A blind porter tasting

Discussion in 'Great Lakes' started by ZAP, Dec 25, 2014.

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  1. ZAP

    ZAP Grand Pooh-Bah (4,048) Dec 1, 2001 Minnesota
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    This is from November...just posting now...7 beers....I poured for my brother, and he poured for me....we knew the overall field but not what we were drinking. I do not have tasting notes so the comments are off memory

    Combing our totals here is how it finished.(along with dates on the beer)

    1. Fargo Sodbuster.(Fresh) We both loved the creamy java like dimension to this.

    2. Founders.(Fresh) I figured this would finish #1 but Fargo slipped by it.

    3. Bemidji (Fresh) This is a top notch brewery and this was right in the running for #1

    4. Summit Great Northern Porter (Fresh) A surprise finish....I really like this one a lot..

    5. Sierra Nevada (6 months old)

    6. Bells (almost a year old)

    7. Deschuttes (fresh...March 2015 date)...this was the biggest surprise...I thought it would contend for top honors but we both in a blind taster put it behind even beers that were dated....between us we've rated close to 5,000 beers (with rating when it meant something...where we had to verbalize what we were experiencing instead of the current way of just ticking in a rating).... so I trust our rating here....maybe a bad batch? I have no idea but this is how it shook out and we didn't care who did well and who didn't....
     
    #1 ZAP, Dec 25, 2014
    Last edited: Dec 25, 2014
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  2. Bravak

    Bravak Zealot (587) Sep 9, 2014 Minnesota

    Surprised by the Deschutes place....but now makes me want to try Fargo. Summit has been a good find for me too.
     
    #2 Bravak, Dec 26, 2014
  3. ZAP

    ZAP Grand Pooh-Bah (4,048) Dec 1, 2001 Minnesota
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    No doubt...Summit really impressed me in this blind setting...You know how it is...what is familiar is often overlooked...this tasting told me this should not be overlooked...
     
    #3 ZAP, Dec 26, 2014
  4. Bravak

    Bravak Zealot (587) Sep 9, 2014 Minnesota

    Sooooo true. I can't tell you how many times I have 'rediscovered' something that I began taking for granted. I sometimes forget that in the search for something new, I often stupidly pass over the known which is outstanding.
     
    #4 Bravak, Dec 26, 2014
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  5. ekimmel

    ekimmel Initiate (0) Apr 22, 2014 Minnesota

    Fargo has quietly starting making some really good beer. It's too bad they get overlooked here because they're not officially a Minnesota beer (much like the western Sconnie beers).
     
    #5 ekimmel, Dec 26, 2014
  6. bismarksays

    bismarksays Savant (1,194) Dec 7, 2008 Iowa

    This makes me want to try Fargo. Founders is my favorite porter, just ahead of Smuttynose. I a a little surprised at how low Bells finished, but it was an out of date bottle. I am not real surprised about Deschuttes. Compared to a nice hearty Midwest Porter, it is a touch thin and one dimensional.
     
    #6 bismarksays, Dec 26, 2014
  7. BottleCaps80

    BottleCaps80 Initiate (0) Jan 12, 2013 Iowa

    Would like to see how Tallgrass Zombie Monkie stacked up. That's one of favorites.
     
    #7 BottleCaps80, Dec 26, 2014
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  8. HammsMeASAP

    HammsMeASAP Pundit (931) Jun 14, 2012 Minnesota

    Awesome beer
     
    #8 HammsMeASAP, Dec 26, 2014
  9. ekimmel

    ekimmel Initiate (0) Apr 22, 2014 Minnesota

    I'd take Zombie Monkie over Sodbuster.
     
    #9 ekimmel, Dec 27, 2014
  10. MNBeerGeek

    MNBeerGeek Initiate (0) Jun 25, 2013 Minnesota

    I happen to be in Fargo right now and was stopping by the brewery today. Based on @ZAP's rankings I decided on a sodbuster instead of my usual Iron Horse or Woodchipper and it really is excellent. I like it better than Zombie Monkie, for sure.
     
    #10 MNBeerGeek, Dec 27, 2014
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