Scratch Beer 351 - 2018 (Cranberry Porter)
Tröegs Brewing Company

Rich dark brown appearance with a tan head, low retention, sparse lacing. Cranberry, dark chocolate, vanilla, stone fruit. Medium body, medium carbonation.

 

 

 

 

4/18/19...very dark brown, with reddish tints. Light touches of tan foam sit on top and ring. Dark chocolate nose. Taste opens as a strong cranberry tart that washes out the malt. Almost a lambic.

Look: Deep reddish brown with a large, cream-brown head. Good lacing.
Smell: Cranberry and chocolate, some vanilla, some nutty and coffee aromas.
Taste: Lots of tart, sour cranberry up front. Chocolate in the middle and on the finish. A bit of charred smokiness.
Feel: Thin- to medium-bodied.
Overall: This beer is interesting and not at all bad, but it didn't quite do it for me. The strong cranberry sourness + thin mouthfeel doesn't work well with the chocolate malt, in my opinion. It's drinkable, but neither refreshing nor super rich/tasty, either. I would prefer something with a little less cranberry &/or a little more thick chocolate going on.

3/19/2019 update: This beer is starting to grow on me, although I'm still not sure if I would seek it out.

 

 

 

 

The dark brown, almost black beer pours out into a Duvel glass with a 1” finely bubbled tan head that recedes slowly to a cap and then to a thin irregularly shaped island of foam and a ring of foam around the glass while leaving a web of rings and sheets of foam on the sides of the glass. Sipping creates a couple of arches and several patches and legs of lacing.

The aromas include some chocolate, some coffee, some toasted dark roasted malt and a light bit of nutty character. In the background there’s just a hint of char showing that is mixed in with some light berry character and tartness from the cranberry.

The flavors are similar to what is expected from the nose but the tartness and berry flavor from the cranberry are more forward than expected. Along with the chocolate and coffee there’s some malt sweetness that blends nicely with the other favors and softens the tartness from the berries. Way in the background there’s some dark roast and almost, but not quite, burnt bitterness.

The mouthfeel is medium bodied and fairly smooth with some light, finely bubbled carbonation. The finish begins as the tartness and berry begin to recede a bit to be followed by the chocolate and coffee. But then the cranberry and its tartness start to show again as the fairly long ending becomes semi-dry, slightly tart and berry tinged and slightly bitter from the dark roasted malt.

Overall this is an enjoyable beer and the cranberries make a nice addition to the expected porter flavors. In particular the chocolate and coffee blend well with both the berry flavor its light tartness. Definitely drinkable and I could easily have another. I’ll probably be having this one again in the next week or so.

 

Mild chocolate aroma, with the smallest hint of cranberry. Pours a nearly opaque ruby red, with a dusting of off-white foam. The cranberry flavor is much more pronounced then the aroma would indicate. The porter roasted notes fall to the background, supporting the cranberry tartness. The finish is a touch of tart cranberry, and a whisper of roast. Slightly thinner body then I would look for in a porter, but it's an interesting twist.

L. Dark-brown to black, tan head of tight bubbles which recedes ever-so-slowly.
S. Nutty, coffee, chocolaty, tartness, bready malt. More chocolaty sweetness as it warmed.
T. Tart cranberry right away and throughout, nutty, bready, chocolaty. Some bitterness toward the end. Finishes mostly fruity and tart. As it warmed it had a bit more sweetness, like toffee or honey.
F. Medium body, low carbonation, pretty smooth, pleasant.
O. It did have a funky metal thing going on right out of the fridge, but as it warmed a little bit, more sweetness came out and it was rather enjoyable. Different for sure, but I am enjoying it. Cheers!

Since no one else is man enough to review:

L: Dark, but not motor oil or anything. Very, very dark red on the bottom and sides if held to the light. Mostly khaki head has a bit of a reddish hue as well. Cranberries, yo.

S: May just be me, but I often get metallic scents from porters and this is no exception. Users with more brewing experience can probably explain that phenomenon better than I. It's not wholly unpleasant, mind; some light cocoa vibes in there, too.

T: Strangely, I get an astringent mint followed by mild roasted coffee beans and a smidge of chocolate. There's something tart in the aftertaste that I assume is cranberries.

F: Light-to-medium bodied; lots of carbonation. It's pleasant enough.

O: Wanted to like this more. Hard to get past the tongue-to-9-volt-battery metallic smell and taste, though. It's kind of a weird beer.