Maui Brewing, Coconut Porter

Look: Deep dark brown with red tint. Foamy small brown head that smells faintly of coconut

Taste: Bitter initially followed by toasted barley flavor

Conclusion: Porters never seems complicated to me. They really all seem to taste similar with the toasted barley flavor throughout. Sure there are ones better than others and thankfully this was better than average.

Food and/or fruit flavored beers really seem to bit hit or miss with me and nowhere in between. This one has the classical porter roast flavor...almost coffee-like, but there is an ever-so-soft coconut undertone throughout the tasting. This interesting little concoction won a gold medal at the international beer awards so show it some respect. Bow to your master! My beer reviewing friend and I spotted this during a lunch time beer run at the local liqour mart and I pulled the trigger the next time I saw it. Sure glad I did. This is easily one of the best Porters I've had.

8 Brews!

Gonzo Imperial Porter

Taste: very smokey, thick flavors

Conclusion: this was a thick beer, and kind of slow going down. It has a lingering smoke flavor that overpowers most everything else you eat or drink there after. Even though it was thick and smokey, it was very smooth. I could easily put down a few pints with relative ease.

I give it a 7 out of 10

Fullers 1845

Taste: nice smokey flavors and aroma though out

Conclusion: this was an above average English style porter. It had a nice smokey flavor to it, but it was not so much that it was in your face. Oddly refreshing for as dark as it was, but it was very good.
I’d have to be in the mood to drink a few pints, but yea, I’d give ‘er a shot…

I give this beer a 7 out of 10

Samuel Smith's, Taddy Porter

Look: Black with barely noticeable mocha head

Taste: Toasted malts, smooth finish

Conclusion: You might be wondering why I only have one item under "taste". Well, that's because this is really the only flavor that I could gather throughout this entire drink.

The drink itself has a medium to light body, like a porter should, but the roasted malts overpower anything else this drink had going on. I waited for the brew to warm to room temperature and that's when I really started enjoying it. Although I could never detect any other flavor, I still love that Sam Smith can pull off a brew so plain. In their regular styling, this Porter was robust and delicious while maintaining it's smooth ending. Never are Sam Smith brews over-carbonated and I love that.

Definitely a solid Porter here but don't expect it to knock your socks off. Like a British woman in bed, it'll do everything it's supposed to but doesn't go the extra mile to satisfy. Still, I'd choose this Porter over a lot of others.

6 Brews!

Zywiec, Porter

Look: Devilish black with red outlining

Taste: Slightly bitter with roasted malt and raisin/fruit flavors

Conclusion: Well, I'm now sold on the fact that fantastic brews can come in boring bottles. The mouthfeel of this drink is lighter than a stout, like a porter should be but gradually becomes heavier at the finish. The carbonation is noticeable and pairs with the 9.5% to create a tingly sensation, almost like your tongue is going numb. But numb would mean you can't taste anything. Quite the contrary with this porter.

There are definite roasted malt and barley flavors but this Porter tasted unique and delicious mostly due to the raisin/fruit flavors that come out towards the middle and the end of the drink. I'd never had a Polish beer before but I'm defintely game to try more now. Hard to believe these guys came all this way after the screen doors on submarines. This is a superior porter.

9 Brews!

Shelton Brothers, Santa's Butt

Look: Rich black with a brown cream head

Taste: Light but rich roasted barley and oat flavor with a mild finish

Conclusion: While the jokes will come all to easily, this brew is actually something more than a clever name. The drink starts rich and roasty with barley and oat flavors that are mixed with some delicious winter spices.

At 6% it's not exactly a beast of a porter but it will warm you senses and leave you feeling grateful that you tried it out. No, I wouldn't want to tell a friend I tasted Santa's Butt, but I did...and loved it! Definitely pick one of these up. This is a fantastic holiday brew that hits the spot.

7 Brews!

Michelob, Porter

Look: Redish black with slight tan head

Taste: Roasted malt flavor with hint of chocolate

Conclusion: This came as part of a specialty pack that my compadre spotted at the store. We never even knew Michelob made "specialty" brews like this, aside from their normal Michelob Ultra and other mainstream brews.

I was intrigued but was ready to be let down. I was. While there is a strong toasted malt flavor at the beginning, there is only a very slight chocolate tone that comes in after and the finish is watery and bland. I really like porters but was offended by this one. It was really plain and had to much of a smoke flavor and not enough of anything else. Bleh, this is why I stay away from the mainstream breweries. Thanks for reminding Mr. Michelob Porter.

3 Brews!

Alaskan Brewing Co. – Smoked Porter 2007

Look: DARKNES!! with a nice, foamy nut brown head.

Taste: Initial bitter taste, smoky flavor… VERY smoky flavor! Not much hoppy ness to it, but it has faint hints of barley… that have been burnt.

Conclusion: I thoroughly enjoyed this beer, but you have to get over the smoky aspect of it. It finishes smooth and smoky, and despite its look, it is not as thick as a Guinness. I fancy it to cruising San Diego on October 23rd in a convertible. It takes over your senses in every way; it looks like smoke, tastes like smoke, and even smells like smoke. I kid you not, it you’ve ever inhaled next to a charcoal Webber you know where I’m coming from. It is initially strong with smoke, but as you walk away (put the glass down) the smoke begins to dissipate. It has a somewhat dry after taste that I found to be enjoyable - it’s a slight dry, slight smoky and slight barley mixture. A very nice finish indeed.
The label says it is a gold medal winner, and I believe it. All smoke jokes aside, this is a great beer. It is 6.5% alcohol, so it is not too strong, and you can enjoy a few pints if you were so inclined. Personally, I’d like to have another one with a nice steak off the grill… a charcoal Webber of course.
I’ve not aged a beer before, mostly because I can’t wait to drink them, but the labels says this beer is capable of being “aged”. I’d imagine that over time, the smoky ness would die down and you’d get a very smooth and even thicker beer. I don’t know for sure, but I mean to find out! I am going to buy another one and age it. Look for a re-review of this beer around the same time next year.

Over all, the complexity of this beer earns it a 7 out of 10.

Stone, Smoked Porter

Look: Dark, oaky, brown, almost black.

Taste: Initially a very roasted barley flavor. Finishes w/ a coffee, toasty flavor with a light aftertaste. Consistency is light despite the dark, rich flavor.

Conclusion: This is a high quality porter with a great toasted barley taste over-riding all the way through. Coffee and maybe some toffee flavors in there too. All in all a very satisfying and not too heavy brew. This would be great on a cold winter evening with a nice fire going...if I had a fireplace. There isn't a whole lot of depth to the flavor but Stone is great at keeping it simple and still making a refined beer.

Rating: 7 Brews!