Mogli - Caldera Brewing Company

match1112

Illinois

4.44/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Big thanks to Pelican5 for sending this!

I wasn't sure what to think about this beer upon first receiving it. Thick white wax on top and a picture of a black lab on the label, I thought this has got to be a joke. Being the porter lover that I am, I went in with an open mind. Wow was I amazed at how good this is.

Pours a near black body with a thin mocha colored head. No lacing to speak of, just a thin oily coating on the inside of the glass.

Smells like a bowl of chocolate ice cream with a touch of vanilla in it. Taste is very sweet and also much like a bowl of melted ice cream. There is a nice dark chocolate bitterness to it on the finish.

I would of liked the mouthfeel to be thicker and creamier. Carbonation was good for it. Slight oily feel on the tongue with a dark chocolate bitterness for a finish.

I will highly recommend this to anyone with a sweet tooth. I might have to seek this out again in the future.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2013 18:28:03 | More by match1112

ehammond1

California

4.43/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bottle (2011)

Thanks for opening this with me, BdubleEdubleRUN!

(Aged for 1+ year)

Very dark brown in color, but not bordering on black. Small brown head of very small bubbles. Leaves the glass oily and spotted with stick.

Intense chocolate and vanilla layers in the aroma. This one took me aback; I simply wasn't expecting it to be as rich, decadent, and enjoyable as it is. Along with the vanilla and chocolate layers is good amounts of oak and dark molasses fruit cake.

The flavor is just as nice as the aroma. The layers of chocolate and molasses fruit cake are extremely expressive, complemented very nicely by a bit of oak, though it's not overpowering. An incredibly well-crafted beer.

Medium to nearly full in body with low carbonation.

I'm glad Brett hates beer because I couldn't have sat on this one as long as he did. Thanks go to him for sharing.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2013 22:26:35 | More by ehammond1

russpowell

Oklahoma

4.48/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.75

Picked this up in NC

Pours a chestnut tinged mahogany with 2 fingers of mocha head. Above average lacing & slightly below average head retention

S: Chocolate, cocoa & iron

T: Follows the nose, some oaky dryness & roastyness as well, plus vanilla up front. Cocoa, woody hops & vanilla mix with some stonger mocha notes as this warms, plus roastyness, a touch of plum as well . Finishes with dark chocolate, a bit of boozey chicory, & oaky vanilla

MF: Rich, creamy, & smooth, thins out a touch as this warms

Wow this is great! It is Oklahoma's loss we don't get this one ( we get their canned offerings ). Drinks so easy, a stellar American Porter on the robust side

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2013 04:52:31 | More by russpowell

Fatehunter

Oregon

4.29/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Picked up a bottle from the tap house in Ashland.
Great pour, a finger of tan head on a dark brown body.
The aroma is all chocolate. It smells great though.
The taste is chocolate throughout. There's a mild bitterness and the chocolate avoids being too sweet. Great balance and complexity.
Smooth texture, low carbonation and medium body.
A really nice porter, especially if you like chocolate.

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2013 02:38:59 | More by Fatehunter

writerLJBerg

Oregon

4.03/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz bottle from Belmont Station. Distributed this year, alleluia! Drunk 01-03

A: A black brick in my glass with a fuzzy head that diminshes to foam. Glass looks like it was attacked after a swirl.

N: Chocolate, hershey’s syrup, fudge, chocolate, more chocolate. A hint of vanilla and caramel. Oak is faint. Did I mention chocolate? Not complex, but..chocolate!

T: Baker’s chocolate, fudge, oaken dryness, chocolate syrup. There’s a distinct pepperiness here. Vanilla. This really quite drying. Earth and some leather. Coffee roastiness.

M: Very filling. Alcohol detracts a bit.

O: An accomplished beer that I believe deserves a wide audience. This will likely get better as the hoppy pepperiness fades. Right now, it acts as a nice balancing agent.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2013 17:08:58 | More by writerLJBerg

aasher

Indiana

4.1/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I was very excited to find this at Brawleys in Charlotte early last month. This had been on my wants list for quite some time.

This one pours a medium bodied cola brown in color with a slight, light khaki head. The nose is sweet and malty. It kind of smells like chocolate chip cookies. There is just a touch of roast but mostly smooth and doughy. There isnt any oak at all. The flavors follow the same lines. Milk chocolate and baking chocolate are both present. The roast is subtle once again. It isn't overly complex but it does have nice flavor for what it is. Again, it's like chocolate chip cookies. It drinks on the lighter side of medium in body and is pretty drinkable for 8.5%. It is sweet without being cloying and a nice beer overall. I didn't get any barrel influence at all, which I assumed would be prevalent due to the 4.35 rating I originally saw.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2012 03:35:46 | More by aasher

Bung

North Carolina

4/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz. Black cola pour, half finger of cream head. Retained quite nicely.

Aroma, very chocolatey. Some roast malt, woodiness.

Taste, more roast malt here. Great blend of roast malt and chocolates, mostly dark chocolate. Some earthy notes. Finishes with strong cocoa and chocolate covered coffee bean.

Medium body, carbonation being just a tad high lightens this up I think. Drinks very easily though.
A good standard for the style, albeit a bit on the pricier side here on the east coast.

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2012 03:05:31 | More by Bung

Brandywine

Washington

4.03/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

2012 bottle white wax

Appearance: deep dark brown with over a fingers worth a beautiful warm brown head. Deep crimson glints can be seen looking down into this porter.

Smell: hot chocolate, milk chocolate, marshmellows, vanilla,

Taste: roasted bitterness at the tip of the tongue. The chocolate that came off sweet in the nose is more bitter throughout the middle. Coffee notes are present as well. There is a pleasant oakiness that runs throughout the flavor. As it warms up there's a nice sweet milk chocolate flavor.

Mouthfeel: On the full side of medium. Lots of carbonation.

Overall: A very satisfying porter once it warms up some.

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2012 05:58:42 | More by Brandywine

Powderhornphil

Minnesota

4.1/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This beer pours nearly black. Couple fingers of head. Good looking beer.

The beer smells of chocolate. A little oak but chocolate plays the starring role here. Really nice smell on this.

The taste of course is predominantly chocolate followed by a fair amount of oak. Nice tasting beer to be sure, but the oak hits me just a bit too much for my tastes. Really not picking up any of the bourbon. (I think it was aged on bourbon-soaked oak spirals)

The mouthfeel is actually a little thinner that I had expected but no complaints at all.

Overall I am glad to try this and would recommend. If it was available to me on a regular basis I would drink it again, but since it was a trade would not trade for it again.

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2012 02:04:28 | More by Powderhornphil

barleywinefiend

Washington

4/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Poured a deep brown with moderate carbonation leaving a nice tan head. Lacing is decent and head retention is good.

S: Big cocoa presence on this one. A blend of bakers powder cocoa and Hershey like milk chocolate with a touch of vanilla and coffee

T: Big milk chocolate and cocoa flavor upfront leading into a lioght coffee, roatiness, light booziness. The oak was minimal as was the vanilla I detected on the nose. The finish is rich, decadent but the barrel was rather mute

M: Full bodied, hearty, lots of taste and chocolatey goodness on the palate remind you it's an Impy Porter

O: Great taste, balance, but my only issue was the lack of oak presence.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2012 16:56:54 | More by barleywinefiend

TotallyHosed

Illinois

4.2/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A large foam crown forms at the top of the brew poured into a glass. The head is tan in color and holds its own for a while. The brew is very dark and lets light through at the edges. Lace rings are left on the sides of the glass after each drink.

The smell is mostly rich chocolate with some roasted malts hiding behind it.

The taste is more complex than the nose. There is rich chocolate at the forefront, which is followed by roasted grains and some barrel character at the finish. The alcohol is completely hidden.

The feel is medium and very gently coats the mouth.

I enjoyed this porter very much. In my opinion, the best porters have more of a dark chocolate flavor, as opposed to coffee or roast grains which are more prevalent in stouts. So, brewing a porter with chocolate makes perfect sense. It's great that the chocolate does not mask the base beer. The flavors and aromas are well balanced and I cannot detect any alcohol.

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2012 00:27:37 | More by TotallyHosed

beer2day

North Carolina

4.1/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From Bottle Rev in Raleigh.

Appropriate chocolate brown pour with 1/2 finger cap of mocha head. Not much retention. Thin lace sheets all around the glass.

Very rich chocolate nose. Extremely rich. Some lighter toffee, vanilla, and a hint of cinnamon underneath. But this one is really all about the chocolate.

A bit of smoked, roasted malt but as in the nose the beer is heavy with chocolate malt. While not quite as rich as the nose, the chocolate is still the overwhelming flavor in the glass. Touch of chocolate bitters, along with roast malt, in the finish. A touch of grapefruit hops might be hiding there, too, but really hard to distinguish.

Body is appropriate for a porter, but hoping for a little more based on the strong chocolate flavor.

Overall, well done. Hides the abv really well. Drinks very easy.

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2012 02:25:26 | More by beer2day

FosterJM

California

4.13/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

1578th Review on BA
Bottle to FW Snifter
22oz

Pretty sure this is a 2012 Bottle. Calderas website says year round brew now.
White wax

App- A large and deep brown with a border of black to it. A big deep center with a good 1-1/2 finger. Fell to a 1/4" of bubbles and had a lot of nice cling and lace to it. A nice looking porter. Thats for sure.

Smell- Wow. Can we say that someone melted down a pure chocolate bar and added some whipped cream and blended with some good malts and called it a beer. A little tinge of cocoa powder on top of other aromas and the oak is well hidden.

Taste- Its got a lot going on in the glass in terms of depth of flavor but what it really boils down to is a good couple base layers that melded well together and created a nice complexity. Chocolate syrup like with some grain cocoa powder intermixed with a good deep malt base to give that porter flavor and a little bit of that oak flavor with a bit of wood bite. Nice to see the ABV kept down to really make it more flavorful instead of a boozy mess.

Mouth- A very large medium almost bordering on full bodied and a deep medium carbonation. A bit creamy and thick. The chocolate is the main residual flavor inside this beer.

Drink- A very good porter. I enjoyed the layers and richness on this. Wouldve been nice to have this with a dessert of somesort.

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2012 15:32:44 | More by FosterJM

SHODriver

California

4.43/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: poured into a snifter and for all intents and purposes it's black with a small tan head that fades quickly to a small collar.
S: smells intensely chocolatey and roasty with a bit of coffee. slight vanilla sweetness to the nose as well
T: chocolate and vanilla flavors at the forefront along with a bit of coffee and roast malt. swallow brings more chocolate, coffee, and roast malt with a bit of vanilla and oakiness
M: soft but slightly prickly carbonation with a medium mouthfeel, fairly drinkable for the color and alcohol. slightly dry finish
O: this beer is damn tasty. great flavors and complexity. Before reviewing this one somebody said it isn't worth the price. I don't remember what it cost me but it tastes like it was worth it to me.

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2012 02:33:38 | More by SHODriver

zeledonia

Minnesota

3.28/5  rDev -24.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Picked up this bottle on a recent trip to Ashland. 2011 vintage (the only one so far). Tasted 24 August 2012, reviewed from notes.

Pours relatively clear but dark chocolate brown. A rich chocolate lab brown, with about one finger of medium-tan head. Okay retention, not a whole lot of lacing.

Smell is totally dominated by the chocolate. Almost like Southern Tier's big stouts, in the way that it feels semi-artificial, though I realize that might just be the aspects of chocolate that usually come out in beer. But I don't really like it. A fair amount of vanilla oak. Chocolate, oak, vanilla, then porter. Porter base is on the sweet side, more like an English porter than the char-roast Americans.

Taste is not all that exciting. Again, it's dominated by the chocolate, and I wish there was more porter in it. Not a whole lot going on. Lacking richness, depth, and darkness. Like a bland porter with chocolate in it. Little obvious malt presence, and very low bitterness.

Very light feeling, especially for a so-called imperial porter, which should be a big beer.

A good beer, but not great. I found myself liking it less and less as I drank it. Sure, I can drink it, but calling this an imperial porter is a stretch. Chocolatey, whew! Wish there was more to it.

Serving type: bottle

09-07-2012 03:01:40 | More by zeledonia

womencantsail

California

4.43/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours dark brown in color with a small off-white head. Intense vanilla and chocolate aroma to this. Just awesome. Plenty of oak and roasted malt character to go with it. Some slight toffee sweetness, too. The flavor has the same level of rich chocolate flavor and the vanilla from the barrel aging is a nice compliment. Just enough roast to keep it from being cloying. Really a nice beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-16-2012 22:11:19 | More by womencantsail

UCLABrewN84

California

4.08/5  rDev -6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle I brought to share at NoSignsOfPain's birthday bottleshare hosted by mrbubbler.

Pours an almost opaque super dark brown with a foamy dark khaki head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Small streaks of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of dark roasted malt, milk chocolate, cocoa powder, and chocolate syrup. Taste is much the same with a bitter dark chocolate aftertaste. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good beer that is super chocolate forward but I prefer the aroma over the taste.

Serving type: bottle

07-02-2012 02:18:10 | More by UCLABrewN84

brentk56

North Carolina

4.35/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: Pours a chocolate brown color with a somewhat minimal head; leaves a decent streaky pattern, however

Smell: Lovely dark chocolate bouquet, with some oaky vanilla underneath

Taste: Chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate; after the swallow, the oak and vanilla flavors make an impact, along with a subtle hint of brown bread

Mouthfeel: Full bodied and creamy, with moderate carbonation

Overall: Although the beer is largely one-dimensional, it is a terrific example of a chocolate beer that would have wide appeal if it were more regularly available

Thanks, jodan, for the opportunity

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2012 23:15:36 | More by brentk56

Giovacchini

California

4.5/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A-Pours a dark dark brown with a thin tan head.

S- Semi sweet chocolate , some vanilla, bourbon, tobacco, and leather.

T- fudge/chocolate, some bourbon, very subtle alcohol, leather, and tobacco. 

M-Smooth creamy mouthfeel with mild carbonation very drinkable a little heat from the alcohol.

O- I think this was a very flavorful and drinkable brew. The chocolate tends to be a little overpowering but that's not a bad thing. The combination of the nose/taste/mouthfeel reminds me of a hot fudge sundae in liquid form. Very nice brew from a brewery that doesn't receive much attention. 

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2012 16:18:31 | More by Giovacchini

manjanai

California

4.9/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Big thanks to a buddy of mine,

Pours black as night w/ dark cocoa ring head. I can get whips of dark chocolate, vanilla, bourbon and oak, it tastes, wow wow, just like it smell w/ a hint of tobacco and chocolate sweetness which LEDs up to super nice dry finish.... Wow, I love this beer, can't wait to get my hand on some more!

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2012 00:11:24 | More by manjanai

comfortablynumb1

California

4.33/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Big thanks to Casey for sharing this one...

Poured from a bomber into a RR snifter...

A - Pours black with a one finger light brown head. Head retention is decent at best, and lacing is minimal...

S - Roasted malts, oak/vanilla, and lots of chocolate. Scent comes through deliciously sweet...

T - Chocolate foward with a good dose of vanilla. Oak and roasted malts also come through, with a slightly bitter finish...

M - Rich and creamy with a moderate amount of carbonation. On the lighter side of being full bodied with a dry finish...

O - Excellent brew. Definitely something i'm looking foward to trying again...

Cheers...

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2011 21:00:56 | More by comfortablynumb1

flexabull

California

4.4/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Enjoyed a glass of this last night at Caldera's tap house.

Pours a very dark brown color, with a thin off white head.

Aromas are of very dark semi sweet cocoa with hints of cream and coffee.

Flavors are just like the nose. Dark cocoa, semi sweet, creamy, with some brown sugar, espresso, and hints of oak. Finish is crisp, with really subtle booziness.

Mouthfeel is nice, full, smooth, and lightly carbonated.

Overall this is outstanding. This is an excellent beer that you can really taste the dark chocolate, but it still retains the flavors of a robust porter too. The balance is nice, very well done Caldera. Even my wife liked this, and she is not a fan of dark beers.

Serving type: on-tap

09-10-2011 23:07:40 | More by flexabull

HuskyinPDX

Washington

4.63/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Another great bottle sent up from jodan.

22oz bottle poured into my pint glass, because I can.

A - Pours a dark brown with a thin tan head that quickly turns into rings around the edges.

S - Chocolate, slight coffee, and some vanilla.

T - Milk chocolate, some malts poke through as well.

D - Low carbonation, Sweet, very smooth.

O - I love labs, and I love this beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-29-2011 03:14:39 | More by HuskyinPDX

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

4.4/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Dark brown, 3/4" head, tan. Aroma of chocolate, dark belgian candy sugar, bourbon.

Taste, decadent, yummy chocolate integrates well, one of the best barrel flavors I've experienced from oak spirals v. the barrel itself. Seems to be able to actually feel the 6 different malts used, all complimentary. Smooth, candy sugar gives a nice balance to it, never harsh, bitter, hides the alcohol extremely well. Chocolate really prominent, for the better. Mild vanilla component to it.

Nice price on it at the beerjoint for Caldera. Solid imperial porter.

Serving type: on-tap

07-01-2011 20:52:49 | More by Beerandraiderfan

drabmuh

Maryland

4.08/5  rDev -6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at SAVOR, beer served in a wine glass, sort of. Beer is brown / dark brown to black with nearly no head, clear at the corners of the glass. Low carbonation.

Beer smells like chocolate, like chocolate syrup, very strong. Yum.

Beer is sweet up front like a milk stout with a lot of chocolate on the palate and a mild to moderate bitter finish. The finish of the beer is wet and clean as well. Interesting overall but not great, not an A+ like it is on here in my opinion, a solid porter though.

Serving type: on-tap

06-06-2011 21:13:54 | More by drabmuh