Zywiec Porter

Zywiec Porter:

Not sure how to pronounce the name.  At first sniff, it has a smell similar to Samuel Smith's Taddy Porter, so I am pretty excited about this beer.  The bottle says that they are using the same recipe since 1881, so hopefully there is a reason as why they have not made any changes.  The thing about Samuel Smith's Taddy Porter, like their Oatmeal Stout is that you have to watch out the beer doesn't overflow out of the bottle.  It's quite bubbly, and you have to pour carefully into the glass.  Not the same here, but I am not complaining.  I actually get a little annoyed waiting for the head to subside on a Samuel Smith beer.

I take a sip out of the bottle first, and I like what I am tasting.  In the glass, you can smell what I think are vanilla tones.  Quite nice.  This is a silky smooth porter.  I am enjoying this.  At 9.5% abv, this porter is about getting the job done, and you can kind of taste the alcohol here, but I am not always impressed with alcohol masking.  Sometimes you should know what your drinking and be okay with tasting what the beer is made of.  I think this might be the first time I have had a beer of Polish origin.  It makes sense that like Germany and Belgium, Poland would make high quality beers, but I cannot think of any other Polish beers that I have had.  This might make for interesting avenue to stroll down.  I will have to see what else Poland has to offer in beers.

The bottle proudly proclaims, "Faithful to the Tradition" on one side and "Recipe Since 1881" on the other.  And I would make two points: 1) I would classify this as a traditional porter, which I think is great.  It is a porter that tastes like a porter.  No crazy extra flavors added, and I think that is why I compare it to Samuel Smith, and why I enjoy it.  It is a well done porter. And 2) other breweries could learn from this beer.  Make a porter or a stout or a lager or an IPA, and then perfect it, and then stick with that recipe.  Zywiec I think is a town in Poland and the bottle features an illustration of what I think is the brewery and the town.  This beer is all about tradition, and I think this is a traditional beer worthy of keeping a tradition.

This beer will score high in representation, because it is a really solid porter.  At 9.5% abv, it won't score high in accessibility for that fact.  You can taste enough of the alcohol that I think a newcomer to beer or to dark beers would not immediately take to this brew.  Style points won't be super high, because it is a traditional beer, but personal preference will be scored well as I really like this beer.

Zywiec Porter:

Representation: .90
Accessibility: .75
Style: .80
Personal Preference: .90

Total Score: 3.35 Flags

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

Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald Porter (Citizen Review)

What: Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald Porter

Where: Pour House (Westmont, NJ)

When: July 17, 2010

What-have-you: "It reminded me of Iron Hill Brewery's Pig Iron Porter.  Really good smokey taste."

Representation: 1.0

Accessibility: .50

Style: .50

Personal Preference: 1.0

Total: 3.0 Flags

Reviewed by Greg J.

You can also read a full review of this great beer right here.

Check it out.

Greenwich Brewery Meantime London Porter

Greenwich Brewery Meantime London Porter:

This beer was given to me by El presidente for my birthday, because he knows I love the dark beers, especially dark imports, this one being from Britain.  Whenever I drink fine imported dark beers, I use another special gift, a stoneware beer mug given to me by a very good friend.  It was hand crafted and fired in North Carolina and is made in the same way and design as beer mugs made in the Civil War era.  No light beers shall ever touch this mug. Thank you, Therese!

This beer is super smooth and drinkable.  It has a super smooth and creamy head that I had to get a nice beer mustache from to get to the actual beer.  It does not have the over the top bitter head a la Samuel Smith, which I do love, but there is something very approachable and instantaneously accessible and thirsty about this beer.  It is so smooth, in fact, that at 6.5% abv, this would make an incredible session beer and yet a dangerous one.  Enough 750mL bottles of this and you will think you are in a London Pub downing this nice London Porter.

Definitely does not have the roastedness and robust flavor of the old engine oil, it has a nice Guinness feel to it, though it is a porter and not a stout.  This beer makes me think I am drinking at the Prancing Pony in Bree, Middle Earth.  I could drink it all night, smoke a pipe of the South Shire pipe weed, and then maybe go off in search of Tom Bombadil in the Old Forest.  Representation points will falter because I have had some awesome porters and better London Porters, but accessibility points and personal preference will be very high indeed.  I will have to consult with El Presidente as to the price, because if it is expensive, I will call it a wait for a sale.  it is good, but not super awesome.  if the price is reasonable, this gets an enthusiastic "buy" rating.  If you are setting your clock to Greenwich mean time, it is Beer O'Clock.  Drink up.  Cool label, smooth, easy drinking porter.  This would make a nice gift to bring someone, because of its drinkability.   Anyone who might drink a dark ale would like this a lot.  People afraid of, or who love really rich, flavor infused porters will be disappointed.

Greenwich Brewery Meantime London Porter:

Representation: .75
Accessibility: 90
Style: .75
Personal Preference: .9

Total: 3.3 Flags

Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald Porter (Citizen Review)

What: Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald Porter
Where: Pour House (Westmont, NJ)
When: July 17, 2010
What-have-you: "I've been drinking this in West Virginia for years.  It is the only porter I've had yet that satisfies in body, sweetness, and depth.  Reminds me of: Best of Breed."


Representation: 1.0
Accessibility: .75
Style: ..75
Personal Preference: 1.0


Total: 3.5 Flags

Reviewed by Jack W.


You can also read a full review of this great beer right here.

Check it out.

Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald Porter

Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald Porter:

The first time I had this beer it was during Philly Beer Week and me and El Presidente were taking in some Great Lakes brews at Treno pizza and wine bar. I enjoyed it then, and I enjoy it now. The first couple of sniffs out of the bottle, do I sense a coffee smell?  There is some roastedness and toastedness here. This is interesting, too, because I just reviewed Fuller's London Porter, and I drank another Troegs Java Head Stout, so I have some good comparisons here. Not nearly as tasty as the London Porter, but I think it has more going for it that Java Head, keeping in mind that Java Head is a coffee beer and this is not. It's also Shark Week, and I am watching an interesting shark attack show. Hopefully, I am not too distracted to accurately describe my tasting. Pouring the beer into a glass, there is a little too much head. Why so bubbly? Sometimes I think porters and stouts are too flat coming out of a bottle, so maybe I shouldn't complain.

The head has a pleasant smell, and this porter is smooth and easy drinking, so accessibility scores will be high. I've stopped to eat two chicken wings (yours truly grilled them) and the beer still has a head with some nice lacing on the glass. So there is definitely something to this brew. Typically, I don't talk about beers in the same terms of food in terms of presentation, but being able to see a creamy tan head in the glass and lacing on the sides of the glass improve my opinion of this beer. Presentation does count as far as I am concerned. No real strong flavors to report on, but there is some definite lingering roastedness on my palate. I think it is smoother drinking than Java Head, which makes sense because Java Head is 7.5% abv and Edmund Fitzgerald is 5.8% abv, which I think is a plus. This is already a better choice for a session beer.

I have also had Great Lakes Commander Perry IPA, and this leads me to believe that Great Lakes is a pretty darn good brewery. It could have something to do with it being Shark Week, or the fact that I am eating some good home cooking and drinking beer on a Saturday, but I really like this. No exceptional flavors, but smooth, drinkable, and nice. I am also singing the Edmund Fitzgerald song by Gordon Lightfoot, too, so maybe my perspective is biased.

Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald Porter:

Representation: .85
Accessibility: .90
Style: .75
Personal preference: .9

Total: 3.4 Flags

Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald Porter (Citizen Review)

What: Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald Porter
Where: Pour House (Westmont, NJ)
When: July 17, 2010
What-have-you: "Smooth, malt flavor.  Rather generic porter, like my description."


Representation: 1.0
Accessibility: 1.0
Style: .75
Personal Preference: .75


Total: 3.5 Flags

Reviewed by Citizen Carol

Fuller's London Porter

Fuller's London Porter:

Smell: Fascinating.  This beer smells like an empty Guinness glass at first whiff, which is a great start, because many a great night begins with an empty Guinness glass!  Pouring it into a glass now. This beer has nice carbonation and coming out of the bottle it has a surprisingly thick and creamy head.  It stays in the glass. It has staying power. The head is thick enough to leave a foam mustache, which is nice.  Got Fuller's?

Mouthfeel: I recently reviewed Harviestoun Old Engine Oil, and on the label, they used the word "viscous."  Well, Fuller's London Porter has it beat in that category. Fuller's promised a beer that is "Rich, Dark and Complex," and they are as good as their word. It stays in your mouth but not as an aftertaste, more of a lingering feeling (like deja vu).  Tastes more like Guinness than other Irish stouts like Beamish and Murphy's.  I had the opportunity to sample O'Hara's Irish Stout on draught at Jose Pistola's in Philadelphia, and it is the closest thing to Guinness I have had.  But this makes an interesting comparison, too.  Sure, it's a porter and not a stout, and its British and not Irish but this tastes good, smells good, has a real "pub" feeling to it.

Scoring: This beer scores  high in representation (this is a very solid porter), and accessibility is good for dark beer drinkers and pretty good for your average beer drinker as well.  It is not overly roasted or smoky flavor.  Like I said, its kind of like Guinness, so if you don't like Guinness you probably won't aprove of this beer, but if you like Guinness, you should try this out.  Style points won't be high as this isn't bold or daring, but  personal preference points will be high. A cool looking bottle never hurts either and it drank well out of the bottle and after pouring it into a pint glass.

Fuller's London Porter:

Representation: .95

Accessibility: .80

Style: .75

Personal Preference: .95

Total: 3.45

Boulder Planet Porter (Presidential Brief)

What: Boulder Planet Porter 5.51% abv
Where: The Pour House (Westmont, NJ)
When: May 12, 2010
What-have-you: "Boulder 'Planet Porter'. Lil toasty, mildly hoppy, medium body. Really nice but not insane. Worth a look if you're a porter freak."

Selin's Grove Brewing Co. White Horse Porter (Presidential Brief)

What: Selin's Grove Brewing Co. White Horse Porter 5.5% abv
Where: Selin's Grove Brewing Co. (Selinsgrove, PA)
When: November 7, 2009
What-have-you: "Cask-hand-pumped. Mellow!!! Smooth!!! Almost like you're drinking a starry night."

Sun Up Brewing Vanilla Porter (Citizen Review)

What: Sun Up Brewing Vanilla Porter 5.0% abv
Where: Sun Up Brewing (Phoenix, AZ)
When: February 26, 2010
What-have-you: "I saved this beer for last in my tasting. You can immediately smell the vanilla in this beer, which is nice. I like being able to identify the style of beer almost immediately, just by smelling it. Nothing too overbearing here and is nice and smooth. At 5.0%, it could use more oomph, but I will order a full pint of this."

Flying Dog Road Dog Porter

Flying Dog Road Dog Porter:

Another sneaky offering from Flying Dog. The Road Dog porter has a surprising abv at 6%. That's not a very strong beer but it could really do some damage if you fall victim to the easy-drinking Road Dog. The accessibility of Road Dog is its best attribute by far. Not a bad porter to start with if you're just an adventurer who isn't used to dark beers. But the veterans know better.

El Presidente is a staunch supporter of free speech -- and while we at the Ferment Nation choose to keep the language mostly family friendly, we support Flying Dog's right to plaster a "naughty" word all over the label. The only problem I have with it is that the bold claims of being dark, rich, malty, and the best I'll ever try go largely unsupported. I mean, they've made a good attempt and a decent porter but not hardly in the same category as the other porters I would choose over Road Dog (like Yards George Washington, Smuttynose, Anchor, Sierra, Sinebrychoff... just to name a few).

The flavor and the body are both on the light side, which as previously noted, makes Road Dog quite accessible and drinkable. There's a subtle hint of smoke or coffee or something, a gentle tug on the tastebuds, but not very stylish. Flying Dog does have some successes but this porter leaves me a bit underwhelmed.

Flying Dog Road Dog Porter:

Representation: .75

Accessibility: 1.0

Style: .75

Personal Preference: .75

Total Score: 3.25 Flags

Yards General Washington Tavern Porter (Presidential Brief)

What: Yards General Washington Tavern Porter 7% abv
Where: Undisclosed Location
When: February 10, 2010
What-have-you: "Yards George Washington Porter. 7% abv. Dark and a lil smoky with coffee notes. Earthy bittersweetness from the molasses. Um... Perfect porter? Maybe."

Wolaver Alta Gracia Coffee Porter (Presidential Brief)

What: Wolaver Alta Gracia Coffee Porter
Where: PJ's Pour House (Westmont, NJ)
When: January 17, 2010
What-have-you: "Wolaver's Alta Gracia Coffee Porter. Iced coffee with a buzz. Looks like coffee, smells like coffee ... Hmmm. Pour house. Java-licious!"

Read our other Coffee Beer Reviews

Citizen Review Cheryl Smuttynose Porter

Smuttynose Porter:

"A little watery -- expected

more bitter + less sweet

a decent porter"

Representation: 1.0

Accessibility: .25

Style Points: .50

Personal Preference: .50

Total Score: 2.25 Flags

Sinebrychoff Porter (Presidential Brief)

What: Sinebrychoff Porter 7.2% abv
Where: PJ's Pour House (Westmont, NJ)
When: August 13, 2009, 10:07PM
What-have-you: Sinebrychoff Porter @ 7.2 % Baltic is rich yet dry. Toasty as all get out with light to medium body and phantom finish. Drinkable? Oh yee!

Atwater Block Vanilla Java Porter

Atwater Block Vanilla Java Porter

Being no stranger to vanilla, java, or porter, I was excited to review this particular beer from Atwater Block. However, I was also hesitant at first because of the presence of vanilla, especially after reading that they add plain old vanilla extract to the brew (couldn't they slow roast imported vanilla beans over an open fire or something?). I was also ready and willing to be critical, having recently sampled other coffee flavored brews.

Needless to say, the Vanilla Java Porter was disappointing because of its tameness and yet simultaneously exciting because of its accessibility. This is clearly a drinking beer and not a sipping beer. Unlike the 8% Flying Fish Espresso Porter or the 12% Southern Tier Jah-Va Imperial Coffee Stout, Atwater Block Vanilla Java Porter (at 6%) strikes me as an after-work beer and not an after dinner-beer. You get just enough vanilla and coffee aroma and taste as you sniff before you drink as well as on the back of your tongue when you let it bubble down your throat.

The subtle flavors make this a great transition beer, helping traditional drinkers bridge the gap between everyday porters and over-the-top imperials. Sadly, of course, it could also be a gateway beer, enslaving unwary drinkers to their new dark masters of the coffee brews.

Atwater Block Vanilla Java Porter

Representation: .8
Accessibility: .9
Style: .85
Personal Preference: .85

Total: 3.4 Flags

Troegs Dead Reckoning Porter

Troegs Dead Reckoning Porter:

I fell in love with this beer before I even drank it. The logo is so cool that upon my diplomatic voyage to Troegs last year I purchased a t-shirt bearing its likeness even though the stores had been depleted. I managed to have just one or two last year before it disappeared into Davey Jones's Locker. Now, out of the depths, Dead Reckoning rises once more to spice up your fall.

This porter from Troegs has a mediumish body (a little on the lighter side of medium) and a dry, chocolate zest. Crisper and drier than many porters, the toastalicious malty notes are still there, but a hoppy essence complexicates things just a bit. It's a smart brew that's versatile enough to quaff from bottle or glass. I usually go bottle. I feel like its effervescence keeps the dryness in a little longer.

This is a winner for backyard BBQs. A little too expensive to chance at a tailgater where any old swab might shanghai this gem. You know what I'm in the mood for? Gouda cheese. Get creative with a burger and add some smoky goodness. Let me know what you think.

Batten down the hatches, put on your slicker, and fire up that meerschaum. Nauti by nature, Dead Reckoning Porter could make for a salty night.

Troegs Dead Reckoning Porter:

Representation: .95
Accessibility: .925
Style: 1.0
Personal Preference: 1.0

Total Score: 3.875 Flags

Flying Fish Espresso Porter: Revisited

Flying Fish Espresso Porter (Draft):

Four score and seven beers ago, I was pretty tough on every brew up for review. The Toastmaster General advised me that under those strict Draconian guidelines just about no beer at all would ever be able to receive a 4.0 rating. Then the landed aristocracy keeps the commoners from advancing their station in life, class wars become inevitable and then we've got a revolution on our hands. Jesus, I don't need that. So I've lightened up a little with the ratings and most of them turn out pretty fair.

Anyhow, I recently visited PJ Whelihan's in Haddon Twp, NJ and tried the Flying Fish Espresso Porter on tap. Wow! My previous review of this beer may have been a little stingy, so I'm revising it. Keep in mind that the first review was of the bottled version; That being said:

I realize that not everyone will be able to handle this flavorful essprosion so the accessibility points went down just a bit. But all the other scores went up. It's really, really, really good.

Flying Fish Espresso Porter:

Representation: .90
Accessibility: .95
Style: 1.0
Personal Preference: .95

Total Score: 3.8 Flags

Espress Yourself! Flying Fish Imperial Espresso Porter

Flying Fish is a microbrewery not far from the capital city of FermentNation. Hot off the press is the Imperial Espresso Porter. Ah, porter. That lovely style lounging halfway between ale and stout. Usually known for high drinkability scores because of their smoothness and stable body, porters are just as likely to be experimented upon; coffee and chocolate are good choices because of their smooth bitterness which complements the style itself. (Side note: Stone makes a smoked porter that will knock your socks off.)

Check out the bottle: Flying Fish's Imperial Espresso Porter has a cigar ring on the neck with a 10-year logo reminding us that microbrews are here to stay. Decorated with coffee beans, the label invites us to feel the jolt of this lovely beer. Dark as espresso, this smooth porter definitely showcases the coffee flavor without hijacking the porter feel. Sometimes a coffee stout will go bonkers on the java flavor, giving too much away for a true beer lover but this porter seems to hold true. With a lovely balance and medium body, it earns high drinkability points. Smooth mouthfeel and malty sweetness don't hurt the cause either. Can't wait to try this one on tap.

Tactfully jazzy and extremely drinkable. After killing the first one quite quickly I immediately opened a second. If you try pulling that stunt, I recommend you not have anywhere to go: The Imperial Espresso Porter weighs in at 8% abv. I had bought one to try (since I had never seen it before) and one to share with friends. What friends? They can buy their own. And they should.

Flying Fish Imperial Espresso Porter:

Representation: .9
Accessability: 1.0
Style Points: .8
Personal Preference: .8

Total Score: 3.5 flags