Porter
Red Lodge Ales

 

i think they call this one rock dodge, colloquially or otherwise, as a loving reference to the mountain. i liked this a lot, maybe its my favorite beer from red lodge so far actually, on tap right on the hill. it looks matte black in the glass, with a full inch of mocha head and a nice density to it. creamy. wintery feeling too, with plenty of body but not any residual sugar, just a dry cocoa malt residual that really warms me up. smooth in feel too, with a mild spice arising in the middle. i could almost swear i taste a little rye in here, but it could also be the yeast, which i really cant place. if its a familiar culture, its done at a different temperature or at a different pace than i am used to. its not yeasty per se, like an english porter might be, but there is a flavor and feel left from the yeast that i really like, adds depth. very very mild on the hops, almost inconsequential as most of the bitterness i taste in here comes from dark malt. vibrant carbonation and an abv right on point for the style. i love it, as simple as it is, and it really does represent some of their best work yet. more please!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Red Lodge Porter...on tap at Red Lodge Mountain

Appearance-pours a traditional dark brown/black color with a tan whispy head that pops up to amount medium height.

Smell-roasted malt, nutty smell whiffs of sweet candy, alcohol.

Taste/Mouthfeel-sweet and light with a nutty taste that hits pretty hard, well balanced with an ever so slightly malty bent, alcohol hits slightly at the end. Deeper than I thought.

Drinkability-well balanced and drinkable, for my purposes great after a night on the mountain.

Overall-very nice porter, well balanced, traditional, it gets the job done and then some, great job on this style.

A: Pours a dark brown, almost black in the middle. Some ruby highlights around the edges. A small white head forms, and recedes to nothing. Very light lace.
S: Some sweet roasted malt. Some acidity and coffee.
T: A huge roasted flavor. Semi sweet coffee. Kind of sour, which gives this more of an authentic porter flavor. Very good.
M/D: A medium body with crisp carbonation. What a good porter should be. Easy and smooth to drink. Something I can session.

A very traditional porter. I wish there was more in the aroma, but otherwise a great example of a porter. Recommended.