Monkey Face Porter - Cascade Lakes Brewing Co.

slaintemhor

Oregon

4/5  rDev +17.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had this on tap at Bailey's Taproom in Portland, OR. last Sept. The colour was basically black but with dark ruby hues when held to the light. Only a thin ribbon of tan head around the rim. The aroma was quite roasty and smoky. On the palate, lots of froth with plenty of roasted malt character, maduro tobacco, dark chocolate and a dry, lengthy finish. I wonder if it's this yummy out of the bottle.

Serving type: on-tap

06-03-2010 05:12:01 | More by slaintemhor

lighthabit

Oregon

3.49/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Had at f/stop, pours dark coffee brown lacing is good, smell is a bit absent, but has a toasty flavor that , thought not as sweet as I usually like, is a nice way to end the work day. Does coffee flavor a solid. Carbonation is just about right, makes its presence known without getting in the way. Tastes like it's gonna finish dry but doesn't. A bit thin, but I like 'em thick, so I'll give it a B on that. Not a bad intro to this brewery

Serving type: on-tap

05-14-2013 00:26:13 | More by lighthabit

LXIXME

New Mexico

3.25/5  rDev -4.4%

05-09-2013 00:11:48 | More by LXIXME

BESTIALEX

Oregon

3.25/5  rDev -4.4%

04-22-2013 04:39:27 | More by BESTIALEX

vfgccp

New York

3.5/5  rDev +2.9%

01-21-2013 03:22:21 | More by vfgccp

hoptitsbrews

Oregon

3.5/5  rDev +2.9%

09-24-2012 20:51:37 | More by hoptitsbrews

CoryR

Oregon

3.25/5  rDev -4.4%

09-15-2012 15:33:43 | More by CoryR

Frankieteardrop

1/5  rDev -70.6%

04-13-2012 21:20:39 | More by Frankieteardrop

WaydeRafnel

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +17.6%

03-26-2012 05:59:12 | More by WaydeRafnel

shelby415

Oregon

3/5  rDev -11.8%

02-12-2012 08:21:54 | More by shelby415

whartontallboy

New York

3/5  rDev -11.8%

01-17-2012 03:11:59 | More by whartontallboy

laymansbeerfan

Minnesota

3/5  rDev -11.8%

01-09-2012 21:28:15 | More by laymansbeerfan

Scotchboy

Idaho

3.4/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

From notes.

Monkey Face Porter poured into a Sam Adams Perfect Pint glass.

A: Weak pour on my part produces very little tan head...I won't hold it against this beer as it pours an otherwise attractive, thin black color with ruby highlights.

S: Surprised, a pleasant robust smell; roasted malt and plenty of coffee notes. Some hints of caramel and licorice sweetness behind that. Smoke too? Maybe.

T: A bit thin, nice coffee flavors upfront with roast bitterness, hints of a dark fruit sweetness...flavors wash away quickly but there is a good coffee/hop bitterness on the finish with decent dryness.

MF: Pretty light-to-medium, medium carbonation levels and the aforementioned dryness.

O: An easy drinker and a pleasant surprise. In my opinion this is nearly as good a porter as Anchor's offering, which is probably akin to blasphemy on this site.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2011 22:01:24 | More by Scotchboy

rye726

Colorado

3.68/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a pint glass at cellar temp. A near black, dark brown with a silky espresso head. Nose has a good amount of chocolate along with some dark malts and nice mellow hops. Taste is well balanced. Goof beer to wash down a burger I guess. Medium body is well carbonated and drinks nicely.

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2011 16:06:41 | More by rye726

jdense

Oregon

3.45/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

On tap at EOU Faculty Lounge 10.3.11 $ 4 in slightly chilled shaker pint glass.

Dark brown almost black opaque body no visible carbonation under one finger light brown head fairly slow dissipation. Significant chocolate presence in the nose, not overpowering or assertive, grassy malts. Taste mirrors nose, chocolate up front but not very deep, watery in the middle with a bit of roast, minimal hops on back end. Mouthfeel is once again watery light, not much effervescence, fairly dry finish. Wanted to shake up my palate after go-to in La Grande beer (not made in Baker City :-) ), I won't be having this again anytime soon. Wish I'd have waited to get home and have that bottle of Velvet Merlin I've stashed to toast Matt B. IMO not even the best Porter in Bend. Sorry, just sayin'...

Serving type: on-tap

10-04-2011 03:27:30 | More by jdense

beertunes

Washington

3.73/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

I found this recently as I was digging through some old boxes. I think I got it from Chumba526 over a year ago, thanks Tyler. If someone else sent this one to me, Thank you!

Poured into straight pint glass. Poured pretty much solid black, none of the translucence that I look for, with just the thinnest ring of white head that had no retention and left some light lacing.

The aroma was was nicely bold, solid roast and, somewhat surprisingly, a solid chocolate presence. There was some nice providing a solid foundation. The flavors were the same, with the grain and roast being dominant and the chocolate having a background note.

The body was much thinner than I look for in the style. But, that thinness improved drinkability. This bottle went down quickly and I was left wanting another. Overall, a very nice brew that's probably worth some effort to try.

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2011 02:04:25 | More by beertunes

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

3.03/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Brown color, mocha head. Heavy toasted, burnt notes from this, and not much else. Feel the burn!

Same burnt malt feel on the tongue, some chocolate malt, possible cocao addition to dry it out even further. Traditional in the lower abv compared to some newer porters, hopping kept down, bitterness not as much. No coffee or vanilla flavors appreciable. Viscosity a little under some of the bigger porters out there, but again, this one rings traditional in more ways than one.

Average stuff, kinda meh, but nothing bad about it, wouldn't turn one away.

Serving type: bottle

08-05-2011 22:32:07 | More by Beerandraiderfan

isualum12

Idaho

3.55/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Another new label from Cascade that I didn't reconize and it is different then the one shown here.

This is a nice beer just not overly powerful.

Appearance- Dencent carmel color head with lots of fingers on the glass. Left a light tan ring. Dark Dark brown or black beer. Looks tasty.

smell...I got NOTHING. seriously I thought maybe i needed to clear my nose and so i stepped away and then resmelled...Nothing ...all well.

Taste- This is a good smooth porter. It is a natural flavor porter that hold true to what you expect from a porter. Your not going to be blown away with flavor but you get a nice smoooth flavor out of it. Honestly I will take the smoothness over the strong porter.

mouthfeel- like I said smooth...

overall- I am impressed with this beer. At first I gave it a 3.5 and I upgraded it to a 4.0 while typing this and drinking. This is a porter I could have multipule of.

I really would like to try this beer with some different types of cheese and taste it's changes...

Cascade Lakes Brewing your really trying to steal my heart...Nice job on this beer...

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2011 22:00:55 | More by isualum12

ebrauser

Utah

3.68/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Bottle to a pint glass

App: Dark cola with thin tan head. Not as much body or lacing with the head as i like

Aroma: Sweet malts, dark fruits, cherries and raisins.

Flavor: Definite smoke, but more masked by sweetness than a smoked porter. Dark fruitiness with caramel and strong coffee tones.

Mouthfeel: A little thin for a porter. Drinks a lot like cola

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2010 07:25:47 | More by ebrauser

beagle75

Iowa

3.28/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4

A 12 oz. bottle poured into a shaker pint.

A: Clear, dark ruby color with two fingers of beige foam head that diminish to a persistent, continuous residue. Slight lacing remains on the glass.

S: Weak roasted malt, some milk chocolate, slightly herbal.

T: Abundant dark roasted malt begins the tasting much more pronounced than was expected, based on the smell. Additional roasted flavors of bittersweet chocolate expand on the palate through the middle of the taste. The finish is of mellow hop bitterness, with earthiness lingering.

M: Thin, watery viscosity with moderate carbonation.

D: Especially easy-drinking for a dark ale--I had mine at cellar temperature so it likely becomes even more refreshing as it chills further. Apparently this beer is marketed as a beer to accompany outdoor activities, and it has the attributes to do so while still appearing dark and mysterious. Improved mouthfeel is needed if this beer is to stand up next to the notable offerings of the style.

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2010 20:51:06 | More by beagle75

brentk56

North Carolina

3.98/5  rDev +17.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Pours a fudgy brown color with a modest head that leaves a fair amount of lace behind

Smell: Roasty, with chocolate and espresso undertones; a bit oaky, too

Taste: Roasty flavors, up front, joined by a tootsie roll chocolate character through mid-palate and after the swallow; a bit of hops underneath, but chocolate, coffee and slightly smokey oak flavor dominate the profile

Mouthfeel: Medium to full body with moderate carbonation

Drinkability: Far better to my tastebuds than the overall score would indicate - seems like there may have been some changes for the better at this brewery

Thanks, Docer, for the opportunity

Serving type: bottle

08-06-2010 01:44:42 | More by brentk56

Docer

Washington

3.95/5  rDev +16.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Buddy Pete picked me up a growler of their Red, and a 6-pack of this porter... lover their stuff!

- Pours a nice coffee black... clear as best as I can see it at the edges of my pint glass... nice off white to mocha head.. about half a finger down to a slight slew and a ring..

- Rich chocolate malt profile... slightly sweet, roasted and a touch of coffee.... loving the smell... sweet oats, grain.

- Wonderful zingy porter... nice bitter earthy hop.. and a backdrop of sweet oats and chocolate malt... a very pleasant and drinkable porter.

- Only slightly chalky, thin to medium bodied.. slight creaminess to it....

- Super good porter... I rather like its simplicity and flavor combination... very balanced.

Serving type: bottle

06-28-2010 04:13:02 | More by Docer

twiggamortis420

Texas

3.58/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I like the name of this beer, fo sho. 12 oz bottle without a freshness date. Pours a dark brown color with a small tan foam. Retention is below average and the lacing is decent.

Nose is pretty decent; cocoa beans, mild coffee and some milk chocolate come through. Not overly powerful, but certainly not weak. I think it smells pretty good, not unlike a Krackel candy bar.

Taste has some nice chocolate and roast components. It's a bit simple, but it certainly does the trick for a quick porter fix. Some unwanted light fruit comes in at mid-palate and finishes with a roast and mildly grassy hop bitterness. It's on the thin side for a porter, but not by too much. Not bad, the B- overall rating seems about right for this one. Thanks goes out to BA fthomasl for bringing this one back from a recent trip.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2010 02:20:32 | More by twiggamortis420

birdypowder

Oregon

3.45/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

There are better Porters in the high desert town of Bend, like Black Butte Porter from Deschutes. Monkey Face Porter, however, is a decent porter that is worth trying and purchasing on occasion.

Aroma:
Roasted goodness hits you first. I found enticing aromas of bakers chocolate and a hot chocolate like coco aroma. Hops contribute a slight spiciness. There were no unwanted odors.

Appearance:
When pouring the beer it reveals itself as dark mahogany in color but once in the glass it appears almost black though there is a slight red hue hiding amongst the blackness. The head was disappointing. It was a beautiful brown/tan color with nice small bubbles but it came and went so quickly I could hardly enjoy its presence. The beer was clear with no bits or flecks, minimal haze at most.

Taste:
This is a medium bodied brew but it did not seem too thin for a porter. The flavor was good but the sweetness was very subdued by the bitterness and roast. I craved for this brew to give me a sweet kick before the roasted malts and bitterness showed up but it wasn't to be. The finish is slightly bitter and lingers, leaving impressions of bakers chocolate and roasted peanuts. After all that goes away, a slight smoke flavor lingers on. Interesting.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2010 00:23:49 | More by birdypowder

velosuds

Oregon

3.48/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

From notes. Original review lost due to database crash.

Poured from a 12oz. bottle into a clear pint glass. No freshness date evident. Paid $1.35 at local health foods store on sale.

A-Pours a dark brown almost black hue with a one finger, creamy tan and foamy head that dissipates too quickly leaving only modest lace.

S-Rich, chocolate and coffee malts and a hint of mildly fruity hops.

T-Chocolate roasted malts, slight hop bitterness, and coffee. Taste is not robust enough.

M-Smooth, but a little thin and not enough carbonation or texture.

D-This is indeed drinkable, but it doesn't compare to Black Butte Porter, which is often on sale for $6.99 a six-pack or less in my area.

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2009 03:34:02 | More by velosuds