Dark Darkness
Boundary Bay Brewery & Bistro

 

Got in a BIF from beertunes. 12 ounce can into tulip glass, canned on 9/5/2019. Pours nearly opaque dark brown color with a 1 finger fairly dense and fluffy light khaki head with good retention, that reduces to a thin cap that lingers. Nice spotty soapy lacing clings on the glass, with a light amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of big dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, brown sugar, roasted nuts, toasted biscuit, and dark bread/crust; with lighter notes of molasses, raisin, fig, date, smoke, charcoal, wood, herbal, grass, peppercorn, pine, and yeast/roast/toasted earthiness. A bit too fruity/yeasty aromas, but not overwhelming. Nice aromas with good balance and complexity of dark/black/roast/bready malts and light-moderate earthy hop/fruity yeast notes; with big strength. Taste of big dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, brown sugar, roasted nuts, toasted biscuit, and dark bread/crust; with lighter notes of molasses, raisin, fig, date, smoke, charcoal, wood, herbal, grass, peppercorn, pine, and yeast/roast/toasted earthiness. Light-moderate pine, herbal, woody, grassy, peppery, roast, charred bitterness on the finish. Lingering notes of dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, brown sugar, roasted nuts, toasted biscuit, dark bread/crust, molasses, dark fruit, smoke, charcoal, wood, herbal, grass, peppercorn, pine, and yeast/roast/toasted earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Great complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/black/roast/bready malts and light-moderate earthy hop/fruity yeast flavors; with a great roast/hop bitter/sweet balance; and no cloying/acris/astringent flavors after the finish. Light-moderate increasing dryness from lingering hop/char bitterness. Medium carbonation and body; with a very smooth, moderately creamy/bready/grainy, and fairly sticky/resinous/chalky mouthfeel that is great. Minimal warming alcohol for 6.3%. Overall this is a very nice American porter. All around nice complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/black/roast/bready malts and light-moderate earthy hop/fruity yeast flavors; very smooth and easy to drink with the modestly bitter/charred/drying finish; not aggressively bitter/charred. Great well rounded rich malt complexity, with nice earthy hops presence/balance, and restrained fruity yeast. Light residual sweetness with lingering hop/char bitter dryness. A very enjoyable offering, and well made spot on style example.

Poured into a Fremont small snifter. Pours a very dark mahogany brown, appearing nearly opaque in the glass with a thin, dark khaki head that dissipates to patches with light lacing. Aroma of mildly toasted and biscuit malt, baker's chocolate, drip coffee, light nuttiness. Flavor is toasted malt, milk chocolate, coffee and nuts. Medium bodied with light to moderate creaminess. A pleasant, well balanced porter with moderate roastiness. The flavor is somewhat mellow and a little light to start, but the well balanced chocolate malt flavors last well into and after the finish, which is a big plus for me. Flavors are well integrated and smooth throughout. I liked this unassuming, but well flavored porter.

Dark brown with two fingers of khaki-colored head. Modest lacing.

Rich, lightly-toasted malt with a little fruity chocolate sweetness to it, but with a whiff of carbonation as well that keeps it dry.

Dark malts and moderate piney bitterness in the taste. There are hints of chocolate, coffee, nuts and plum.

Relatively full bodied with nice soft carbonation cutting through.

The malt and hops combine for a really nice aftertaste in this one. Quite easy-drinking and enjoyable. 15/10/18 stamped on the bottom.

Pour is middle cola brown. Edges are more golden brown like a perfectly toasted marshmallow. Half finger of active ashy-khaki coloured head swells into being and then dissipates leaving little more than a faint imprint on the top of the liquid. No lacing.

Nose explores some nice porter notes of black coffee and some warm chocolate with roast and a little nuttiness. Maybe even a hint of ashy smoke.

Flavour reinforces the bookends of my descriptors above: some ashy light smoke and bitter coffee lead the proceedings. Middle brings some roast nuttiness before committing back to the bitter/acrid coffee, but there's a bright little glint laying just below the surface that gives it a nice playful counterbalance to the grim first impression. It's definitely growing on me as I get into it.

Pretty thin and dry with ebullient carbonation prickling across the tongue.

Solid dry ashy porter that's not going to overpower you or blow you away, but is plenty enjoyable and I'm looking forward to the rest of the six pack.

Served in 10oz goblet. Poured a solid black color with just a thin cap of tan head that dissipated quickly and left no lacing.

Nice, and not overpowering, roast on the nose, and solid malt base. Very similar on the palate, roast, some malt, and just a tickle of hops. The body was medium, thinner than some, a bit more than others.

Drinkability was very good, my pour went done quickly and easily, and I'll be having more. Overall, a pretty nice brew, worth a shot when you see it.