost no head. There's no lacing to speak of, either.

The taste is not too shabby but it could really use some more character. The basic roasted malt flavor is there, but there's not much else.

This seems to be too thin and it lacks a good hop profile. Still, it's not offensive and it's pretty easy to deal with.

Black color. Small white head. Aroma is roasted malts and chocolate. Medium to lighter bodied Porter. Roasted malts with a nice chocolate and coffee balance. There is a little hop bite, still not very hoppy. Mouthfeel kind of thin and watery for a porter. Finish is clean. Aftertaste is malty.