Pisgah Porter - Pisgah Brewing Co.

javincik

North Carolina

4.2/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

22 oz bottle, USDA certified organic poured into a nonic pint glass

A-Rigorous pour yields 1.5 inches of frothy tan head. Quickly fades to a few scattered wisps of bubbles. No lacing to speak of. Color is a deep, deep brown with reddish tints at the edges.

S-Coffee, subtle chocolate, and earthiness and fruitiness from the hops. Not a whole lot going on here. Very restrained.

T-Some nuttiness and caramel are present along with the coffee and chocolate mentioned above. Hope bitterness is very subdued. Just enough to balance all the sweetness. To me, this really is more of an English style Porter. Very restrained and refine, hops are for balancing and not in your face, and it even has some of the earthiness that comes from the water across the pond.

M-Very creamy. Carbonation is perfect for the style, at least to me. On the lighter side of medium bodied. A little watery, but given the ABV, this is not a detriment.

D-Could easily make a session of this beer. Absolutely fantastic drinking porter. Nothing earth shattering or challenging, but a very solid effort that is a joy to drink. Wish I had ready access to more.

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2010 17:25:00 | More by javincik

jpro

South Carolina

3.88/5  rDev +1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

22oz bomber from Peabody's in Boone, NC. Poured into a mug...

A: Pours a dark brown, with a light cappuccino head; not much retention, besides a thin ring around the perimeter of the glass; no lace... check that - there are a couple of strands.

S: Nutty - like hazelnuts; coffee; has a sort of raw aroma.

T: Pretty big roast coffee malt flavor; has some oatmeal character, too; a very tasty beer from the five organic malts employed (and no extra stuff, ie coffee).

M: Dang! This is where this brew loses some points for me; it's a little thin. Mouthfeel is light - maybe light-medium; moderate-high carbonation. The combo of lighter feel and higher carbo really saps this beer for me.

O: Despite the lackluster mouthfeel, this is still a very tasty brew. It is almost more of a brown ale / porter hybrid, I feel. Nevertheless, it has a great flavor profile and it's easy to throw a couple of them back. Plus the all organic malt bill is a step above and beyond and deserves recognition. Great beer from WNC!

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2013 02:36:22 | More by jpro

jorrx003

Florida

4/5  rDev +4.2%

01-13-2013 22:11:37 | More by jorrx003

VaterRoss

North Carolina

3.6/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On-tap at the brewery as part of a flight.

Deep brown color (light comes through reddish) with a nice tan head. Smell has lots of roasted malt coffee notes. Taste proves the smell to be true, though there is a bit of wateryness that I'm not 100% loving (perhaps I have had too many stouts?). Medium in body and med carbed.

Taste profile is spot on but the wateryness is killing me.

From notes, Mar 17, 2012

Serving type: on-tap

10-30-2012 15:52:54 | More by VaterRoss

clickyourfingers

5/5  rDev +30.2%

05-19-2012 15:37:50 | More by clickyourfingers

Falcone

North Carolina

4.25/5  rDev +10.7%

04-24-2012 05:24:46 | More by Falcone

ygtbsm94

Virginia

3.25/5  rDev -15.4%

04-24-2012 05:17:26 | More by ygtbsm94

ppoitras

Massachusetts

4.53/5  rDev +18%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Screw-top growler received via Growling at the Moon from bross242. Thanks for the brew, Billy!

First steinful pours with a 1" brown head, over the slightly cloudy reddish brown brew. Fluffy head lasts and lasts, with thick coating lace. Aroma is grain husks and light citrus.

Taste starts with a worty sweetness, peek of citrus in the middle, and a balanced, lightly hoppy close. Mouthfeel is way smooth, with awesome drinkability. Just an easy drinking, good old porter. Cheers to GATM!

Serving type: growler

03-10-2012 22:00:32 | More by ppoitras

greencovesteve

North Carolina

4/5  rDev +4.2%

02-20-2012 07:45:56 | More by greencovesteve

wo87810

Florida

4.5/5  rDev +17.2%

12-16-2011 22:38:03 | More by wo87810

tclapper

North Carolina

4/5  rDev +4.2%

12-03-2011 23:41:02 | More by tclapper

beerwolf77

Wisconsin

3/5  rDev -21.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Thanks goes to GehenHerzog for this extra. Bottle poured into a tulip.

A: Pitch black hue. This is one of the darker porters I've seen in some time. About a finger or so of tan hued head. Decent retention. Small lace ring.

S: Roast malt and weak coffee are the initial aromas I pick up. Some dark fruit and a touch of wet cardboard as well.

T: Flavors are a bit muted. Some roasted dark malt and a touch of coffee. A hint of cocoa and again wet cardboard.

M: Medium to light body. A touch thin with modest carbonation.

O: A less than stellar porter. Drinkable but forgettable.

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2011 23:58:33 | More by beerwolf77

thagr81us

South Carolina

3.43/5  rDev -10.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Had during an afternoon ticking session at Pisgah! Served from tap into a shaker pint. Poured a massively dark brown with a half finger bone white head that subsided to a minimal amount quickly. Maintained decent lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of roasted malt, chocolate, and earth. The flavor was of sweet malt, roasted malt, coffee, slight skunky hop, and earth. It had a light feel on the palate with mild carbonation. Overall this was a decent brew. Had a pretty decent flavor but the aroma was lacking big time. Earth was not a surprise as always... Definitely worth trying if you get the chance but I doubt I would have it again.

Serving type: on-tap

05-04-2011 12:20:04 | More by thagr81us

babaracas

Florida

3.13/5  rDev -18.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

On-tap in Asheville in a shaker pint. Dark brown with khaki head, wisps of lace left behind. Smell: light roasted coffee and grains, toffee. Taste: roasted grain, caramelized sugar, earthy hopping. Pretty average as a porter, below average as part of the Pisgah lineup.

Serving type: on-tap

03-21-2011 05:41:39 | More by babaracas

dmbdusty41

North Carolina

4.22/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I love porters. I love this porter. My father-in-law and I each had a glass on our way from Pisgah to Green Man in the party bus. It's rich in color, nice aroma, the mouth-feel was not as good as I would like over the period of a pint, not bad, just not as good as I would expect. However, an exception porter and would love a glass right now.

Serving type: on-tap

02-25-2011 21:24:47 | More by dmbdusty41

Onenote81

North Carolina

2.83/5  rDev -26.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

22oz bottle, poured into a pint glass. Pours a fairly transparent dark ruby-shaded mahogany. This was an odd color. Not as dark as expected. Small head on top. No lace. The nose was slightly roasted, some vinous scents, and hints of coffee. Nothing really bold though.

The mouth was moderately carbonated. Not as smooth as I'd like. A little slick and wet on the back end. This Porter was not bold in any way. Light roasted flavor, some minor chocolate sweetness, but more overpowering in the fruit flavor. This Porter is off base. Nothing to really stand on. I appreciate that this is organic, but that's about it. I likely won't get this again. Move on to better Porters.

Serving type: bottle

10-25-2010 13:47:17 | More by Onenote81

jsanford

Georgia

3.68/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Reviewed from notes taken on 6/20/10. Poured from the growler into a pint glass.

A - Pours a dark reddish-brown with a long-lasting creamy tan head. Great lacing and retention.

S - Typical aromas of dark roasted malt, coffee and chocolate with a subtle smokiness.

T - Huge chocolate notes, with more dark roasted malt, roasted nuts, coffee and smoke.

M - Creamy, with a medium body and carbonation.

D - Very drinkable, the growler disappeared quickly. Solid example of a Porter, but perhaps a bit too bland.

Serving type: growler

09-22-2010 15:33:30 | More by jsanford

msubulldog25

Oregon

3.9/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A dreary night, full of chilly rain and gloom here in Portland... could summer have left us already? Or, a better question: did it ever arrive? Regardless, a perfect night for a Porter; this 22 oz bottle, from the epic NC-themed sampling sent by Metalmonk, has been tucked away in the fridge for several weeks. And into the Adnams pint glass...

Label calls this simply 'Porter' (no need for the 'Organic' as ALL of Pisgah's beers are certified as such per their website). An idyllic/psychedelic illustration of babbling brooks, arcing rainbows, colorful florae, plump 'shrooms...and gnarled old trees with faces on them...

"We all drink downstream."

A: Notable ruby-ish tint to this deep brown porter; held to light it's pretty easy to peer through - lovely color, just a little light. Gorgeous tan topping: nearly two-fingers of sandy-tinged froth that winnows over 5 minutes or so to a 1/4" dense lid, then a freckled film. Slick lace bands break apart gradually.

S: A little milk chocolate, even corn syrup, in the nose, then a slight lactic/sour twinge (not off-putting in particular, but it's there). A mustier, drier grain to follow. Decent strength.

T: I'm thankful that cocoa and sweetened latte are the predominant flavors. There's still a dry, earthy grunge - accentuated by something akin to ripe blackberries - and a gritty ash/char. Good balance and lingering flavor that volleys between bitterness and sweetness.

M: Lighter in body, but velvety-smooth. Carbonation is there, but it's so fine one hardly notices. As mentioned above, a fine coating grit; also, a stickiness on the lips.

D: A maltier porter that never states its weight, but probably doesn't need to ~ seems in the 5.5% range, and that makes it a good drinker, one easy to consume in its entirety. For my first beer from Pisgah, I'm plenty happy.

Thanks, Jeff!

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2010 04:07:08 | More by msubulldog25

Metalmonk

North Carolina

3.58/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a toasty tan head that pops and cracks its creamy self down slowly. The liquid is a bruised-purple/brown color with some ruby highlights.

Toasty aroma, leaning toward all-out smoke. Gives it a kind of campfire vibe, you know, how your clothes smell after sitting around a bonfire all night. A bit of coffee in the background, and something that hints at the kind of dark sour fruit of the super old-school English porter style.

Yeah, the flavor does deliver a sour dark fruit element as the aroma hinted. Nutty too, like an English brown. Some light-roast coffee char flavor, plenty of smokiness and the slightest hint of bittersweet dark chocolate...but this is anything but sweet, underscored further by how dry it is. It also takes on a pretty acidic character with some warming; and if you think about it, hops and coffee share traits of bitterness and acidity, so the malt variety here (5 different ones) and whole leaf hops seem to be contributing to this.

Smooth as silk going down; just a little bit of stickiness, which keeps the sour/bitter vibe rolling.

I like this, although it's so straightforward that the pizazz factor remains pretty low. Even if I prefer a bigger, juicier porter (Baltic, baby!), this was enjoyable from first sip to last.

Serving type: bottle

07-21-2010 23:06:11 | More by Metalmonk

sitarist

Ohio

3.55/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours an eggplant color, almost opaque( 80% or so). Hardly any head, the head is tan in color, it falls to a small ring with no lacing.

This does not smell like a normal porter to me. It smells sweet and fruity, musty / earthy, there is also a faint hint of coffee and coco.

I taste maple syrup, walnut, it is malty, and boring.

It has a lighter body, and doesnt have too much carbonation. As it dries I feel a little bite of hops on my tongue.

Though this was unique for its style it was just o.k.

Serving type: bottle

07-18-2010 01:02:16 | More by sitarist

Brenden

Ohio

3.68/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I had this one yesterday at the French Broad Chocolate Lounge. There aren't very many places to go in Asheville that don't have taps, if not a bottle selection.

A tan one-finger head sits sturdily on top of this beer for some time, leaving thin sheets of lacing partially down the glass. The brew itself is black, giving way to ruby and brown highlights.
The smell is mostly bittersweet and roasted malts, pretty smoky, but quite light.
This one's a pretty full-flavored beer initially, with roasted, smoky, slightly nutty, acidic coffee and, in the end, hops notes coming through. All of it is right at the beginning of the sip, so it fades out with each swallow.
This is a smooth porter with just enough body and a light carbonation that makes for easy drinking.
it doesn't seem to heady, and it obviously doesn't have a particularly high ABV, giving this one a good drinkability.

Serving type: on-tap

07-08-2010 12:39:41 | More by Brenden

ckeegan04

Texas

4.05/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - Dark brown with deep ruby highlights when held up to light. Thick, foamy brown head with good retention. SLowly fades to a 1/2" cap and leaves sheets of foam behind on the glass.

S - Big aroma of roasted malts and bittersweet chocolate. Sweetness becomes a touch stronger as the beer warms but is never overly strong. Just a faint hint of fruity hops linger underneath.

T - Roasted malts with a nice bitternes. Light fruitiness. Hints of bitter chocolate and a touch of coffee. Sweetness lies underneath but is not the least bit overwhelming. Excellent balance of tastes.

M/D - Medium bodied and a touch too much carbonation. Very easy drinking. Another excellent beer from the folks at Pisgah.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2010 20:02:16 | More by ckeegan04

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22 oz bottle into a pint glass.

Pours deep amber/near brown, being topped with about a finger of light colored mocha head. A thin, yet frothy, retention yields a solid smattering of spotty lacing behind. The aroma is full of smooth toasted grains, sticky burnt molasses, and tangy earthy hops. Nice full richness here to the nose, with this definitely veering towards the roastier side of things.

Hops control the taste up front, with a sharp bitterness to it that spreads spice and earth out into the profile. Malts are roasty and smokey overall but mix in nicely with some tangier notes of toffee and cocoa. The finish is quite roasty, along with a deep lingering spiciness. The mouthfeel is medium bodied, with a sharp creaminess to it that fills the palate up with flavor. There's a chewy slickness underneath that seems to come from a combo of malty sweetness and hops.

Nice. I was pleasantly surprised by this offering, which featured robust flavors and a firm, yet creamy, body. Good take on an American Porter here from the boys at Pisgah.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2010 17:12:26 | More by Kegatron

bdupree

North Carolina

3.53/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

A - Dark, ruby red when held to the light. Not much head, and it doesn't hang around very long.

S - Cocoa aroma, maybe some hints of roasted coffee. Definitely has an earthy hint to it, but not much hops at all.

T - First impression is a little flat, seems like there is something missing when I think of other great Porters. The cocoa comes across, and that hint of roasting. Still, flavor does not bowl me over.

M - Very, very lightweight for a Porter. Somewhat watery.

D - This is actually a very drinkable Porter year-round, but it is not what I would look for in the style.

NOTE: I had this a couple of weeks ago on tap at the brewery, and my impression was much better. We brought home a growler, and that seemed to be really good as well. I'll chalk this down as a little bit of inconsistency from an otherwise great brewer.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2010 00:16:04 | More by bdupree

dirtylou

Washington

3.63/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

22oz bomber, package of porters from borata

appearance: love the pisgah labels - poured into great dane imperial pint, dark mahogany body, creamy tan lace

smell: dry roasty aroma, cocoa powder, light coffee with a touch of cream

taste: nothing too exciting here - wish there were some deeper more refined flavors. dry, roasty, light cocoa, a touch of wood, cream

mouthfeel: a little thin, not overly creamy

drinkability: fine

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2010 02:27:42 | More by dirtylou