Sleigh Jerker (v.2)
Amnesia Brewing

 

 

 

 

Tried this at Amnesia on Feb 6, 2010...

Appearance: dark brown, quite hazy, big layer of tan creamy foam, great head retention, and lots of lace

Aroma: chocolate malt, brown sugar, rum, hint of citrus rind

Flavor: medium malt sweetness with heavy notes of cocoa and coffee; brown sugar syrup; finishes semisweet with a smooth hop bitterness lingering

Mouthfeel: medium-full body, gentle carbonation, silky, alcohol warmth in the throat

Other comments: First of their beers I've tried. Could have gone with one of their flagships, but the cloudy weather called for this warming ale instead. Pretty much hit the spot!

The brewer calls this winter seasonal a dark ale. I disagree. It’s a porter. What’s in a name, you ask? Well, it’s a helpful means of defining and recognizing style and gives you a sense of what characteristics to expect from the beer. So when I say, “Sleigh Jerker is a porter,” you more-or-less know what I’m talking about.

But more important than what’s in a name is what’s in the pint. Sleigh Jerker is a brew of dark chocolate malts. It is black with the slightest measure of shaded mahogany, a dark, dirty-brown head, and good splashy lace. The aroma and taste can be summed up in one word – porter.

This is a very solid beer, well sustained with an inspired smoky finish. By comparison to Amnesia’s Wonka Porter, Sleigh Jerker is higher in alcohol though otherwise similarly profiled. The brewer informs me he is still tweaking the recipe but the version served on tap in early 2005 was his second effort which I have noted with the reference (v.2).