Blue Ridge Porter
Wild Goose Brewery, LLC

4/23/2005 $6.99 6 pack 5.60% Best by on label, but not stamped.

Appearance:

Pours a dark brown bordering on black, but some light seeps through to reveal a touch of burgandy. Half inch of creamy tan foam settles slowly lacing the glass.

Aroma:

Coffee with cream and two sugars comes to mind along with a touch of smoke and spicy hops.

Taste/Mouthfeel:

Huge malty character, that has flavors of coffee, smoke and cream. A nice sugary sweetness accompanies this blend, lending to a well balanced beer.

Blue Ridge- Porter

Appearance- Dark murky brown/ almost black with a thin tan head.
Smell- light smoky cherry wood.
Taste- Light charcoal wood with a nice touch of cherry.
Mouthfeel- Slight bitterness with a slight sweet dry finish.

Overall- A nice light porter. Flavor is mild but even throughout and easy to drink.

Very nice no-frills porter. Dark brown in color with a thumb thick tan head. Medium roastiness malts are the big act in the fore with more of the roastiness and some coffee notes walking int he middle and finally mildly chocolate and hopsy finish. I would drink it as a staple if it were availible here.

The adjective to best fit this beer = Balanced.

This would make a great entry-level porter. It is light-bodied, but not in a bad way. It just makes this beer all the easier to drink.

There are noticeable chocolate and coffee tones in the finish. The same tones are also there in the scent.

A very tasty porter. It seems like a very accurate, dictionary-definition version of what a porter should be. Follows all the rules & guidelines very carefully.

It would be no problem to enjoy several Blue Ridge Porters in a row. Very nice.

Another gift from Mr Doyle!

This porter poured a deep dark brown with a very long lasting tan head that is leaving a nice splotchy lace. Nose is lightly discernable, slight noticing the malts. The taste is of chocolate malts with a very light hop finish. Mouthfeel is OK with a little carbonation. Overall drinkability is OK as it is brewed to style but no characteristics in this beer make it great.

Dark, opaque, with ruby highlights at the edges and huge tan head with some lacing. Smell is an odd combination of hops and toasted barley. Hints of coffee. Taste is bitter coffee, chocolate, and roasty-toasty barley but again with a hoppy hit that doesn't altogether fit. A little harsh in the aftertaste, I would love this to be a touch smoother. Mouthfeel is medium with the occassional fuller feel. Easy to drink, but the harshness cost it 1/2 point. Not bad. I have other Blue Ridge brews to try. Looking forward to it.

Poured a dense, foamy, light brown colored head that fades slowly leaving rings of thick lace. Mild aroma of burnt coffee and fresh toast. Brownish black colored beer with a chestnut glow. Slightly sweet flavors of caramel and roasted malts. Dark malt bitterness towards in the middle dries that creates a dry finish. Body is light and mouthfeel is soft, which makes for a nice drinking beer. I can't remember the last time I drank a porter, but it reminds me more of a low abv stout. A good solid beer I'd drink again.

Pours a deep dark brown, so dark that no light passes through my pint glass. A thin bubbly tan head disappates quickly, though lots of carbonation is visible. The aroma is quite sweet, reminding me of caramel, burnt sugar, and malt.

The taste is much more bitter than the aroma lead me to expect. An initial sweetness quickly gives way to deep, dark roasted flavors, with almost a burnt finish. Wood-like earthy flavors in there too... black licorish and charcoal come through as well. I just wish some of the sweetness and malt in the nose was more present in the taste.

Highly carbonated (a bit too much in my opinion) with a mouthfeel a little thin for the style, and a taste that leans more bitter than I would like for a session-type beer (and I'm one who could enjoy certain porters all day long). Easy drinking, yes, but I tend to like porters that are richer. The slightly high 5.6% ABV (according to the label) isn't noticeable.

Overall, a relatively bitter and earthy example of a Porter. A unique rendition, but not what I look to get from the style. However, worth a try since it's different from others.

Poured a deep brown color with large tan head, slowly feel to lacing along the sides of the glass. Smell is of coffe and cocoa and a small amount of hops. Taste is of roasted nuts. It leaves a moderate dry feeling in the back of the mouth. An enjoyable beer. Thanks to BA mtanji for the gift.

This porter poured a deep dark amber brown. So dark that light barely shines through it. It had a meager but very long lasting tan crown for a head.

The malt was sight in the nose at first, but as the porter warmed the malts bloomed. Quite nice.

The taste was sweet and chocolaty from start to finish. In fact, the sweetness really came forward in the finish. Chocolate lingered on the tongue.

The mouthfeel was medium at best with a little carbonation tingle. After several sips, there was a hop or a roasted nip at the roof of my mouth. It is not prevelent but just enough to make this beer more interesting.

A very drinkable porter. I would recommend this beer to anyone looking for a nice drinkable beer that is brewed to style.

Nice dark brown in color. Had a malty taste which became more detectable as I drank a few more, but it was still bitter enough to be a better than average porter. Drinkability is very good particularly when served not so cold. If you like a porter where you can detect some sweetness, but not too much, this is a good choice.

Thanks to Dithyramb for the trade. The beer is dark brown and is pretty clear for the style. Dense light tan head and thin lacing. The aroma is malty with some coffee and chocolate. Medium-bodied and semi-sweet malt and chocolate, with an underlying bitter coffee flavor. The flavor is pretty good but rather short-lived. The finish is lightly bitter roasted coffee. Not bad.

Bought a 12 pack sampler from this local (Fredrick MD) company.

No head to speak of, very dark brown liquid. Smells sweet, hint of chocolate but more of a musty odor.

Taste and body seemed thin compared to other porters. Tasted exactly as it smelled, but not as strong a flavor as I expected. Label has a “Best If Enjoyed By” spot, but it is blank. This bottle may be a little past it’s prime.

There just wasn’t enough there for me. IMO, there are much better porters. However, if you are just starting to try dark beers and are used to light macros this may be a good one to start with. Check the label for a best date. It may make a difference. The brewery gives tours and tastings so the jury is still out on this one. Maybe I'll review again after the tour.

One day out in the fields I was handed a local brew to have with my lunch. The bottle was marked "Blue Ridge Porter" and the liquid inside was a nice thick black color. Initially, a near-white head formed over the brew, but in about five minutes it fizzed off. No matter, this beer being a porter and not a stout, the experience wasn't changed by whether anything sat on top of the drink.

The brewer does a pretty good job of describing their own beer: "Robust, full-bodied, but not overly bitter or astringent. Blue Ridge Porter has a smooth, round malt finish and chocolate undertones." To add just a little, the beer actually starts slightly sweet and is extremely easy to drink. It doesn't give the kind of kick that you'll find in a stout, but as a smooth, full-bodied beer it fits very well.

- Backdated tasting: I first reviewed this beer on 16JUN03, this post is based on notes from that review. -

Dark Brown with a low brown ringed head. Light roasty and chocolate aroma with the same flavor profile. Light caramel notes in both nose and taste as it warmed up. Medium bodied.

I remmebr liking this quite a bit when I had it in the past so it must be that this is an old bottle.

Label states "Chinook and Cascade Hops"

(old - will review again when I can acquire a fresh bottle)

Dark brown with mahogany highlights, this beer pours with a creamy, light tan head. Coffee, vanilla, and chocolate aromas are readily apparent, with a touch of hops in there as well. The taste is very strong on roasted notes, with strong coffee notes and good dark fruits. Also a good dose of dark chocolate. The aftertaste is strong on roasted flavors, with a bit of sweet, dark chocolate lingering as well. Mouthfeel is nice and creamy, with barely discernable carbonation. Drinkability is very good as well. This is a very fine porter. Probably in my top ten porters. If not, it's real close.

Big head but not very creamy - large bubbles. Dissipates fairly quickly. Aroma is limited. Flavor is very basic; not alot of caramel or chocolate. Some Cascades. A bit too acidic (low pH). Light to medium bodied. Finishes without much character. An average beer. I find it kind of odd that they went for the American hop varieties of Chinook and Cascade, but maintain a more English-style body and malt character.

This is a fine porter, though not as big and bold as it's cousin Wild Goose Porter. A bit sweet with toffee, and smooth roasted malt in front and subtle hops in the dryish finish. Improves as it warms also.