Province Ale Porter - Dogfish Head Brewery

garuda

Pennsylvania

3.71/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

A - Deep ruby, off-white head has decent retention and lacing.

S/T - On the sweet side for a porter, with the molasses really come through strong. Smooth coffee roast on the front and back ends. Some pine bitterness towards the back, but stays mostly sweet.

M - Full body, smooth mouthfeel. Abv masked well with a hint of warmth as it goes.

O - Good drink on a cold day in DE. If you're not particularly fond of molasses though, you probably wouldn't like it.

Serving type: on-tap

02-18-2013 00:15:18 | More by garuda

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

First had: on tap at DFH, Rehoboth Beach, DE

The first offering from "Province Ale Company," an imaginary subsidiary of DFH, and based on a 19th century porter recipe. This beer, from what I understand, is made with a pale ale base, to which is added reduced/burnt molasses (aka Essentia Bina) to, in a sense, turn it into a porter.

Served as a small pour in a glass that was about 8-10 oz. Murky cherry-cola color with a small, dense cap of tan head; moderate retention and lacing, with some visible carbonation. Aroma of caramel malts and molasses, with some distant earthy hops and a touch of moonshine. I went in expecting this to be a typical porter, but was pleasantly surprised by its complexity. Taste was mildly roasty, but ultimately smooth and sugary, the burnt molasses creating an illusion of dark malts, notes of subtle piney and earthy hops, with a distinct chewy cocoa finish. Heavy-medium body, smooth and drinkable, alcohol was present but fairly tame. Good and interesting beer overall, and one of the better porters I've tried in a while.

Serving type: on-tap

01-22-2013 16:03:16 | More by Rifugium