Raspberry Porter
Dillon Dam Brewery

I am still new to describing my tastings but, this beer is incredible smooth flowing extremely dark porter. Personally I didn't taste the raspberry flavoring but it was because I was too distracted by the incredibly intense smoky flavoring that stays with you. At first I did not like this beer, but found as it sat in front of me I felt myself compelled to continue sipping it until I was finished with my second one. It has an amazing feel with the smoky flavor that you cannot pass up.

The DAM Brewery has a fine line up of beers. Their flagship Dam Straight Lager and Extra Pale Ale are excellent session beers, and over the past few years, I've been consistently impressed with the quality of their seasonals--the Scottish ale, Chile Beer, and hefe weizen immediately come to mind. And this year's late-winter seasonal, the Raspberry Porter, followed in this proud tradition.

It's a good looking porter, top to bottom, with a dark tan head that clings to both the top of the beer and the edge of the glass. The bouquet is a decadent mix of chocolate and fruit, though the raspberry sweetness may win out just a tad too much to make its aromas truly excellent. Fortunately, this balance is better presented in the beer's flavor: the raspberry sweetness gives the beer a sweet, dry finish that matches the heavy roasted flavors up front. This is a great beer for any time of day; and it's heavy enough flavor-wise to match up against strong food flavors, like tomato and buffalo as well.

I had three pints without thinking about it in one sitting and would have taken home a growler had it not been Sunday. The high country is lucky to have such a tasty winter seasonal. This is a must-try for anyone who visits Colorado's Central Mountains in the next few weeks.