Charles River Porter - Cambridge Brewing Company

jlindros

Massachusetts

4.14/5  rDev +3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Tap at the brew pub.

Pours a dark almost black beer with no real light coming through, nice creamy decent head.

Nose brings some dark malts, a little roast, little cocoa, hint of coffee, caramel toffee even, and hint of a nutty malt even, then hops, light earthy spicy hops bring a decent hop aroma to robust porter.

Taste continues where the aroma left off, dark malts, a little roasted character bringing a hint of coffee and faint faint touch of light burnt flavors, then cocoa, powdered chocolate, and a little caramel toffee sweetness. It has a light creamy oat like character but barely, before the hops strengthen. A decent earthy spicy hop character, meaty hops with a nice bitterness. Finish is dry and bitter, more bitter hops and light roasty malt character as well as light chocolate lingering.

Mouth is med to fuller bodied, little creamy, nice carb.

Overall pretty much almost exactly what I expect for a nice robust porter, nothing wrong with it at all, tasty well blended, if I'm looking for a nice robust porter this is exactly what I want.

Serving type: on-tap

03-17-2013 23:54:31 | More by jlindros

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

3.69/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

First had: on tap at CBC

Served in a small tumbler, dark brown-black with a small tan head that dissipated almost completely; no lacing to speak of. Aroma of dark roasted malts and cocoa. Pretty basic, pretty good. Good classic porter profile in the taste as well, dark malts, chocolate, some coffee bitterness, nothing really in the hop department. Smooth mouthfeel, body was not quite full, but still pretty robust for a porter. Quite good overall.

Serving type: on-tap

02-27-2013 03:25:12 | More by Rifugium

thebigredone

Wisconsin

3.15/5  rDev -21.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Had on cask with extra Fuggle hopping, possibly dry hopped?

A little dissapointed in this. The beer looked pretty tasty, but was completely overwhelmed by the hops. There was no way I would ever have been able to tell this was a porter if I had been blindfolded. No roasted malt, chocolate, or coffee tones present. Just hops. Not a terrible beer, but not one I enjoyed or would consider drinking again.

Serving type: cask

10-02-2012 00:47:56 | More by thebigredone

brewandstew

Maryland

3.58/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Had this last night at the brewpub.

Poured a very dark brown with a tan-colored half inch head with aromas of roast malt, pine, cacao nibs, chocolate.

Taste is a lot of dark malt with an underlying citrus - pine flavor. Low carbonation allows the beer linger on the palette.

I enjoy cask porters and cask beers in general. I have not had the original version of this beer, but I really enjoyed it on cask.
I'd like to have it on cask without the cascade dry hop.

Serving type: cask

06-01-2012 14:17:52 | More by brewandstew

Firkin-Bunghole

4.45/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Reviewed from notes
Had this beer during an awesome dinner at CBC a month bank. The server recommended Charles River Porter to be paired with dessert of a Charles River Porter hot chocolate brownie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Appearance-both beer and dessert came out at same time. Beer had carbonation clinging to edge of glass, but minimal head.
Smell-Cocoa nibs, milk chocolate, oats
Taste-This beer paired exquisitely with the Charles River Porter Brownie. Would have probably purchased a growler of this, but I know I wouldn't be able to replicate the chef's recipe. The beer had a smooth, chocolate taste, some light roastiness.
Mouthfeel-Light mouthfeel, decent carbonation. Glad the beer wasn't heavier as it may not have complimented the dessert so well
Overall-I can't think of a better dessert that I had recently. Huge kudos to the staff as CBC for amazing brews and for an equally amazing time. Wish I lived closer to Cambridge.

Serving type: on-tap

04-10-2012 02:23:03 | More by Firkin-Bunghole

beerbiatchMD

Maine

4/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Charles River Porter Challenger hopped (cask)

A: dark brownish black, two fingers of thick frothy brown head that sticks around for a long time.

S: thick cocoa, vanilla, nicely malty.

T: Vanilla, oak, a hint of chocolate is there as well.  There is also an earthy flavor that is difficult to place.

M: very smooth, not much carbonation, nothing special.

O; good beer, glad to have had it on cask, great dark beer for a cold day.

Serving type: cask

12-23-2011 03:30:40 | More by beerbiatchMD

JustinAniello

Connecticut

2.9/5  rDev -27.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A - Pours pitch black with a one and a half finger cream-colored head. Dissipates to a nice sticky lacing and light cap.

S - Heavy coffee with a hearty chocolate and caramel taking up the rear. Light maltiness with a mild sweetness as well.

T - Light dark chocolate and bitterness at first. Turns to heavier bitterness with a smokey flavor. Maltiness on the swallow turning to burnt toast.

M - Medium body and carbonation. Decent for the style.

O - Not a paticularly good porter in my book. I am a little afraid that my growler went bad since I noticed it had a crack in the cap, but it still had plenty of carbonation so I am doubting it. Way too much smokiness and lack of anything else but bitterness. Awful aftertaste, I wish it tasted like it smelled, which is excellent. The only bad beer I have had so far from CBC. May try again just so I can see if something was wring with this batch.

Serving type: growler

12-20-2011 23:56:29 | More by JustinAniello

Kranders

Massachusetts

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

Brought this growler back home for thanksgiving. Poured really dice deep black that I was excited to dive into. Nice rich aroma and a fantastically deep flavor. Really complex, slightly bitter with a good bit of chocolate on the back end. Great overall. I'm not sure what the reason, but as I drank more and more of it, the beer just kind of diminished. Still, great growler to be shared.

Serving type: growler

11-25-2011 17:38:00 | More by Kranders

womencantsail

California

3.9/5  rDev -3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On-tap at Cambridge Brewing

A: The pour is a very dark brown, almost black, color with a finger of khaki colored head.

S: Strong roasted malt and dark chocolate character. Plenty of licorice and molasses with lots of earthy qualities to it as well. There is a bit of toffee sweetness, maybe some hints of smoke.

T: The flavor is quite nice with a subtle bitterness from the roast and the hops. Lots of roasted malt flavor including coffee and bitter dark chocolate. Some more earthy notes, molasses, and toffee.

M: Medium bodied with medium carbonation.

O: A solid porter. I could have used a bit more chocolate flavor/sweetness, but still solid.

Serving type: on-tap

10-06-2011 19:34:58 | More by womencantsail

xnicknj

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev -3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

on tap at CBC in boston

Pours an opaque deep brown color which is almost black, topped off by a fluffy beige head. Retains nicely, leaving some slick film and patchy lacing on the glass.

A cornucopia of scents, including roasted malts and chocolate followed by toasted nuts and hints of smoke. Light sweetness and coffee as well.

Full flavored and roasty up front with plenty of somewhat rich malt tones. Caramel and chocolate mixed with nuts. Some edges of coffee beans followed by a wisp of smoke. A nice combination of flavors which all seem to work together in harmony. Finishes a little sweet and dry.

Fuller medium body, nice carbonation, smooth and easy on the tongue. A solid, drinkable, flavorful porter - I'd definitely drink this again.

Serving type: on-tap

09-13-2011 02:21:36 | More by xnicknj

Mebuzzard

Colorado

3.5/5  rDev -12.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This is a nice porter, yet it's shy on being an American porter. It seems stuck between English and American. Maybe Canadian...nyuk nyuk nyuk...or just a brown porter.

Anywho...it's a nice beer. Dark pour, white head...perhaps off white; lights are low.

Pleasant aroma of cocoa, coffee, nuts and dark fruit. I'm not getting much spice or hops in this one.

Then again, the taste has some hops to it. The cocoa and coffee come together for some toffee I suppose. Smoked berries and raisin. Slightly robust mouthfeel. A nice beer to be sure.

Serving type: on-tap

08-18-2011 18:08:14 | More by Mebuzzard

arizcards

Arizona

4/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had a pint at the brewpub yesterday while touring Boston for $5.00.

Beer was server dark brown with a solid brown head.

Nose had hints of coffee and cholcolate.

Taste was very well balanced between the malt sweetness, hints of coffee and chocolate, and a decent hop finish.

Mouthfeel was medium bodied and pretty smooth.

Overall a solid, likeable, sip all day kind of porter. Unfortunately our time was short in Boston so i needed to try another wonderful brew from this brewpub.

Serving type: on-tap

06-20-2011 21:19:29 | More by arizcards

Chincino

Massachusetts

4.05/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I had this beer on-tap at the Cambridge Brewing Company.

It poured to be very dark, almost black in color with a about a 3/4 inch of mocha colored head.

The aroma was strong of malt with hints of fruit and toffee or caramel. The taste was full of maltiness, but the malt taste was not overpowering.

This beer was well-carbonated. Good drinkability. You could easily drink more than one in a sitting.

Cheers!

Serving type: on-tap

05-11-2011 11:00:18 | More by Chincino

pburland23

Pennsylvania

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

On tap at CBC last Saturday. Served in a standard 16 oz. shaker pint.

Beer pours a deep, dark unyielding black with a finger or so of light brown colored head.

Smell is dominated by roasted malts. Smells deep and inviting. Taste is also very much centered on roasted malts though there seems to be slight undercurrent of coffee and some dark fruit - blackberries, currants. Really nice tasting pint. All components play well with each other.

Mouthfeel is full bodied and slightly chewy. Ample carbonation and very high drinkability. A very nice porter from CBC.

Serving type: on-tap

05-02-2011 01:27:29 | More by pburland23

celticfutblclub

Massachusetts

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

poured from a growler into a pint glass into my mouth.
**disclaimer** this in no way tastes like what i imagine the charles river does.. no sewage no medical exams post consumption.. it tastes like if you filled the charles with coffee and malts **end disclaimer**

A - extremely dark with a nice brownish head that recedes slowly.

S - roasted coffee, malts, and then some. i can smell a tiny bit of citrus on the side but mostly its coffee and malts.

T - trifecta of coffee, malts and hops. you taste the malts from start to finish in the this thing. coffee is very prevalent at the start but slowly fades out as the hops take over. great combination and inter-change in this one.

M - good carbonation. this has a bit of thickness to it which definitely works for me given there is a nice coffee presence and i dont like watery coffee.

D - exceptionally drinkable for a porter. easily spend a night putting these away.

Serving type: growler

03-15-2011 01:49:08 | More by celticfutblclub

FrankLloydMike

Massachusetts

4.33/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Growler purchased from the fridge at CBC

A: Darker than a black steer's tookus on a moonlight prairie night...there was no bottom; pours with little head (not too surprising or disappointing given the growler), but maintains a thin lacing. Quite attractive.

S: Malty, grainy, bitter chocolate/coffee smell with a hint of hops, and distantly noticeable is a bit of dry alcohol. This is a very nice smell, and much less muddled than many porters.

T: Roasted malt dominates, but the hops are more present here than in many other porters I've had. The hop bitterness is a very nice counterpoint to the malt sweetness; unlike some other porters this is not accomplish through perfect balance, but rather by letting the two play off each other while being distinct. It's a very nice take on a traditional style.

M: Medium-bodied, with a light finish, but a lingering dryness afterward. One of my biggest reasons for preferring porters over stouts is the mouthfeel, and while Charles River is definitely in the porter camp, it leans a tad more toward the stout fullness. Still, it's very pleasant.

D: Drinkability is quite good--this is an excellent, flavorful, interesting beer, but the sweet dryness on the finish leaves me reaching for a glass of water by the end.

Serving type: growler

11-21-2010 02:17:20 | More by FrankLloydMike

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -12.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Reviewed from notes.

Pours very dark with a bit if a light brown head and not. Uch lacing. Nose brings some smoke as well as coffee, chocolate, and roast. The taste is mostly roast with a bit of smoke. Pretty good body and a bit dry. Drinks fairly well but was a bit of a letdown.

Serving type: on-tap

11-03-2010 22:13:16 | More by Thorpe429

tempest

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

I had a glass at the CBC. This is a mighty fine porter. I usually bemoan when porters are too thick, but the body is spot on here - a satisfying, but not too-filling body. The flavor started with a deep, black roast, but quickly sweetened a touch with toffee and caramel bread crust notes. Overall, a classic American porter.

Serving type: on-tap

08-25-2010 03:16:34 | More by tempest

donkeyrunner

Massachusetts

4.08/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

@ Atwoods, Somerville MA

Opaque black with a 1 finger tan head. Stellar retention left big, fat lace rings like my glass was wearing a foamy striped rugby shirt.

Smells like sweet, smokey bacon. I think it's the rich, sweet roastiness of dark, dark coffee combined with a mild sour that gives off the bacon impression. Whatever it is I like it. Cocoa powder and almond nuttiness gives an Almond Joy impression. So, in summary Almond Joy + applewood smoked bacon = Cambridge Porter.

Roast malt and mild (lactic?) sour tang. Lots of dry char and coal roast flavors. If this was a different brewery it could have a name like "Ol' Smokestack," or something similar. Singed dark chocolate.

Serving type: on-tap

04-03-2010 14:24:47 | More by donkeyrunner

u2carew

Massachusetts

4.35/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A) Pours with a finger thick head, tan and creamy. Lacing is thin and sticky. Body is opaque.
S) Smoky. Chocolate. Hints of coffee. Prominent caramel.
T) Smoky caramel malts. Notes of dark chocolate. Just a slight hop bite in the finish.
M) Crisp. Fizzy. Dry. Full body.
D) A delicious porter. Robust flavors with great aroma. Pour me another!

Serving type: growler

03-20-2010 23:42:19 | More by u2carew

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.78/5  rDev -6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Enjoyed on tap at the brewpub. Solid porter with expresso coffee and above average mouthfeel. Bitterness without being mouth puckering. Very dark brown colour with tons of lace following through. Carbonation was right there. Chocolate stouty aroma, some licorice in the taste. Drying finish.

Serving type: on-tap

07-16-2009 00:25:49 | More by northyorksammy

BeerSox

Virginia

4.47/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

On-tap into pint glass at Johnny D's in Davis Square - Somerville, MA.

Almost pitch black, but some ruby and amber highlights show up toward the bottom of the glass. A one finger tan head slowly settles to a pillowy cap. Couldn't get much aroma, but from what I could get there was plenty of roasted malts and a little bit of dark coffee. The flavor was fantastic, with burnt malts, a little cocoa and some more of the dark coffee. Maybe a little caramel in there as well. Hop bitterness was on the low end, not really noticeable. Full bodied.

I had to order another round of this one while at the restaurant. I was tempted to order a third. Very drinkable, almost sessionable, and very recommended.

Serving type: on-tap

05-19-2009 03:41:35 | More by BeerSox

corey0212

Massachusetts

4.58/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a deep borderline-black, faint brownish/reddish higlights when held to light, and a very sturdy-looking tan head that fades slow and leaves webs of lacing. Some coffee and milk chocolate aromas, faint charring around the edges. Taste is more dark chocolate than milk, rich espresso flavors, and some more slightly burnt/charred flavors....very nice. On the heavy end of medium-bodied, and given the relatively low ABV, this is a pretty great session Porter. Honestly, just an all-out classic American Porter.

Serving type: growler

02-08-2009 23:56:33 | More by corey0212

TrevorGW

Massachusetts

4.2/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Served in a mug at Sunset Bar and Grill. Jet black with a one and a half finger tan head.

Coffee grinds and dark chocolate on the nose.

Taste is sweet and roasty up front with a perfectly dry finish. Plenty of hop presence to give this beer a genuinely bittersweet taste. Think of a mud pie and you will get an idea of the rich, tremendous flavor of this porter.

Quite drinkable with a creamy mouthfeel. A real gem from CBC. A dark beer with some memorable characteristics.

Serving type: on-tap

01-30-2009 17:44:58 | More by TrevorGW

praufs01

Pennsylvania

4.43/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance - Very dark, with a small tan head.

Aroma - Caramel and chocolate dominates the nose.

Mouthfeel - Light fizzy carbonation.

Taste - Very nicely balanced coffee and chocolate flavors.

Overall - Another winner from Cambridge brewing. Very good!

Serving type: on-tap

10-31-2008 23:35:29 | More by praufs01