Otter Creek Stovepipe Porter - Otter Creek Brewing / Wolaver's

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.73/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Well carbonated porter, very roasty in aroma and toast, medium mouthfeel.Coffee roast and woodsmoke. Refreshing, though missing something. Initially some sourness that disapeared in the roastiness as it warmed to room temperature. Bottled in June of this year.

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2005 03:42:50 | More by northyorksammy

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

3.78/5  rDev -1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Barely lucent dark walnut with copious streaks of ruby red. The ecruish head is small and unimpressive. It does maintain a one finger thickness for a bit and deposits an acceptable amount of lace in a thick, slurred collar when it eventually departs.

The nose consists of roasted malt and cocoa. There's no coffee that I can detect and very little hoppiness. I do, however, pick up a light fruitiness that I might just as well attribute to hops as to anything else.

Stovepipe is a straightforward American porter. Moderately roasted chocolate malt brings forth the flavor of... chocolate. The beer is lightly sweet with a lactic (milk sugar) character that works well against the bitter roastedness. While it's a little more hoppy on the palate than in the nose, calling it hoppy would be a stretch.

The biggest failing as far as I'm concerned is the mouthfeel. It's too light. I prefer full-bodied beer, but make every effort to judge all beer by the style guidelines. Even so, this one is too thin, which only accentuates the vigorous carbonation. Light and bubbly works well in some styles, but not in a porter.

Otter Creek Stovepipe Porter is a good effort, but stumbles on its way to the winner's circle due to an unacceptable body/mouthfeel. There's plenty of flavor to work with though, so all is not lost.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2005 14:46:28 | More by BuckeyeNation

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

3.55/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Pours a clear, dark brown body with a thin, fizzy, off-white head.

Smell: Roasted malt aroma smelling of chocolate, coffee, and scorched grains.

Taste: Starts with roasty coffee tones which yield to a mild caramel sweetness and taste of baker's chocolate. Eventually a burnt grain taste quietly sneaks into the taste, like a thieving otter determined to cheat me out of my honestly earned crustaceans. More of a roasty, medium bitterness than anything else. Finishes dry and predictably roasty.

Mouthfeel: Medium-thin body. Medium, somewhat fizzy carbonation.

Drinkability: Just a touch too thin and fizzy for my tastes. A fine, respectable mix of flavors that could greatly benefit from a dialed up body and dialed down carbonation. And where the hell is their well-traveled otter mascot at? Wise up, Otter Creek, that lil' guy really helps push the product.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2008 23:19:47 | More by ChainGangGuy

brentk56

North Carolina

4.25/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Pours a dark coffee brown with ruby highlights and a foamy tan head that persists and leaves shards of lace

Smell: A nice roasty nose with some unsweetened chocolate and a touch of hops

Taste: Starts out with a nice roasty flavor that builds throughout but provides a very nice bitter balsa wood complement once the hops kick in; there is an interesting herbal element in there, too

Mouthfeel: Medium body with moderate carbonation

Drinkability: Very well-balanced with an intriguing herbal roastiness that I find really pleasing

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2005 21:47:32 | More by brentk56

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

3.5/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle: Poured a medium black color porter with a big foamy head with pretty good retention. Aroma of coffee is dominating and provide an interesting edge to this porter. Taste is a well balance mix between roasted malt and coffee. Body is a bit light and carbonation is too lively for the style IMHO. Good offering overall and something that I wouldn’t mind drinking again.

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2006 14:56:19 | More by Phyl21ca

BEERchitect

Kentucky

3.9/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

First beer by Otter Creek, so don't really know what to expect. What I got was a very clean and safe Porter. Though nice with cocoa and coffee notes and a medium malt base, the beer just seems under malted both with base malts and specialty grains. The cocoa would be better with bitter-sweet and chocolatey smoothness. The coffee notes should be more espresso-like. Though medium textured for ease of drinking, I would prefer a richer, heavier beer. The alcohols are well blended and the bready / yeasty flavors are consistant. Delicate and well balanced. Nearly a Brown Ale.

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2006 18:42:38 | More by BEERchitect

oberon

North Carolina

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

Poured a nice rich,deep brown with light off-white head,smell was very roasted malt smell with light chocolate notes.Taste is burnt ans highly roasted with a nice mocha coffee flavor to it.I thought it may have been a little thin on the mouth toward the bottem but all in all a pretty nice beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2003 07:01:27 | More by oberon

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

3.6/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Stovepipe Porter pours a mahogany-black body with a crimson cast and chestnut highlights beneath a frothy head of tan that holds quite well and leaves some remarkable, thick and creamy walls of lace about the glass.

Ash and charred wood greet you in the nose along with a delicate note of chocolate; perhaps explaining the name.

In the mouth it's light-medium in body, and just lightly crisp on the palate with a very fine-bubbled, moderate carbonation.

The charred roastiness returns in the flavor, softened a bit at the start by a touch of yeasty fruitiness. Some leafy hops are perceptible at mid-palate, followed by another flash of soft fruitiness. The bitterness rises, drying it severely, and increases the perception of roastiness as it fades into a long-lingering, dry and ashy finish.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2007 14:59:30 | More by NeroFiddled

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

4.33/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: murky deep brown, leaning on black, with red tints at edges, and a lush crown of cream-in-the-coffee foam that looms large, then settles to a slim ring.
Aroma: right off, a perfect mesh of cocoa and espresso, a lovely mocha java in the nose, and, in the mouth?...
..light hops, full malt, with that great flavor described from the nose washing all over the palate, rinsing the mouth with this ideal match of dark delights, while still being incredibly smooth, very easy drinkability. Full bodied, with a lond, delectable, chocolate-laced finish. Great coffee/cocoa flavor never flags, sags, or even sighs, it just keeps on pleasing.
Great porter, one I'd happily turn to if the option were mine.
Since it's not, I have Mr. Rabidawg to gratefully thank!

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2004 08:05:01 | More by feloniousmonk

WesWes

New York

3.43/5  rDev -10.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

The beer pours a dark brown/black color with a lacey tan head. The aroma is good. It is sweet with crystal malts and has a black roasted flavor from black patent and roasted malts. It has a bit of chocolatey scent. The taste is average. Again, it has all the aromatic qualities, but it is weak and watery. It is not nearly as bold as the smell. The mouthfeel is good it is a full bodied beer with just the right amount of carbonation to make it have a smooth, clean finish. It is a decent porter, but I've had much better.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2004 18:25:20 | More by WesWes

zeff80

Missouri

3.55/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

A - Pours out a dark black with a small tan head. A little lacing.

S - Smelled of roasted malt and coffee.

T - It had a sweet chocolate flavor mixed with a roasted malt taste. It had a little burnt taste to it.

M - It was dry and crisp. Medium-bodied.

D- I thought it was a pretty good porter. I think it may be one of Otter Creek's best brews.

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2006 15:38:35 | More by zeff80

metter98

New York

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

A: The beer poured very dark amber in color (near black) with a thin off white head.
S: There are aromas of roasted coffee beans and bittersweet chocolate in the nose.
T: The taste is very similar to the smell with flavors of dark roasted malts and notes of chocolate and coffee. There is a light amount of bitterness from the hops.
M: It feels light- to medium-bodied and a bit thin on the palate.
D: The beer is very easy to drink and is quite sessionable.

Serving type: bottle

09-06-2010 21:41:39 | More by metter98

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

3.75/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a US tumbler pint glass.

A: The beer is a deep dark brown color, with a thin off-white head that fades quickly and leaves a thin lace on the glass.

S: The aroma is smoky with roasted coffee and dark chocolate and a touch of hops.

T: The taste is malty and a little smoky with flavors of coffee and dark chocolate. There is a very mild hops presence. The after-taste is slightly sweet.

M: Crisp and smooth, medium body, medium carbonation, the finish is clean and dry.

D: Tasty, goes down easy, not too filling, decent kick, good representation of style, this is a good beer to drink for a while if you're in the mood for a porter.

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2008 04:25:58 | More by TheManiacalOne

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This wasn't too bad. The beer was given to me from a friend and I gladly accepted because I'd never had it before. The pour was a deep brown that only shows up as black once it's in the glass. The head was durable and tan. The smell was rich and roasted much like coffee but more burnt smelling. The taste was very burnt, surprising how much of that bitter burnt toast was in there. Very interesting taste. The mouthfeel was pretty light so you can have more than one of these in a sitting without filling up too much. Good stuff!

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2011 21:37:56 | More by Knapp85

emerge077

Illinois

3.65/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Sampled @ Four Moon Tavern in Chicago.

Pours a dark burnt umber/black. Some foam present.

Smells of earthy roasted malt, mild, no coffee or chocolate aroma.

Taste is fairly average, roasted caramel malt, mild bittersweet chocolate. Faint hint of coffee, but it's a stretch. Seems like a lager version of a stout... a weak Baltic Porter?

Easy to finish one 12 oz. but not compelling enough to have another.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2007 01:48:57 | More by emerge077

Gavage

New Jersey

3.65/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: clear brown in color with some burgandy highlights. A short 1/4" head disappear quickly. No lacing develops.

Smell: light roasted malt tones are all the nose can pick up.

Taste: a simple and solid porter, as roasted malts, weak coffee, light chocolate bits, a drop of vanilla extract, and mild bitterness are the main flavor components.

Mouthfeel: light crisp overall with some mild dryness at the finish. Roasted tones linger briefly on the tongue. Light-medium in body.

Drinkability: very easy drinking porter. Won't blow away the tastebuds, but this is a nice version.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2006 23:01:29 | More by Gavage

jwc215

New Jersey

4.03/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours crimson.brown - almost black. Rather than a head, there is a tan lacing that remains fairly steady for most of the drink.
The smell is not powerful, but yet still inviting. It has the aroma of sweet chocolate.
The taste is well-balanced. Smoky, sweet, but dry at the finish. Hints of chocolate and coffee. It is a bit watery at first, but the flavors become more pronouced at the drink goes on. Not bad at all!
Pleasant mouthfeel. Despite a bit of thinness, it leaves a flavor that is typical of a good porter. Smoky, creamy, silky and rich.
This is a good porter. Nothing outstanding, but certainly drinkable and a worthwhile porter!

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2006 03:04:21 | More by jwc215

tempest

Pennsylvania

3.68/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured on-tap at the Blue Tusk without head.

Left a little bit of lacing despite the lack of head. Looks black at first, deep ruby red when held up to the light.

Slighty smokey and roasty smell with a little note of coffee. Taste has a little chocolate with sweetness, followed by a touch of hops. Fairly subtle flavor overall. Very easy drinking, surprisingly refreshing for a porter. Goes down easy.

A good, but not great porter. It covers all the bases of what you'd ask of an american porter, but nothing more. No zip, no surprise. Good, solid porter nevertheless.

Serving type: on-tap

12-15-2005 03:36:32 | More by tempest

WVbeergeek

Ohio

4.08/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours deep ruby almost plum hue with a foaming tan head that leaves desireable scattered lacing with each sip of this fine brew. The aroma is a blend of sharp sweet tones of malt with the slightly harsh deep roasts present in this porter additional fireworks is the prevalent amount of hops in the smell along with some mellow fruit tones just enough to note very nice. Flavor is mainly dark roasts full of chocolate, coffe esque presence along with a lighter fruit tone provided by the ale yeast some dunkel like characteristics but this well made handcrafted quality porter is something to brag about. Flavor becomes a bit thin, but overall it's hard to beat this medium bodied brew carries a enough aroma and texture to keep everyone happy very good, one to save for my brother a purveyor of stouts and porters. He is usually a one or two brew type of guy but I believe a brew like this could turn into a session for him.

Serving type: bottle

08-04-2003 05:56:42 | More by WVbeergeek

smcolw

Massachusetts

4.13/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thick, light beige head. Recedes rockily and leaves good ring lace. Color is deep ruby brown where the barest of light passes.

Good aroma, but mild. Some burnt malts give it a touch of coffee. There's also a sense of cream.

This is nearly a transition porter; it has many of the qualities of a good stout--lots of burnt grain (black patent), particularly in the aftertaste. Yet, the body is closer to the porter (i.e. not as thick). No creamy flavors, this is almost all bitter, over done toast. If you like bitter stouts, you'll likely like this one.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2009 23:22:59 | More by smcolw

Wasatch

Utah

4/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to jwc215 for this brew.

Pours a nice clean/clear black color, nice carbonation, nice one-finger plus creamy tan head, which leaves some nice sticky lacing. The nose is malty, real nice touch of toffee/coffee, and caramel. The taste is malty, nice tones of toffee/coffee. The finish is slightly bitter and a touch dry. Medium body. Drinkable, the brew surprise me, very tasty, recommended, Thanks Joe.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2007 01:54:43 | More by Wasatch

jdhilt

New Hampshire

3.65/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A very dark, slightly sweet porter. Usually sold as a 6-pak in northern New England but found at the Common Man Restaurant which is a good change from the macros.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2002 19:15:45 | More by jdhilt

weeare138

Pennsylvania

3.1/5  rDev -18.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Appears a dark brown with a caramel, cola toned edge. A thick beige head slowly fades out into a head of 1/4" fluff. Lots of scattered bits of lacing are left around the glass.
Smell is of smoked malts, roasted barley, caramel, espresso, bitter cocoa, wet hay, and grass notes.
Taste is of the aromas but it seems to be missing something. Not sure what it even is...there seems to be a good rythmic bassline going but it's missing the charm of the melody on top of this beer. It's almost like there are hints of greatness that fall short into a somewhat bland flavor. Hmmm.
Mouthfeel is medium bodied, fizzy, with some bitter hops tingling the back of the tongue before fading to a semi-dry, thin finish.
For some reason, I remember this beer being much better several years ago. Perhaps my tastes have changed?

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2011 02:36:21 | More by weeare138

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle into a pint glass.

Pours a deep brown/near black, with 3 fingers of frothy mocha colored head. This retains with a creamy ½ finger, leaving back a heavy cascade of spotty lacing that slowly drips down the sides of the glass. A combination of smoky burnt roast and fresh green citrus pack quite a punch here in the nose, while more of a coca and light toffee sweetness fills out the edges. The roasted character here is really leaving a favorable impression on me.

That sweetness picks up in the taste, with light chocolate and caramel notes that surround and help balance out a moderately assertive hop profile of earthy bitterness and then a steady dry roasted finish. Those hops probably have the most strength here and really stick to the tongue at times. The mouthfeel is medium bodied, with some sharpness to the carbonation up front but then smoothes and mellows out a good bit along the back. This has a nice combination of textures to it that fit the flavor profile just right.

I don’t know why I’ve never sat down with a bottle of this, because it ended up being a REALLY solid take on an American Porter. This was maybe a little more burnt tasting than what you would find in the style but I didn’t mind it one bit and thought that it actually went quite well with the bitterness from the hops here. I’ll be seeking this one out again.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2012 15:31:38 | More by Kegatron

Bighuge

Minnesota

4.43/5  rDev +16%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A thin brown head sits on top of this dark ruby brew. An edging is all that is left after a few seconds. Nice rings of lace are left on the glass as I drink. Heavily burnt aroma. Chocolate accents as well. Burnt malt, black coffee, cocoa and bittersweet chocolate all meld together beautifully to give this porter one outstanding taste. It almost assaults the taste buds in a way similar to a good Imperial Stout. This porter also has some good hop contributions: bitterness and a slightly citric twang, ever so minute. The bitterness lingers and is very nice. The citric twang is reminiscent of cascades, centennials or some other NW hop variety. The body of this beer is closer to medium than full. Overall this is one enjoyable porter.

Thanks again to pbrian. You've really set me up with some great tasting, unique brews (and I've still got 2 left from you).

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2002 20:37:59 | More by Bighuge