Sierra Nevada Porter
Being a huge fan of Sierra Nevada's Stout, I was very interested to see how their porter stood in comparison. I wasn't disappointed but I wasn't quite as impressed as I am with the SN Stout. The beer pours the expected deep brown with little carbonation and only the thinnest of heads. The drink left minimal lacing but that would be expected considering the lack of foam. Smell was inviting - plenty of roasted notes primarily of coffee and malt. The taste followed suit, a nice dark bitter drink. While I'd never use the word 'sweet' to describe this brew, there was a pronounced note that I could only describe as toasted caramel. Unfortunately, while the flavors are enjoyable, this is more of a 'one note' approach which lacked the interesting complexity I expect from a highly rated brew. Mouthfeel was acceptably light without being watery but the lack of carbonation did feel a little on the flat side. I wouldn't take this as much of a complaint as I'm holding SN to pretty high standards. This is a plenty nice brew and quite drinkable, though if I were faced with a choice at the store I'd be more likely to go with their Stout which had a much more complex and balanced flavor.