Sierra Nevada Porter
Porters aren't my favorite style-- as a matter of fact, I usually find them boring, watery, and flavorless... So I wasn't too excited when I was given a 6 pack of this as a Christmas tip from some customers... But I will say that I have already enjoyed a few bottles of this and felt it was time to review. This is a VERY dark red. It is tough, but I can see through it if I try. The 2 finger tan head had pretty decent retention, and some respectable chunky rings of lacing. The smell is giant chocolate malt. Just copious amounts of chocolate malts. Awesome. Some light toffee and coffee notes shine through as well-- not much of a hop presence... Just a balancing bitterness that cuts through the sweetness and dries out the finish. A coffee-like bitterness is great. The feel is the weakpoint on this one for me. The chalky feel lingers after each sip and distracts from the tasty flavor. The chalkiness is reminiscent of mineral water... The body is medium with good carbonation-- but that lingering chalkiness is a turnoff for me. Overall-- well done Sierra Nevada... This is a very enjoyable beer. This is an easy drinking porter: plenty of flavor, good body, and a solid nose.... I will try to open myself up to more porters on the off-chance I find more like this.