Big Sky Brewing Cowboy Coffee Porter

February 22, 2011 ~ Ken Valley ~ 1 Comment

Over the weekend, I had a chance to try a Big Sky Brewing Cowboy Coffee Porter.

It started out with a roasted scent, but even though it has coffee as an ingredient, it was difficult to pick it out.

With the taste, it had a medium to light body, and tasted like chocolate with a hint of coffee. As a side note, the coffee was very very light, and, just like the aroma, the coffee was difficult to sense.

Overall, it was a nice medium-bodied limited-edition porter. Have you had the Cowboy Coffee Porter? What was your take?

Flying Dog Gonzo Imperial Porter

May 22, 2010May 23, 2010 ~ Ken Valley ~ Leave a comment

Saturday of American Craft Beer Week I tried the Gonzo Imperial Porter form Flying Dog Brewing.

It smelled a lot like chocolate and had a roasted scent to it. It was a very full and thick beer with a lot of body. It tasted a bit like bitter chocolate, almost like a dark chocolate. It left a nice warming sensation due to the alcohol content (~7.8% ABV), as well as a nice chocolate aftertaste. When I tried this beer, it was a bit warmer, at 60 degrees F, and I enjoyed it from a goblet.

Have you tried the Gonzo Imperial Porter?

Peace Tree Brewing Rye Porter

May 17, 2010May 18, 2010 ~ Ken Valley ~ 1 Comment

Tonight I had the third bottled Peace Tree beer, the Rye Porter.

It was a nice chocolatey porter, and had a crisp flavor. It was clean on front of tongue, as it hits the back of the tongue, the Belgian-ness character (from the yeast) shows up. After the finish, it leaves a nice chocolate flavor with a bit of the Belgian character staying with you. It was a nice, smooth, crisp porter.

Of the three Peace Tree bottled beers, including Red Rambler and Hop Wrangler IPA, the Rye Porter is my favorite!

Have you tried the Rye Porter? What did you think? What’s your favorite Peace Tree offering?

Founders Brewing Co. Porter

March 30, 2010April 16, 2010 ~ Ken Valley ~ Leave a comment

Ever since SF 2088 was passed in Iowa, I have been anxiously awaiting Iowa brewers to begin producing beer above 6.25% ABV, as well as companies to begin distributing their higher-alcohol selections in Iowa. No company fits the latter situation better than Founders Brewing Co. in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

One such beer that is not yet available in Iowa (so I get it in Illinois) is Founders Brewing Co.’s Porter.

It is a very dark, chocolaty robust porter with higher body and sweetness. It poured as dark as night, and had a nice, thick, dark head. It was very smooth, and tasted like caramel and chocolate. Because it is at 6.5%, it is has not yet been distributed in Iowa, but I would drive an hour to buy this beer, it’s that good. Just like the label says, it’s “Dark, Rich, and Sexy”.

So, let’s see if we can send Founders a message that we want their beer in Iowa, now that SF 2088 passed. I say cheers to Founders Porter!

Deschutes Brewery Black Butte Porter

March 18, 2010April 16, 2010 ~ Ken Valley ~ Leave a comment

I recently had the pleasure of sampling the Black Butte Porter from Deschutes Brewery of Bend, Oregon. The Black Butte Porter is the flagship beer of the brewery, and after tasting, I can understand why.

It was a nice, smooth, rich porter with a nice chocolate flavor. There are usually two types of porters found in America: those that have a lot of hops, and those that don’t. The Black Butte is the latter, making it a delightful beer with low bitterness and smooth chocolaty goodness that I could see myself enjoying many of.

Have you tried Deschute’s Black Butte Porter? What did you think?