This is pretty much an impromptu review. This one just showed up in my beer fridge; I assume from my daughter Molly. At any rate I was not planning on reviewing it tonight but it sort of jumped out of the beer fridge and into my class. Funny how that happens.
The beer pours a dark brown completely opaque with no light getting through at all. The beer also produced and moderate tan head.
The nose is nice with dark roasted malt aromas with notes of chocolate. With a gentle swirl a pleasant sweetness is released, I assume from some floral hops.
Not bad; an interesting first sip with coffee and chocolate notes on the finish.
The experience starts out with a touch of dark malt sweetness up front. There is not much going on in the middle of the sip but a slight malt robustness that builds toward the back-end. The back end is fairly easy drinking with an almost effortless swallow. There is also a carbonation release during the swallow that masks some flavors. The finish is very nice with robust dark roasted malt flavors with notes of toffee, coffee and a hint of dark chocolate. The final aftertaste is of these robust dark roasted malts.
All and all this is nice robust porter. Not the easiest drinking porter but I don’t think this robust porter is supposed to be easy drinking.
This beer is full of rich dark malt flavors. I’m really enjoying it.
I’m picking up sharpness on the finish now that I did not notice before. I’m not sure if it’s hops or if we are starting to pick up something else.
I’m expecting this to open up and show some complexity as it warms but it’s not. Don’t get me wrong there is nothing bad whatsoever about this experience I just thought it would develop some more character as it warmed.
This is a solid B.
Scuttlebutt Porter is a solid robust porter with nice dark roasted malt flavors with notes of toffee, coffee and dark chocolate. This is not your easy drinking English Porter but a hardier well crafted robust American Porter.