Planet Porter - Boulder Beer / Wilderness Pub

metter98

New York

3.35/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: The beer is very dark amber in color and has a ring of bubbles around the edge of the glass.
S: There is a light aroma of roasted malts in the nose.
T: Like the smell, the taste also has flavors of dark roasted malts, but these aren't that strong.
M: It feels light-bodied and very smooth on the palate with a light amount of carbonation.
D: Although the beer was easy to drink, the taste wasn't very interesting so I'm not sure if I would have this again.

Serving type: cask

09-26-2010 12:05:02 | More by metter98

manahansf

Indiana

3.88/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Clear brown color with a thin creamy tan head. The body is moderately heavy with low carbonation and moves slowly across the palate. Great example of cask beer. Big roasted malt aromas with a big robust coffee flavor. Smooth chocolate/toffee finish which fades quick.

Serving type: cask

03-09-2010 01:15:21 | More by manahansf

kittywamp

Minnesota

4.03/5  rDev +16.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

From the fist pour this looks great very dark not quite black but darn close, low tan head didn't stay all that long but did leave nice lacing. Smelled like not a whole lot some malt no hops. Taste chocolaty with some faint coffee with a nice full smooth mouth feel to back it up. A very drinkable beer at least from cask have not had the bottle version so hard to say all around?

Serving type: cask

06-08-2009 04:27:56 | More by kittywamp

icefisherman

Minnesota

4.22/5  rDev +22.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

From cask I am told it is planet porter infused with flashback. Looks way sweet from tha cask beutiful beer. Smells of chocolate malt and still more sweet malt. Taste great malts no hops but it is expected from the style. Mouthfeel smooth as smooth can get. Way drinkable as I sip on my fourth uber drinkable.

Serving type: cask

06-02-2009 01:05:52 | More by icefisherman

mattcrill

Ohio

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

Aroma: Toasted bread, roasty notes, a touch of carmel sweetness in the background.

Appearance: Jet black with ruby edging. A sudsy tan head that persists reasonably well.

Flavor: Good malt base with some roasted grain to balance. Finished clean and dry.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with medium-low carbonation.

Overall impression: A good English slant from an American brewer. Highly sessionable with a good enough malt profile to keep the palate alive. Recommended.

Serving type: cask

05-06-2007 00:09:48 | More by mattcrill

CloudStrife

New York

3.4/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

12oz bottle poured into a snifter. Enjoy by Mar 21 2013.

A: Pours a darkish brown appearing black in the glass with a 1/2 finger light khaki head. Light is able to penetrate through the sides of the glass when held up to the light. Lacing is above average.

S: Not a good sign when my first whiff makes me question freshness, and upon question appears to be a few days past its prime. Fermented fruits and coffee grounds seem to dominate. Hints of chocolate and vanilla in the sweetness. Metallic tones set it off in the wrong direction.

T: Has a decent flavor to it, a smooth blend of roasted malts, chocolate and coffee. Non offensive middle of the road porter.

M: Just a bit on the watery side for a porter. Pretty easy drinking just feels a little thin.

Overall I can only imagine how tasty this would of been in 1975 when the recipe was developed. Has since fallen a few paces behind the crowd but is still a pleasant drinking experience.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2013 19:42:10 | More by CloudStrife

TwelveOunces

Kentucky

3.51/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 Oz bottle poured into a pint glass

Pours very dark brown almost black in the glass. This is a roasty porter. A lot of roasted malt. The beer also has a slight coffee like note and hints of bakers chocolate. The flavors are well balanced and pleasant but are rather underwhelming and the beer feels slightly watered down. This is fine for a sessionable porter but its far from special. Non offensive and light flavors make it drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2013 17:12:16 | More by TwelveOunces

OtherShoe2

Massachusetts

3.45/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

Pours deep brown with a cream-colored head. Reduces to a ring. Good lace.

Malt forward, with charred aromas and a slightly tart note. Coffee and a little cream, maybe even a touch of vanilla.

Bummer this doesn't taste as good as it smells. Thin and weak, with a earthy and coffee-ground bitterness up front. A sourness works its way through, which I guess cuts the bitter, but becomes a bit acidic. Malt is prevalent at the end, with a charred bitter, earthy/dirty and sour bite.

Thinner than I wanted it to be. Lots of carbonation on the tongue, which actually does not help.

Glad I got a single. Acidity and over-carbonation play havoc with this one, and the limited flavors get dominated by that very fact. For something that is so well structured (in sight and nose), the underperformance of flavor is a killer here. I'm about halfway down the glass with this one as I type, and I may actually drainpour the rest of this.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2013 20:03:04 | More by OtherShoe2

Darkmagus82

Montana

2.98/5  rDev -13.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Poured from bottle into pint glass

Appearance- The beer pours a deep brown color with a two finger cream colored head. The head has a great level of retention but fades slowly over time to give a nice level of lacing.

Smell – The aroma is heaviest of chocolate and roasted malt aromas. Mixed with these are some sweet aromas of caramel and vanilla as well as a very light coffee smell.

Taste – Overall the taste is relatively light. The taste starts out with some roasted malt and a light chocolate flavor. As the taste advances some lighter notes of vanilla come to the tongue. In the end a greater chocolate flavor comes to the tongue and mixes with a lighter coffee flavor to leave a subtle cocoa and roasted coffee flavor on the tongue.

Mouthfeel – The body of the beer is below average in terms of thickness and creaminess and the carbonation level is rather average. While the carbonation for the style was nice, the body of the beer was too watery for the style

Overall – It had a nice smell and look, but due to the lightness of flavors (which actually were nice) and the very weak body, not really the best porter out there. While not that flavorful, I suppose it would function well as a session style porter, although when you want a porter usually you are not looking for something of a session drink.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2012 01:49:42 | More by Darkmagus82

B967ierhunter177

Pennsylvania

2.9/5  rDev -15.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A decent beer that pours black with a thin tan head and no lace. The aroma is of dark fruit with a hint of roasted malt. The flavor begins with raisins and Coca Cola with faint notes of smoke and coffee in the background. It's mouthfeel is medium. Boulder Planet Porter is a decent beer, recommended.

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2012 18:34:32 | More by B967ierhunter177

OneWheelJoe

3.85/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Always excited to pop the solid black cap off of a Boulder brew. The label is elegantly simple, with a cool little artwork of a telescope and a bucket of what is no doubt a bunch of Planet Porters. Poured into a traditional pint glass.

Appearance: A deep, dark, murky color is my favorite aspect of a nice porter. This one does not disappoint. No light seems to pass through the black abyss in the glass. A nice tan head, about a finger's worth, sits right on top, slowly receding.

Aroma: Pleasantly deep aromas of chocolate and malts warm the nose. The upcoming Winter seems much closer with a deep breath of this porter. There is a slight hint of caramel, with a predominant malt aroma. Nice, not overpowering, simple.

Taste: Not as deep as I expected. The chocolate is more discernible on the back end, with malts hitting the tastebuds at the forefront. This brew seems to mingle with various other styles, surprisingly, reminiscent of a black lager and almost a pale ale at the same time. Only by the tail can you really find the "porter."

Mouthfeel: Disappointed in terms of weight. Based on the color, the expectation for a milky, weighty porter was already in my mind. Although it makes the brew more drinkable, I like to savor my porters and stouts over a period of time. The weight is usually enough to slow me down, allowing the brew to warm slightly to help bring out the deeper chocolate and spice notes.

Overall: Not the worst porter I've ever had. I probably would not pick this one up again simply for the price versus the quality. This brew also seems to tickle the idea of being a Winter Warmer, but doesn't have the level of spice you would need to accomplish that. I'm not totally on board with the confusion Planet Porter has in its identity, but at least this is an easy one to put away.

Serving type: bottle

09-05-2012 00:58:02 | More by OneWheelJoe

harrymel

Washington

2.28/5  rDev -33.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Best by 11SEP12

Pours a nice coffee brown with an etched, light tan surface with the slightest rose color. Smells robustly soily, some cardboard, molasses and cocoa (nestle, carnation, something cheap). Flavor of coffee, cocoa, light toasted grain and some smoke. Thin with low carb and an off dry finish. Meh, wouldn't look for this or advise somebody to drink.

Serving type: bottle

08-13-2012 03:31:16 | More by harrymel

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +15.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Boulder Planet Porter
12 oz. bottle
"ENJOY BY JUNE 27, 2012"

Although only eight days away from the end of the freshness date, the beer seemed in pretty good shape. There was a minor bit of oxidation but it wasn't to the point that it would distract you.

The appearance was quite good, with a frothy head of dark tan above an almost-black dark-mahogany body, and large rings of sticky lace.

In the aroma you'll find mainly cocoa and sugar, but there's some chocolate beyond that as well, and if you really look for it, some fruitiness as well.

As is usually the case, the flavor follows the aroma, however there's more chocolate than cocoa here, a bit of roastiness, more molasses than sugar, and the fruitiness is much clearer. It's berry-like, leaning more toward the juicy side than the tart, and it cuts through the dark malt giving it a nice counter-balance. Some citrusy hops swirl in the background, and to be honest, probably add to the fruitiness. The bitterness is kept in check, and it finishes dry, yet surprisingly short - which is OK, that just leaves you ready for another sip.

Overall it's an impressively balanced and solidly made porter. It's basic, yes, but it's got just enough interesting stuff going on to make it work as a session ale. Certainly worth trying.

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2012 13:09:33 | More by NeroFiddled

megahurts4

Louisiana

3.18/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Boulder Beer Planet Porter

Appearance: brown, small head, and some lacing.

Smell: nice chocolate and cocoa with a hint of grain.

Taste: mild grain and a hint of chocolate.

Mouthfeel: light and almost watery.

Overall:
This isn't anything special. The aroma gave the false clue of complexity in the flavor. It is light and almost watery.

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2012 05:49:55 | More by megahurts4

GarthDanielson

New Hampshire

3.2/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a bottle into a tumbler pint, the beer is a super-dark brown coloring with faint ruby highlights in the depths and a foamy, thick, frothy, beige head. Aromas of mocha and rich caramel, with a heavy hand of milk chocolate. Flavors are light, and almost a little watered down. The mocha and milk chocolate blend well, but are subtle to weak in trying to carry the beer. Light, watered down body limps the flavor profiles across the tongue, with a light, bitter coffee aftertaste. This could be a really solid Porter if the flavors and body got beefed up just a tad. The finish is clean and smooth. Definitely could be tweaked into something impressive.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2012 23:49:59 | More by GarthDanielson

pBRale

Iowa

3.43/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Dark brown-black pour with a rich tan head that settles quickly and has a fine (1/8") sustained retention and leaves a nice little bit of lace behind.

Smell: Nothing extra special here, but still a nice, well rounded smell. Woody (oaky) aromas are most notable, but this one also has a subtle toastiness and a bit more prominent roastiness to it.

Taste: Solid flavors that blend well, slight roastiness, and a lot of the woody, rustic flavors that really make this beer good.

Mouthfeel: A lot to be desired here. Carbonation is smooth, but the feel is fairly watery. Very drinkable, but just not quite full enough for a porter in my opinion.

Overall: A solid beer with room for improvement. I'm not as big a fan of the woody/rustic flavor as some, but I enjoy it nonetheless. This one is a good one if you love that oaky flavor to a porter.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2012 01:13:39 | More by pBRale

JuicesFlowing

Kansas

4.03/5  rDev +16.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a standard pint glass. The beer is oil black with barely a brown hue on the edges in the light. A dark cream colored head dissipates to a film with awesome sticky lacing. The beer smells of roasted malts and bitter chocolate. The beer tastes just like a good porter should -- roasted malts, bitter chocolate, and a faint smokiness. Also a tinge of sweetness in there somewhere. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with a dry finish.

Overall, I appreciate this beer as much as any other Colorado porter I've tried. Just a very drinkable, well made porter.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2012 15:49:31 | More by JuicesFlowing

TWStandley

Massachusetts

3.03/5  rDev -12.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured from the bottle into a Chimay glass.

Appeared a very dark brown color, slight red tint when held to the light. Head as much lighter colored than I anticipated - stuck around for a few minutes but disappeared eventually. Moderate lacing.

Smelled slightly smokey, with a presence of dark chocolate. Could smell some malts but overall not an intriguing sent.

Not much going on as far as taste either. Could not detect typical porter tastes such as chocolate, coffee, or vanilla whatsoever. Not sure what grains they used but it tastes like they used too much Black Patent.

Nothing notable as far as mouth feel.

Not entirely impressed by this brew. Didn't have high expectations which I guess is a good thing. Ok porter but I can recommend probably 100 that are better than this.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2012 00:21:22 | More by TWStandley

bearsxco

Massachusetts

4.03/5  rDev +16.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured dark brown, almost black with a half finger tan head. Some retention and minimal lacing. Sweet roasted malt with a slight chocolate smell. Tastes exactly as it smells. Nice balance of flavor. Light with a little carbonation and a little chocolate malt aftertaste. Not very bitter. Nice session porter.

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2012 21:49:41 | More by bearsxco

chilly460

Virginia

3.68/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - Pours black with some cola colored highlights at the edges. Medium brown head sticks around as a solid cap, minimal lacing.

S - Some syrupy malts and roastiness comes through, but not much aroma from this one.

T - Lots of roasted malts, some sweeter tones as well. Background gave some dark fruits and smokiness. Blended nicely as it warmed.

M - Light carbonation and a solid body on this one

O- Nice more traditional styled porter here, solid.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2012 21:08:47 | More by chilly460

phishsihq

Colorado

3.53/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On any one of the nine planets this is a good beer.

Boulder Beer's Planet Porter pours a deep, dark brown (some say black) that features a thin, tan head and a decent lacing. Light roastiness is in the foreground of the bouquet, with chocolate and sweet malt rounding out the scents. A combination of roastiness and chocolatey goodness play throughout the brew, with very little noticeable hop presence, a testament of this beer's balance. Planet Porter presents a light, creamy mouthfeel and a little carbonation. A nice and sweet, easy drinking porter for these month's were porter and stout are king.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2012 02:55:00 | More by phishsihq

andrewjraab

Michigan

3.45/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

This is one of the flights that came in my Amazing Clubs beer of the month collection (thanks to my wife!). 12 oz bottle with expiration dated 2/11/12. Poured into Porter/Stout Glassware I recently got for Christmas! (again...Thanks to my wife).

A - Deep black color with creamy yellow head. Quarter of an inch of head. Marginal stick and lacing during the drink.

S - Hints of Coffee, but not overly powerful.

T - Malty characteristics with coffee flavoring. Not overly robust in flavor, but not flat either.

M - Somewhat Dry, but overall smooth.

O - A pretty smooth porter and very enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2012 23:06:57 | More by andrewjraab

DrinkSlurm

Connecticut

3.23/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured from bottle into pint glass. Slightly carbonated with a slight head.
Slight coffee ish smell dominated by roasted malts.
Slight coffee flavor, again dominated by malt. A bit sweet/caramel...and slightly over carbonated. Light body, with just a little middle of the road character. It does taste like a home brew...
As I said several times...its just "slight" about everything.
nothing is "huge" about this beer...

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2011 04:33:56 | More by DrinkSlurm

Flounder57

Massachusetts

3.13/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

I had this on draft at the Boulder Beer Tap House in Denver International Airport.

Appearance: pitch black, poured a one finger mocha head that left nice lacing all the way down the glass as the beer was drank. There was also no clarity or signs of carbonation.

Smell: roastiness, chocolate, and some sweet malts.

Taste: very, very smoky. A little too much for me. There was also some earthiness, chocolate, roasted coffee, and sweet malts. Smoke and charcoal pretty much kill everything else going on in the flavor of the beer.

Mouthfeel: smooth, low to medium carbonation, full bodied, and tastes light. The smokiness leaves a slight chalkiness to the beer too.

Overall: Not bad for a porter, but there are better ones out there. The smokiness is a bit too much and wish it was toned down or not there at all. Was also looking for more flavor and sweetness.

Serving type: on-tap

12-16-2011 16:05:04 | More by Flounder57

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

3.05/5  rDev -11.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Brown pour, dark brown that is, but there doesn't appear to be a whole lot of heft to it, just a thinner beer with brown color to it, head formed less than 1/2". Aroma was roasty yet a tad bit too dilute for my preferences.

Chocolate malt, brown malt, toffee, a bit of bitterness with no hop edge or mouthfeel to it. Some sweetness, not over the top, a stickier feel to it than I would have suspected given the thinness in appearance and mouthfeel, it just has a sticky presence, but still lacks a little heft.

Tastes like a decent porter from a homebrew kit with nothing exotic going on. Worthy enough, but wouldn't pay more than $8 a 6er of this stuff, especially if there's some Black Butte around for the same price.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2011 00:33:37 | More by Beerandraiderfan