Stock Porter
When I bought this, I thought it was a rather expensive porter ($6.69). Now, I see this was aged in oak barrels, so that adds another $2-3 to the bottle :-/ 750 ml corked and caged bottle. On to the beer: Pours dark brown...in the glass it is black with reddish hues at the bottom of the glass. Big bubbly head forms on top. I smell it, and it's an interesting aroma. It smells like ground coffee, but with a grain, cork, and fruity edge to it. Now come to moment of truth. It doesn't taste like your average porter. It's like a porter mixed with fruity Belgain yeast. The coffee flavor is first to register on my palaate. A little dry, with a mild roasted character. In comes that fruity flavor, akin to dark ripened fruits, such as prunes and plums. I don't know if that's the barrel aging at work, but those flavors make this porter unique (though not necessarily great). The fruit flavors gain dominance in overall flavor as I drink further along here. The mouthfeel is very pleasant, not too bubbly and a good body that soaks in my mouth. The beer finishes with a chalky flavor and a zip of alcohol. I like the flavor of dark Belgians and porters, but I'd prefer the flavors to be seperate instead of melded together. Telegraph's Stock Porter melds them together, which is interesting at first, but should be sampled in smaller doses.