Road Dog Porter
Poured from 12 oz bottle into nonic pint glass. A - With a hard pour I got a tan, three finger head with great retention and lacing. Settled to a thick white cap. This brew is dark brown, not quite opaque. S - A little weak for a porter, but still a nice interaction of dry tobacco and coffee, with some chocolate or caramel hiding. T - Not as great as I remember it, but still good. A whisper of caramel malt kicks it off, but it quickly morphs into a strange, briny character, I can only assume hops are responsible. A little bit of expected porter sourness comes through near the finish, but vanishes as quickly as the malt early palate. Bitter aftertaste. M - Slick with moderate carbonation. Somewhat heavy bodied. D - An ok beer to drink, but a little off balance. No real standout characteristics. I remember loving this beer a few months back, but right now it's not doing much for me. The taste is quite bland, and there's not enough of a malt profile to keep me interested. There's a vague caramel-like character, but nothing shines through and it's rather dry for a porter.