Now starts the beers that I’ve actually been looking forward to since this endeavor began. Porters are up first, specifically Oregon’s own Deschutes brewery and their Black Butte Porter.
Appearance: A deep, dark brown, nearly black beer, The head is thick in appearance with light brown coloring. The head seems to last forever. Light Belgian lace when it does dissipate.
Aroma: Slight roasted hint ontop of the stronger sweet-like toffee aroma. Virtually no bitterness nor hops to be found. There is a hint of malt, but not overly so like you find in bocks. If there’s a word for this aroma, it’s “restrained”.
Taste: Lighter than I expected, and more watery as well, but then again, I come more from a stout fan POV. The roasty aromas lend themselves to the taste with the finish lasting for a while. Nice, warm dark flavors are there. Hints of coffee, but only just. No bitterness at all.
Mouthfeel: Light carbonation. The zing comes from the finish and the initial roasty flavors. It does feel watery as well, and I’m not sure that this is a plus.
Drinkability: An excellent example of a porter, but with one glaring weakness – the strong flavors found in the taste can be overshadowed by the wateryness of the mouthfeel. But the mouthfeel is the only problem here, and it’s not that of a big one.
Overall: A-
