Mocha Porter - Rogue Ales

soupyman10

District of Columbia

3.95/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Been meaning to get around to this one for a long while. Appearance is a very dark brown with a nice tan head that lives minimal lacing. Nose is pretty mild, but chocolate, light coffee and roasted malt, and a bit of dried fruit. Flavor is a lot more bitter than the nose: smoky, roasted malt right off the bat. Gets lightly into the slightly sweeter toffee malt later on, with a mild hoppy finish. Carbonation's a touch high, maybe masking the flavor just a touch. Overall, it's not bad at all, and Mocha Porter is a fairly fitting name for this highly coffee-esque brew.

Serving type: on-tap

06-25-2008 23:15:17 | More by soupyman10

ccrida

Oregon

4.13/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

On draught at their PDX pub, poured into a Rogue pils glass, the Mocha Porter is a hazy, very dark amber with a very small, bone colored head that leaves heavy lace. Served too cold.

Smell is strong caramel malt, a bit more coffee as it warms, very clean.

Taste is very nice, a great mix of coffee and porter. This has always been a favorite homebrew combination of mine, yet most of the commercial versions our stouts, and I find the roasted malts overpower the coffee in all but the riches examples (e.g. Péché Mortel).

Mouthfeel is average, medium body and on the crisper side with the finish. Lots of burps, it wasn't the easiest on the belly.

Drinkability is good for me, as this is damn smooth and very tasty. Again, it's one of my favorite homebrew styles (coffee porter), and I'm not sure why I haven't had this before!!! Still, there's no denying the richness, I'm running out of time for my flight, will only be able to quickly slurp down one more beer, and this won't be it...as tasty as it is, I'll go with their new JLS pils, although I frankly didn't enjoy as much.

Serving type: on-tap

06-05-2008 05:15:43 | More by ccrida

Proteus93

Virginia

3.25/5  rDev -16.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Had this one at a Ruby Tuesdays which, surprisingly enough, I have not been to before.

A: Very dark brown pour. Sticky, light brown head... a little short lived.

S: Roasted malts, some chocolate notes, a bit of oily hops come through. Something of a citrus scent, and maybe a little bit tinny.

T: Burnt malts, a bit of dark roasted coffeebean and more of a hoppy kind of bitterness than coffeebean or dark chocolate bitterness. It seemed a little intense, and wasn't really the nicest flavour. Not sure if something happened here, and they changed from something to another with dirty lines, but it was kind of unpleasant.

M: The carbonation seems a bit aggressive. Medium body, and carbonation becomes a bit fizzy as it goes.

D: Not one I think I'd get again, or at least I'd be wary getting it here. A little tough to finish (though not far enough to be a drainpour, I suppose), but between the flavour & mouthfeel, I was pretty disappointed.

It did get a little better as it warmed a bit, but not a great deal, and maybe it was me just learning to tolerate it. Either way, based on that, I could up the taste and drinkability up to an average score.

Serving type: on-tap

04-10-2008 22:34:20 | More by Proteus93

dnichols

Washington

4.1/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I shared a pitcher at Brick House Pizza in West Richland, WA with three friends. It was served with frosted mugs.

A: It poured a thick black body with a nice robust chocolate colored head consisting of big sticky bubbles. The head lingered before receding into an even modest blanket covering the surface and supporting a layered dense curtain.

S: It smelled of sweet roasted malts and bakers chocolate.

T: It started with a semi-sweet chocolate complemented by bitterness from the burnt malts and hops. The alcohol was well hidden and insufficient to clean the palate resulting in a bitter, sweet aftertaste.

M: It was a creamy, smooth and full bodied brew with a bitter sweet aftertaste. A bit higher ABV might have been nice but not required.

D: Nice balance of roasted sweet malts and robust hops. Easy smooth full bodied brew that may not do so well as a summer session beer but hit the spot with a spicy thick pizza on a winter afternoon.

Serving type: on-tap

01-16-2008 20:42:04 | More by dnichols

bobsy

Ontario (Canada)

4.05/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Sampler at San Francisco Rogue Public House. Extremely dark brown body with a bubbly tan head. Chocolate and coffee predominate in the nose. Nice roasted malt flavour, with a smooth coffee-accented finish, and a big old hit of chocolate. Medium bodied and sessionable.

Serving type: on-tap

01-14-2008 17:31:07 | More by bobsy

BamaWorKs

Kentucky

4.35/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I bought this beer in a Micro sampler at Pazzo's Pizza Pub in Lexington, KY. Overall, I must say that out of the 4 I tried, this is most likely the best. You got the classic porter flavor, very tasty but the coffee flavor of this brew really stands out. It's almost like they brewed a fantastic porter and flavored it with coffee. Of course, this is not for those who dislike java. But I can guarantee I'll be buying more of this in the future.

Serving type: on-tap

01-03-2008 01:46:58 | More by BamaWorKs

jim102864

Connecticut

4/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Yet another nice offering from Rogue. Chocolate brown in appearance with a modest head that dissaptes as you go. The aroma is mild with nuts and perhaps a hint of bitter chocolate but somewhat difficult to detect. The taste is nutty with some bitterness. Mouthfeel is malty with a mild bitter bite in the finish. Overall an enjoyable beer and perhaps a session brew for some.

Serving type: on-tap

12-16-2007 12:14:22 | More by jim102864

thartman

Pennsylvania

4.7/5  rDev +20.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Went to a semi-local pub and with about a fifteen beers on tap and I went for the Rogue handle. The current Rogue selection was the Mocha Porter.

The porter served up dark brown with a thin head and some lacings. The smell was sweet and chocolatey and malty. The taste was exceptional and satisfying ... delicious.

The mouthfeel was very smooth and creamy, and it and so easy to drink, that I ordered a second. This beer fills up the belly, and would be great as a main course in itself, or nice as a desert beer.

Serving type: on-tap

11-29-2007 00:03:03 | More by thartman

SilentSabre

Georgia

4.13/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I was very surprised with this one! I am continually 'let down' by Rogue's products, as I feel that they are very sensationalised and average at best. This, however, was very, very good! $4 pint at Charlie Mopps on Roswell Rd. Poured absolutely black as ink with dark red edges and khaki coloured head that vanished in 45 seconds or so. Smell was candy sweet with enormous caramel, chocolate, and sweet espresso. Taste was all sweet malts and caramel with a fairly dry roasted cereal finish. Mouthfeel was perfect for the style and very light in the way of CO2. I was very impressed with this offering from Rogue and will likely get it again. Nice.

Serving type: on-tap

05-12-2007 14:37:13 | More by SilentSabre

xoqx

Washington

3.95/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Rogue Mocha Porter arrived as a dark brown, nearly opaque brew. It had a tan head with very little retention or lacing. I didn't experience much in the nose except a non-descript malty scent. This beer is made with a veritable smorgasbord of malts: Northwest Harrington, Klages, Crystal, Beeston Chocolate, Black, Munich, and Carastan malts. I actually found its taste to be not particularly complex despite this extensive combination of malts. There were subtle chocolate, coffee and maybe slight vanilla tastes. The mouthfeel was creamy yet had the slightest astringency. This is a pleasant, drinkable porter.

Serving type: on-tap

11-26-2006 23:05:51 | More by xoqx

DarkerTheBetter

Pennsylvania

3.4/5  rDev -12.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

This beer pours a dark black with some light seeping through the edges giving the glass a cola colored halo. The head is nothing more than sad little flecks of dark bubbles.

Smells strongly of coffee with a little sour cherry, cocoa and raisins.

Tastes of giant roasted coffee and light green grapes with a concealed alcohol sting, but no alcohol flavors. There’s a slight prune sweetness here as well and the coffee could also be construed as being much like red wine. The blend of espresso and red wine is very nice, but arguably overpowering.

The mouth feel is light to medium bodied with only a light carbonation. Compared to the powerful flavor, this seemed really flat and boring.

This one’s just too intense for it’s own good. I’m not quite sure when a good time to drink something like this would be.

Serving type: on-tap

09-29-2006 16:33:53 | More by DarkerTheBetter

rtratzlaff

North Carolina

4.35/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A very dark brown to a black color. When held up to the dim bar lights rubyish brown colors come through. A small head that dissipates. Smell is of sweet malt with roastiness and some chocolate flavors. Taste similar, but with a bit of hop flavor joining the party. The chocolate taste pulls through strong with a bit of coffee. Mouthfeel was right on medium. I had a couple of these and could have kept on going. Quite a tasty beer. I would think of it as desert

Serving type: on-tap

08-16-2006 01:15:34 | More by rtratzlaff

veech

Tennessee

4.5/5  rDev +15.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Served in a standard 16 oz pint glass @ the Rogue Alehouse in San Francisco. Great representation of the style with a black body and tannish creamy head. The smell was dark cocoa beans and freshly gound coffee. The taste was just what the aroma advertised. Thick creamy mouthfeel and delicious coffee robustness dominated the aftertaste. Porters are my favorite and this one did not disappoint. Dead Guy Ale is one of the few Rogue beers I can get locally, but I'll be on the lookout for the Mocha Porter.

Serving type: on-tap

07-05-2006 02:57:45 | More by veech

HochFliegen

Oregon

3.95/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pour was a thick and dark black with a nice creamy tan head.

Smell was of chocolate, toffee, carmel like and roasted coffee. Very inviting in the scent. Flavor is much the same sweet toffee and butter flavors with a tingle of chocolate and roasted malts with a coffee like taste. Very smooth with a compliment of hop bitter in there and leaves a dry semi-finish. Medium body with the carbonation. A very nice beer.

Serving type: on-tap

06-12-2006 04:26:03 | More by HochFliegen

EmoBeerGuy

New Hampshire

3.63/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - Looks like a classic, dark porter with little head.

S - Hops on the nose, with rich malts.

T - Surprised by this beer, which I had not tried in quite some time. Much more hop driven than I had remembered. I have been drinking the chocolate stout tons these days and was exspecting something more along those lines, but this was more delicate and more "american". Still a nice crisp beer, not too overwhelming. Maybe a good beer to transition your non beer snob friends from guiness to something a bit more interesting.

Serving type: on-tap

02-12-2006 20:28:45 | More by EmoBeerGuy

jasonpeckins32

Michigan

4.05/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 5

Had a couple of these on-tap at a bar in Grand Rapids that I visited for some after-turkey brews on Thanksgiving. They had a special for the day, a pint of this stuff for $2. Needless to say, this was my proud selection.

Appearance was a very dark brown coffee color with a nice brown head that didnt last very long.

It was difficult to get a good whiff of the beer. The smoke in a bar always seems to put a hinder on that. I did notice some roasted scents and chocolate.

The taste was of roasted malts and chocolate. A touch of coffee flavors here and there. Nothing out of the ordinary.

The mouthfeel was scratching and fighting its way to the medium-bodied level. Probably didnt quite make it. A little chalky as well.

Drinkability was great. If they had this on special for $2 everyday, I'd probably buy an air mattress and move in.

Serving type: on-tap

11-26-2005 05:28:06 | More by jasonpeckins32

tekk9

Washington

4.4/5  rDev +13.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This is the standard for which all Porters should be measured. I was very impressed with this Porter.

It poured a beautiful dark dark amber with a thin head that laced around my glass. I could pick out a faint coffee smell.

There is a slight coffee taste to the beer along with a nice maltiness. I really enjoyed the thcker mouthfeel. A lot of Porters seem to be to watery for me. The carbonation was perfect. Not too much nor too little. As I said before, a beer to judge others by.

Serving type: on-tap

10-10-2005 04:30:13 | More by tekk9

BEERchitect

Kentucky

4.18/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Aroma: Nice chocolate smell come through imediately. Bold roasted and coffee tones not far behind. A mild tartness shows that this beer has a little more than just malt.
Appearance: A little thicker and richer looking than the normal porter. A tan head pours to about 1" and remains firm and rocky. Opaque brownish to black. Laces well.
Taste: complex maltiness hits the toung. Bittersweet chocolate is pronounced imediately. Tartness of cherries and coffee round out in the body. Body is full and firm. Bittering follows through to the finish. Mouthfeel is firm and soothing.
Aftertaste: Bitter, tart, and sweet, much like a high quality coffee or tea. Does not leave the mouth too dry, but doesn't leave it too tacky either. Alcohol is barely detectable through it all.
Impression: terriffic beer. Must like porters, coffee, and chocolate in order to enjoy. Would make a great winter warmer.

Serving type: on-tap

06-09-2005 12:42:46 | More by BEERchitect

baiser

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours deep brown with ruby highlights, deep tan head, and excellent lacing. Aroma of dark chocolates, caramel, and fruit. Lots of chocolate and coffee flavours, nice burnt and toasty flavours but easily drinkable. Great alternative to the heavier stouts, packed with roasty flavours. Finishes dry, with a semi sour aftertaste.

Serving type: on-tap

05-29-2005 08:28:30 | More by baiser

blitheringidiot

Pennsylvania

4.03/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Dark brown, opaque, nearly black with glints of light in the bottom of the abyss. Scant collar of brown head cap leaving decent lattice lace.

Light cake batter scents.

First swigs: Porter scents of cocoa with some citrous lemon in the background. Toasted rye, banana and almond hints with smoked peat moss that reminds me of pumpernickel crusts. Lingering aftertaste of cocoa with a dry finish.

Full bodied and crisply carbonated. Flavorful, overall but a bit one dimensional.

Last swigs: Perfect blend of cocoa and roasted malt dark bread flavor. Excellent English porter interpretaion. Reminds me a bit of Guiness.

Beer is good. Happy beering.

Serving type: on-tap

02-12-2005 20:23:42 | More by blitheringidiot

kmpitz2

Tennessee

4.63/5  rDev +19%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This beer poured a nice black color with a finger of head that fell to coat the beer. The nose was a nice full chocolate with slight roasted tones, a touch of sweet caramel as well. The flavor was chocolate upfront and in my face, moving to a well hopped coffee bitter finish. Very nice. The feel was thick and creamy, smooth and very drinkable. A very well built beer, with a really nice flavor. I enjoyed this beer a great deal.

Serving type: on-tap

01-08-2005 21:48:40 | More by kmpitz2

99bottles

Pennsylvania

4.33/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Having had this a few times, I went for it at the bar the other day and thought I ought to give it a review.

Apperance: The beer is a deep brown color, nearly opaque, and it is topped by an inch of clumpy tan head that has decent retention.

Smell: The smell is of roasted malt that melds with some agressive hop flavor into a piney, roasty bitterness.

Taste: The first sip is at once full and flavorful. There is a solid porter flavor, amped up to accentuate the flavors of this porter. The dark and chocolate malts contribute a coffee and chocolately flavor, not as clean as in their chocolate stout however. I feel the strong roasted bitterness of the porter cuts into these emerging flavors only to be overtaken by the strong dose of hops that comes on in the ending and aftertaste. I really like this one, and frequent it often for its bold flavors. If you're looking for a easier drinker, go for something English, like Fuller's.

Mouthfeel: Full and almost thick, this is better as it warms. Not overly viscous or cloying, but with more body than most other porters.

Drinkability: I seem to like this, and I've had more than one on more than one occasion. But, compared to other porters, this one isn't quite as weak and easily sessioned. I'd take this over a lot of others any day.

Serving type: on-tap

10-04-2004 15:03:25 | More by 99bottles

RedDiamond

Oregon

3.53/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I’m picking up a casual hop aroma – strange for a porter, especially a mocha porter, but I can’t complain. The black lacquer body is full and silky and paints the glass with elegant lace. The alleged mocha property is either deliberately muted or merely implied. It’s certainly not a core, defining characteristic, which is instead derived from darkly roasted (if not charred) grains. The finish here is this beer’s most alluring asset. It is long and smoky and fades out gracefully like the closing scene of a Bogart movie.

Serving type: on-tap

09-02-2004 20:32:25 | More by RedDiamond

OldFrothingSlosh

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Deep and dark brownish-black. Thin layer of persistent tan-colored lace speckles the glass nicely. Aromas are chocolate-covered caramel squares with a dash of bitterness. Flavor is thick and creamy, with lots of chocolate in there. There's also some coffee flavor as well. Finishes with a nicely-balanced dose of bitterness to match wits against the sweetness. Solid mouthfeel and quite drinkable. Rogue scores with anoter winner for me.

Serving type: on-tap

08-16-2004 12:12:49 | More by OldFrothingSlosh

sublimesipping

Pennsylvania

4.28/5  rDev +10%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I wasn't expecting to drink a porter on this hot summer's day, but after a sample from the bartender, I had to have a pint of this. wonderful stuff! Beautiful coal black color with a creamy tan head. Excellent full robust body with wonderful chocolate and "woodsy" aroma. the taste throughout hints of licorice, cloves, horehound- wondeful balance and smoothness throughout the sip/gulp accounts fro a very high mouthfeel from me. thought that the taste packed a wallop of sophistication and complexity. this is an excellent beer the would hold a candle to any porter that I have recently had on tap. Kudos to all at Rogue ales!!

Serving type: on-tap

07-09-2004 02:11:55 | More by sublimesipping