Catamount Bourbon Barrel-Aged Porter
Harpoon Brewery & Beer Hall

 

Poured from the 22 oz bottle, 2018 version into the test glass.
A - Cobalt black color, somewhere in there carbonation is working topside. A thin Mocha cap quickly exits. Lacing is lovely troughout the experience.
S - Earthy dark grains, caramel, toffee, roast coffee, cocoa, vanilla from the barrel
T - A full follow of the aromatics, add a bit of anise and black pepper, the dark malts shine here adding a nice char that offsets the vanilla of the Bourbon barrel.
M - Medium to hefty on the palate, wonderfully dry considering its construct. Dark chocolate feel with round profile. Finish is the only sweet part and that quickly moves on
O - A very good treatment of what seems a rich porter, The original was a favorite and this is a fine homage.

L-The beer pours a glossy black which shows ruby red at the edges when held to the light. The head is greater than 3 inches in height and tan in color. This is a really beautiful beer on the pour. The beer has a really nice cascading effect.
S- The nose is sweet with chocolate from the malts and vanilla from the barrel. It is medium in intensity.
T- Up front the beer is sweet with vanilla from the barrel, yet not boozy at all for a 10% beer. The vanilla sweetness mixes with the chocolate from the malts. The vanilla eventually fades away leaving some dark chocolate to linger into the aftertaste. Late in the aftertaste the becomes more like coffee till it fades.
F- Mouthfeel overall is medium. There is some slickness to it which gives you that feeling of coating. Carbonation is fairly light after the initial pour.
O-If you are averse to sweetness in your beer than you won't like this. If you're like me, and like a touch of sweetness in your stouts, this beer will appeal to you. Usually these type of sweet beers at this strength come off as quite boozy. This one avoids that better most. It's a dessert porter well suited to sharing around a campfire in the late fall. Recommended if you don't mind sweetness.

Draught. Boozy and sweet

sort of like a BA light beer- the barrel character is there, but there feel and overall profile comes through as watery and thin. some nice roasty and sweet nutty character. overall close but not quite there.

 

Was very happy to see this in stores. Catamount went out of business just before I was old enough to drink their products. Pours a pitch black with a thin brown head into my glass. Bourbon malt with toffee, charred wood and dark fruit. Bold and surprisingly drinkable with muted bourbon, dark fruit and toffee flavors. Muted heat in the finish. I would buy another bottle and age it for 6 months or longer.

 

 

22 oz. bomber.
(in 2018!)
Moderate to vigorous pour yields a 5/8 inch tan head over a dark brown body with scant lacing. Nose of roasted malt, caramel, vanilla, chocolate, and bourbon. Taste of chocolate, caramel, vanilla with bourbon coming out on the finish. Very nice feel and overall? Wow, very impressed with this. Seek this out and enjoy a tiny bit of VT beer history. Cheers!