Double Thunder
General Lafayette Inn & Brewery

Dark brown pour, light brown ring. I tried both the cask and draft version and they were quite different. The cask felt a bit dull, soy saucy and kind of like a dark malts soup. On the other hand, the keg offered a more interesting cakey sweetness with certainly a beany aspect, but it was more vanilla-ish than vegetal this time. The mouthfeel was quite oily with that low carbonation, full and fatiguing. Rather complex flavours with good supporting hops and roastiness hinting at cocoa and herbs. Still, more integration and roundness would have been welcome and the usual fruitiness forgot the meeting.

chose this beer out of the sampler tray as one of the pints i would have. impressive. 9.4%

dark and unseeable thru. brownish-tan haze on the surface plus an obligatory ring of foam sediment. leaves a serious wall blanketing the pint interior. huge cocoa notes in the nose as well as an accentuating hazelnut groove. desserty. tastes smooth with a big warming quality and appealing buttery nature overall. surprised by spicy cinnamon which accompanies the dark chocolate.. out comes some cherry laced hop esters to finish the sip. there is no hiding the size of this beer- you can feel yourself drinking an alcohol brownie. however, this is physical and not the result of ANY alcohol taste or subsequent bitterness. light coffee notes and botanical bite show up in subsequent sips. recommended, worth a trip in itself.

The most beautiful view of used motor oil effortlessly cradles the silky smooth head. The first smell forces chocolate, mild alcohol and smoke. This beer left a barely noticeable after taste of burnt wood and fig on my lips. Halfway through the glass the beer opened up a bit to reveal more cocoa and sweet semblance of caramel. Porters being my favorite style of beer I found this one becoming a very close friend. Though intimidating at first, this “double” porter was nothing short of hospitable.
I have always found the heavy beers to be some of my favorite at the General Lafayette and this one does not disappoint. Boasting 9.4% ABV and 35 IBU, Double Thunder Porter comes across as chewy and arrogant, but after a few moments getting to know it you leave thinking it is savory and sweet.

Appears a black wave in a glass with just a touch of brown hue near the top and bottom of the glass with some light trying to break through. Decent 2 finger tan head sticks around before settling down to a small film. Lacing seems to slide back into the goblet.
Smell is of rich fudge brownies made with dark chocolate and a touch of figs and concorde grapes.
Taste is of the same great smell that doesn't go too overboard to make it an unpleasant beer. This is carefully done and makes this rich and dilectable brew a tasty treat to be savored.
The mouthfeel is full bodied, chewy, and sticky with lots of chocolate fudge sweetness flowing with a hint of hops in the finish. Slightly smooth with a bit of grit breaking up the smoothness and reminding you that the beer is in the driver seat for this voyage.
Drinkability is good but the alcohol is there. It's not unpleasant at all but beware, as it goes down so nice that it's a sneaky bugger.
I believe this solidifies Chris Leonard as the new Sheriff of higher abv brews in the Philadelphia area beer sector. The General keeps making more and more beers that are well done over the 7.5% mark and the diagnosis...DELICIOUS!

Smooooveee...sawwweeeattt. This is all about richness, maltiness, mocha, chochalotta flava. Another amazing seasonal from General Lafayette. Caramel, chocolate, coffee...all the flavors you expect from a porter, but this is a double porter, so the flavors are amplified w/o ever seeming overdone or overwhelming--this is a really drinkable beer, balanced and easy going. This one's incredibly well made, hardly betraying its high alcohol content with all the easy-going flavor. Drink it up, but respect it, because at 9.1%, it's a beer to be reckoned with.

2005 Release...finally...

Dark opaque buh-lack hues frozen still in countenance. This deer-in-headlights fears my palate, topped with a khaki head cap that settles to a sandy collar. With a few swirls, a rising coating instantly fades leaving no lace.

Light aromatic roasted malts and some woody scents.

First swigs: Sharp baker's chocolate & mocha ice cream instant taste. Lingering continuation of dry baker's chocolate and nary an awl-kee-hawl flavor at all. If you make like Christopher Columbus and search for it, there is a pinch of port wine in the goodbye wave finish. Roasted malt is raisin like in a big way creating a quite nice 2x porter which evolves into a boozy 9.4 % ABV warm end.

Feel is an astringent full bodied 2X Porter with clenched carbonation. This NEVER becomes cloying at all. Amazing light tongue coater with an easy high ABV dinkability.

Last swigs: Baker's chocolate with a clean finish. Baltic porter without the linger. This 2X Porter setles the argument b/t porter and stout.

Beer is good. Happy local beering.

The beer pours a deep black color with a thin tan head. The aroma is good. It has a rich black malt scent that is accompanied by chocolate and crystal malts. The taste is great. It is intensely malty with a rich dark malt flavor that warms on the way down. The mouthfeel is good. It is a full bodied beer with adequate carbonation. This is a great beer. The abv. is high, but I can't recall what it is. It has a great complex flavor; a good sessions brew.