A Stout Mammal Porter
Trap Rock Restaurant & Brewery

 

This came to me pitch black as nite, I had just finished my steak and was hoping for a sesioner to finish it off, big head with coffee/mocha in the head and smell. Taste was very light, coffee style, the body on the other hand was full, a beer trying to pull off full body and light drinking at the same time, I admit it's a good effort not perfect but good. This porter is not balanced but it isn't trying to be and as it's purpose to me as an after dinner beer it did the job well. Well-made.

Appearance- 4
Smell- 4
Taste- 4
Mouthfeel-3.5
Drinkability-4.5

Pours a light-sucking black hue with a foamy, large-bubbled mocha head. Pretty, and if this is supposed to be a stout/porter hybrid, the stout is winning out here.

Smell is very muted, the dark-roasted malts serving to actually quiet the nose and enhance the house yeast. I find this happens with a lot of fresh on-tap brewpub stouts. Par for the course, if not flashy. Solid.

With a little time to let the pint warm up, this brew opens up on the palate. Big carob notes dominate the conversation, yet there's clearly both black patent and roasted barley in here. Stout/Porter hybrid, indeed. Still, all that being said, I still think the stout wins out here. Acidulated malt shows up after the swallow. If I have a major critique, it seems that while the individual elements shine (each adding their own trademark), there's not enough teamwork -- I'd like to see a more coherent flavor. I'm getting a little of those Dr. Pepper notes that the blithering one was talking about.

Mouthfeel is soft, yeah, but this is from a growler, and I sort of like it this way. Good stuff all around here.

Drinkability is hurt just a bit by the density of the body on this -- I can't believe this is only 4%! Seems like a very heady brew in other respects. Still, I enjoyed two pints, and enjoyed both.

All in all, a very good brew, pulling off pretty much exactly what the brewers wanted: A brew that is both Porter and Stout, satisfying and rich to drink, yet a sessioner. Pretty good.

Thanks to the blitheringest idiot of them all for giving me 3/4ths of his growler to enjoy (not to mention some other treats...reviews coming shortly). What a guy!

In his spirit, a proper send off:
Happy Friendly-Sharing-Chocolatety-Roasty-Tastyness beering.

Pours as a dark midnight ink thick opaque buh-lack with a settled light brown dense head cap creeping into the corners of the glass.

Aroma is a coffee meets cocoa with a soft roasted malt. Engaging aroma of soft chocolate. This really challanges my ability to say porter or stout. I am opting for more of a stout characteristics but the powdery scents are generous.

First swigs: Brisk toasted malt and toffee. Dry short finish that leads to a lingering aftertaste of table sugary roasty malt. Hints of Dr. Pepper eek out in a few sips.

Feel was a tad thin, perhaps due to the pour from the hard working staffguy was megga foamy and settled a bit thin, but still good.

Last swigs: This really does criss cross back 'n forth between a porter and a stout. Kinda like an experiment. What do you think? Only one way to find out.

p.s. if this style needs to be corrected, please feel free to do so.

Beer is good.