XV Anniversary Ale
Blackstone Restaurant & Brewery

Received a 1 PT. 6 FL. OZ. bottle of this in a trade w/ CurtisMcArthur. Poured from the Red/Yellow labeled bottle into a 12oz Schlafly Tulip Glass. Has Bottle Conditioned, January 15, 2010- #74 OF 500 on the front & side of the label.

Aroma- Very rich and complexed to say the least! Tons of sugar and light booziness reach the nose also. Sweet, malty, and a distant roastiness are all involved. Great aroma!

Appearance- Pours a .5 finger head that dies fairly quick. Has an extreme deep opaque brown body and leaves thick lacing behind.

Flavor- Very sweet malts with burnt sugars and chocolate are all available to find here. Such a treat! Almost a mixture of a Robust Porter and some type of Belgian brew that has been aged. Light Bitterness at the finish with a yeasty character.

Mouthfeel- Medium-Full Bodied, Light Carbonation, Smooth, but then doesn't have much going on at the finish... Sweet still with roastiness but didn't have the same effects on me as the taste/flavor did.

Overall Impression- A huge thanks to Curtis for throwing this one to me in a trade this past spring! If you have a bottle of this, I suggest enjoying it fairly soon. Fantastic! I've never had a Porter with such character. One of my favorites from Blackstone now!

 

Bottle (2010)

Thanks for opening this with me, DarthKostrizer!

(Aged 1+ year)

Dark brown pour with a small brown head that eventually leaves messy ribbons of lace down the glass.

The aroma is a muted combination of roasted malt, molasses, brown sugar, and a mild Belgian yeast character.

The flavor too seems somewhat muted and subdued, though what's here is certainly nice. The roast and Belgian yeast complement each other nicely, and the bit of sweetness rounds things out nicely.

Medium bodied with low carbonation, but as opposed to decadent like other stouts/porters, this one seems a bit lifeless.

I have a feeling this one was significantly better when fresh.

Thanks to DarthKostrizer for sharing this one during our post Churchill's tasting!

Bottle # 87/500.

Pours a clear dark brown with a tan head that settles to an oily film on top of the beer. Tiny dots of lace stick to the glass on the drink down. Smell is of roasted malt, raw sugar, and Belgian yeast. Taste is of roasted malt, raw/brown sugar, dark fruit, and yeast. There is a mild roasty bitterness on the palate after each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp mouthfeel but unfortunately it has a pretty thin body to it. Overall, this is a pretty good porter but it seems a bit faded from age in my opinion.

A seemingly rare beer shared with my father about a month ago. Bottle 355/500 bottled January 15th 2010.

A: Very active (carbonation sounds like soda) with a crimson tinged brown hue. Ring of fizzy head dies quick without leaving lacing in it's wake.

S: Very faint bouquet of yeast tinged malt with maybe some subtle cinnamon and nutmeg in there as well and just a flutter of roast.

T: Some more dark fruit comes out in the taste with hints of nutmeg and cinnamon spice added. Cherry and a little roast come out towards the back of the palate with some definite dry straw yeasty notes.

M: Very carbonated with a bone dry finish. Too much for me, would love more roast and body.

O: Not too bad but not great. I think maybe when this was younger perhaps it was better or maybe they didnt bottle this well and it has suffered over time. The low ABV probably doesn't help the cause here either.

Thanks to AmericanBrew for sharing this beer. Bottle number 144 of 500.

The beer pours a dark brown color with red highlights and a tan head. The aroma is toffee, chocolate and some roasted malt. The flavor is that of your basic porter. I get some chocolate and roasted malt. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation.

I like this beer, but I am disappointed that I didn't get more Belgian character out of it. It tasted like a basic American Porter to me, not a beer with trappist yeast and turbinato sugar added.

I was really surprised by this one, offered on tap as a part of the sampler. It is a variation of the St. Charles Porter--they took the same recipe, "collected less second runnings for a stronger brew, added turbinado sugar and fermented it with Belgian Trappist yeast." I guess it might also be a BSDA, though the base is porter, so it's listed as such. Pours a nice dark brown with big cocoa head. Smell is yeasty, a bit of must, some dark fruits, layered on top of the roasty/chocolatey porter. Taste follows suit with some really nice Belgian flavors--figs, dates, spice, and some yeastiness. These flavors sit atop the chocolate and lightly toasted flavors of the St. Charles Porter. Creamy and full-bodied, this was a treat to have. Exceptionally drinkable, easily my favorite of the line-up. A real treat here, a must-have upon visiting the brewpub.