Planet Porter - Boulder Beer / Wilderness Pub

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

iSip

Colorado

3.55/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Boulder Beer Planet Porter: Last winter I went through an IPA tasting cycle. This winter it is porters and stouts. In the IPA field I experienced a wide range: IPAs to die for to IPAs to pour down the drain. The porter field has been more level. As I am not a brewer, I do not know why this is. The Boulder Beer Planet Porter lands solidly in the middle of those porters I have tasted. The standard black body is crowned with a dark tan head that fades quickly. The aroma is mild for a porter, and dominated by roasted malts. Smooth all the way through, you get a lot of deep malt flavor and a faint bitter near the end. The aftertaste is long and robust. I have found that in the IPA world, when you have found your favorites it is not worth trying lots of untried brands, because more than likely you will be wishing you had purchased your old standby. The occasional “find” is not worth the many “what am I going to do with the remaining 5 bottles of this six-pack?” In the porter world, the playing field is more level, and experimentation less of a risk.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2011 23:27:07 | More by iSip

kojevergas

California

3.18/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 2 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12 fl oz brown glass bottle with standard pressure cap served into De Molen stemware in low altitude Los Angeles, California. Reviewed live.

A: Pours a half finger head of fair cream, decent thickness, and bad retention. Colour is a solid black.

Sm: Vanilla, nuts, caramel, and light chocolate. A moderate strength aroma.

T: Nuts, heavy caramel, and light chocolate and slight vanilla. Fairly complex but not bold or inspired. It's a bit boring. Nicely balanced. Built alright for a porter.

Mf: Smooth and wet, but a touch too thick. Sort of suits the flavours of the body.

Dr: Drinkable but boring and tired. It's certainly nothing special. I'd try it on draught I guess.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2011 06:28:02 | More by kojevergas

Tschnab

New York

3.48/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A- a deep brown almost black body with a good two finger light brown head.

s- light coffee, a lot of maltiness, light chocolate, a lot of light aroma nothing robust no roasted quality I look for.

t- again, most of the flavors are there, but they are all toned down and lost in the really really thin body. But the flavor is good, just wish it would come out more.

O- not one of the top porters I've had, but it is tasty, and with a fuller body those flavors would sing.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2011 15:05:49 | More by Tschnab

ZenAgnostic

Texas

1.95/5  rDev -43.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1.5

12oz bottle poured into a wine glass. Enjoy by Jan 09 2012 stamped on the neck.

Appearance - Black body. Light brown three finger pancake batter head with good retention and decent to low stick.

Smell - Stale coffee. Very dry.

Taste - Mild. Watery. Stale. Very metallic. More off characters than good ones.

Mouthfeel - Watery. Stale.

Overall Drinkability - Stale. Watery. Not enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2011 17:46:16 | More by ZenAgnostic

emerge077

Illinois

3.48/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a tumbler glass, it forms a small head of tan foam for a brief moment or two, leaving a scattershot halo of lacing inside of the glass. Ruby mahogany glints on the sides of the tumbler when backlit.

Light mellow aromas of carob, cocoa, milk chocolate.

Creamy light feel, slightly bitter and astringent from the roasted grains. Smooth chocolaty impression, more light carob/cocoa than anything too deep into the chocolate realm. Flavor is pleasant, feel is a bit light and watery, residual roastiness and ashy flavors. Vaguely vinous characteristics. Not especially feeling this beer, possibly due to it's age, but could appreciate where it's coming from (smooth with simple flavors). An overall decent porter, hope to try it fresher someday.

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2011 03:11:05 | More by emerge077

scottbrew4u

Pennsylvania

3.93/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Manayunk Tavern

A: Poured a rich black color with very little light coming through and a dense tan head that hung in there.

S: Lovely roasted barley aroma with faint smoke and dark chocolate aromas. Some char and dark bread with molasses comes to mind. Just a touch of earthy hops in the background.

T: Some sweet molasses coating a roasted and burnt barley backbone. Pretty rich with bits of dark chocolate, brown bread, and light smokey flavors that all work well together. Very low on the fruity esters but a bit earthy, spicy hop presence to balance some sweetness.

M: Medium to full bodied and just right smooth carbonation.

D: A porter for a porter lover! Very tasty and enjoyable all the way and enticing to try another. Alcohol levels are fairly low and just the right balance happening here! Great to try especially on a fall afternoon.

Serving type: on-tap

10-16-2011 02:39:02 | More by scottbrew4u

womencantsail

California

3.9/5  rDev +13%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

On-tap at Boulder Beer Tap House at the Denver Airport

A: The pour is dark brown in color with a thin tan head.

S: Quite roasty with a nice dark chocolate note. A light earthy hop character and some hints of dark fruits. Coffee is there toward the back end, as is molasses.

T: A very similar array of qualities on the palate. Somewhat sweet with chocolate, molasses, and toffee. Dark chocolate and roasted malts give it a touch of bitterness, perhaps a small contribution from earthy hops.

M: The body is a bit thin, unfortunately. Medium carbonation.

O: Pretty nice porter. A bit weak on the mouthfeel/body, but otherwise not bad.

Serving type: on-tap

10-03-2011 01:33:41 | More by womencantsail

soju6

Missouri

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

A: Pours adark brown color with a tan head and bits of lacing.

S: Aroma of roasted malt, some coffee, trace of chocolaate and sweetness.

T: Roasted malt flavor, sweet cocoa and a hint of bitterness. Fairly clean finish with a lingering syrup sweetness.

F: Fairly medium body, a bit thin, smooth and way to sweet for a decent Porter.

O: Has the potential for a good porter but way too sweet to fill the bill.

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2011 02:08:34 | More by soju6

Tballz420

Minnesota

3.23/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Planet Porter is a black colored brew, small khaki head which doesn't last too long. The body is almost entirely opaque; there is just a hint of amber hue at the very bottom when held to a light. The scent is loaded with chocolate malts, a bit of roast and maybe a hint of coffee. The taste is much roastier, accenting the largely chocolate malt start, a slight coffee influence, some fruit tones in the background. maybe just a tad bitter but not much from the hop department in this one.

Serving type: bottle

08-25-2011 23:53:13 | More by Tballz420

gatorbreath

Fiji

3.65/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Dark, dark brown, light brown/tan head. Nose is of malt. Taste is different, lots of malt, some caramel taste. Something unlike anything i've had before; cool mon. Mouthfeel is thin to medium bodied with a smooth carbonation. This brew is enjoyable.

Pick one up, fella!

Serving type: bottle

08-10-2011 01:31:06 | More by gatorbreath

puboflyons

New Hampshire

3.98/5  rDev +15.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

From the bottle labeled Enjoy by Aug 17 2011. Sampled on July 31, 2011. The pour is dark brown with ruby red hues and a thin silky tan head. Very enticing to look at. The aroma is full of dark malts, molasses, and a slight hop nip. The body is relatively full. The taste tended to be sweeter than most porters I have had with a moderate bitterness around the edges.

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2011 18:36:10 | More by puboflyons

rawfish

California

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

Pours dark brown nearly back with some highlights around the edges. Mocha tan head is small reaching maybe a finger in height with poor retention but silky lacing on the glass.

Molasses, a bit of roasted malts with a touch of sweet cocoa. A bit syrupy and sugar coated, not horribly strong either.

Roasted malts with a hint of burnt coffee beans, a light nuttiness and cocoa. Pretty nice front but fades quickly with time , some hop character pushing back with a subtle herb like quality leading into a sweet syrup aftertaste that finishes with a kiss of acidity.

Very thin for a porter and below average carbonation. Massive stick after the drink though smooth.

Sessionable porter, awfully surprised how much sweetness this was able to carry despite the thin body. Dark complexities are all there but in small amounts. Starter beer into porters perhaps but not really memorable.

Serving type: bottle

07-09-2011 11:29:05 | More by rawfish

Nerudamann

Arizona

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

Poured from a bottle into a pint glass.

Look - jet black with about 3/4 of a finger's worth of light tan-colored foam that dissipates somewhat quickly.

Smell - a light hint of molasses, with a chocolaty essence as well. Smells very syrupy.

Taste and Mouthfeel - a little bitter at the offset, but it dwindles down after that. A little muskiness in the taste throughout, but more prominent in the end. Not very molassesy in the taste, but a roasted quality is there. Texture is very smooth, but not watery.

Overall - not a bad brew. Not terribly interesting in the taste, but not bad-tasting either, just not very thought-provoking.

Serving type: bottle

07-02-2011 04:13:39 | More by Nerudamann

PorterForMe

Indiana

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

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a pint glass

A: Poured a 1/2-finger light tan head with basically no retention. A medium-dark brown color with far too much light penetration. Mediocre lacing

S: Lots of caramel malt. Could have used nice, toasty coffee and chocolate notes.

T: Oddly thin. Leads with unsupported sweetness, very light caramel and coffee followed by slight alcohol and ends with a faint toasty and metallic tastes.

M: Way too light of a body for a porter. Decent carbonation though.

O: For beer drinkers looking to move from lighter, sweeter brews (such as wheats) this may be an acceptable transition to darker offerings. However, for the seasoned porter drinker, this is an unfortunate disappointment. The taste and mouthfeel are so thin it leaves you wondering: what happened? SO many better porters out there; don't waste your time with this one.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2011 01:40:49 | More by PorterForMe

Schmittymack

Colorado

3.9/5  rDev +13%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Old Chicago Westminster. Poured a very dark brown, almost black color with a slight tan head that quickly disapated. Aromas of sweeter malt, some coffee, and bitter chocolate. Taste was roasted malt, bitter chocolate, a bit of coffee, and just a touch of smoke. I like this one on tap mucho better than in the bottle: I belive I'll have another two or three before this mini-tour ends.

Serving type: on-tap

05-26-2011 08:10:47 | More by Schmittymack