Monday, January 12, 2009

Top 10 Porters and Imperials

favorite new Porters and Imperial Porters from 2008. nothing really blew me away this year, the top 3 being the most notable, but it was one of my most researched categories. all time favorite include Anchor Porter, Black Butter Porter, Black Prince Porter, Sierra Nevada Porter and Boulevard Bully Porter. smoked porters not included.

Deschutes Black Butte XX
A really rich imperial porter. Bomber of coffee and very bitter chocolate, A very slight vanilla and bourbon flavors peek through due to the barrel aging. Overall, the bitterness and warmth are in good balance, and this beer is pretty straightforward overall.

Baltika Porter (6)
Very smooth Baltic style Porter. Chocolate notes blend well with coffee and toffee. A medium bodied ale with a sweet finish, and has traces of dark fruit and bannana esters. Much less burnt and robust flavors than its American counterparts.

Meantime London Porter

The overt maltiness of this approaches and old ale or barleywine, but it is still a rounded rich and creamy brown porter. Seems well aged, with a slightly musty character. Caramel and coffee are the most prominent flavors, with dried fruit and a slight roast coming through.

Redhook Blackhook Porter
A really roasty and drinkable porter, with a great hoppy bitterness in the finish. Coffee, toffee, toast, almonds and slight spicy esters blend well behind the roasty and slightly sweet chocolate profile.

Left Hand BlackJack Porter
A more complex porter, blending disparte flavors into one. Dark chocolate, molasses, toffe and licorice mix with spicy, earthy and slightly citrusy hops and light peppery esters.

Speakeasy Hunters Point Porter
A very malty porter. Chocolate and roasty tones come through a solid base of caramel and bitterness. A very nice nuttiness can be found in the background, with dried fruits from the yeast esters.

Kona Pipeline Porter
A really creamy and smooth porter with an almost lactic quality to it. The primary flavor is coffee, with slight chocolate and roast. The finish is neither sweet nor bitter, almost like an iced coffee. Incredibly drinkable and unique ale.

Great Divide St. Bridgets Porter
One of the more American robust hoppy porters of the year. Chocolate and earthy pine balance to this one, with notes of toffee, vanilla and citrus. Finishes bitter and is very mouthfilling. Flavorful yet drinkable ale.

Roots Coconut Porter
Mild chocolatey porter with some creamy, bitter and roasty characteristics. The coconut is very light, almost adds more mouthfeel, and has a slightly lactic and nutty-toasty character.

McMenamins Black Rabbit Porter
A nutty, carmelly and creamy porter, with hints of coffee and chocolate. Much more a brown porter, with slightly spicy-ester aspects. Smooth, creamy and rather balanced.

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