Heavy Seas Letter of Marque 2010 Rye Porter

Heavy Seas "Mutiny Fleet" Letter of Marque 2010 Rye Porter:

This is a hearty porter that has an American stamp on it for certain: Hoppy and funky, this American craft beer tinkers with an age-old recipe and comes up with something groovy.

The aroma carries some caramel and vanilla notes, with a touch of oak, and smells sweeter than it tastes.  The roasted brew is a little bitey, with coffee and hops duking it out for top billing.  Yes, there is a rye presence.  It complements the bitterness and adds a certain dankness to the flavor, lest it "pop" too much from any bright hop flavor that may conflict with the roasted malt.  Sometimes this happens with a "black IPA" or an "India Black Ale" that tries to do too many things at once.  Nah, this rye porter is pretty well-balanced and drinkable if you don't mind beer with flavor!

Letter of Marque 2010 Rye Porter has a medium body with a creamy mouthfeel, but levels off a bit with a slightly coppery aftertaste that hits the sides and back of the palate after the swallow.  I think it would really settle into my "fave" range if the hops were tuned down just a bit, the body boosted a smidge, and the rye were featured more prominently.  Maybe I just need to find this puppy on hand-pumped cask and get ready for a keel-hauling.

Not to be confused with a rye IPA like Dock Street Rye IPA, (which I enjoyed at the Philly Craft Brew Fest as well as on  tap at McKenzie's) or the "Pimp My Rye" rye wine from the Bull & Bush in Denver, CO (which I tasted at the Beer Bloggers Conference), this rye porter features the porter rather than the rye.  Even so, it is not the traditional English porter, but rather an American variation.  I suppose the only porter that could be even remotely compared to it would be Troegs Dead Reckoning, which has a non-traditional hoppy zip to it.  Either way, if you are a Heavy Seas fan or a porter fan, check it out.

From the label: "Historically, a Letter of Marque was a document that made a Pyrate a legitimate privateer.  Our Letter of Marque makes a home brewer a legitimate professional!"  This calls to mind the Samuel Adams "Longshot" brews and the recent Iron Hill/Barley Legal collaborations that put homebrewers in the spotlight and gave them a chance to use some professional grade brewing equipment, complete with brewmasters' knowledge.  It's a win-win if you ask me.  Actually, win-win-win because I have really enjoyed the results, and Letter of Marque is no exception.

Food Pairing suggestion:  Drink this rye IPA to complement a beef dish or roasted game.  Perhaps accentuate the rye by making it a sandwich on rye bread.  Ooh, ooh... maybe a Reuben  or a grilled Beef Supreme!  That  sounds delicious.



Heavy Seas "Mutiny Fleet" Letter of Marque 2010 Rye Porter:

Representation:              .875
Accessibility:                  .825
Style:                             .95
Personal Preference:      .93

Total Score:         3.575 Flags

Heavy Seas Mutiny Fleet The Great Pumpkin

Heavy Seas Mutiny Fleet The Great Pumpkin Imperial Pumpkin Ale:

Heavy Seas doesn't like to play softball when it comes to their beers' flavor and body. Potency also features prominently in the Heavy Seas lineup from Clipper City Brewing Company in Baltimore, MD. And Ahoy!! The Great Pumpkin arrived a little late to the Presidential stash to be reviewed in time for Halloween 2009 so it had to be set aside for a snowy day. So here goes:

The Great Pumpkin pours an awesome honey-golden-amber-pumpkin-orange color that fairly glows like a jack-o-lantern when you hold it up to the light. In the aroma and at the front of the sip, an interesting hoppiness and bitterness sneak up on you when all you expect is pumpkin pie. dig deeper and take a few deep whiffs. Breathe with purpose as you drink this big boy pumpkin beer and you will be rewarded with a treasure chest full of pumpkin spice aromas and flavors.

Imperial indeed at 8% abv, The Great Pumpkin is rich and powerful. Well blended are the pumpkin and the ale, though both are just a tad over the top. This actual review takes place in February, long after the pumpkin ales have been put away, so perhaps it's just a little out of context for me, but it seems to have crossed a line or two. That's fantastic for a Halloween party, but I seem to crave beers that are not only well-blended but also well-balanced. In other words, as much as I reach out to more and more pumpkin brews over the years, I've shifted my preference from "Pumpkin! Drink! It's a beer!" to a more subtle "Wow, what a great beer that has amazing pumpkin flavor!"

The Great Pumpkin reminds me a bit of Southern Tier's Pumking and Weyerbacher's Imperial Pumpkin. The Style Points are huge, inversely affecting the Accessibility. Totally worth a try if you're into pumpkin seasonals and a must-have if you're on a mission to try them all.

Heavy Seas Mutiny Fleet The Great Pumpkin Imperial Pumpkin Ale:

Representation: .99

Accessibility: .825

Style: 1.0

Personal Preference: .90

Total Score: 3.715 Flags