Charles River Porter - Cambridge Brewing Company

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

IcemanCometh

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev -0.5%

06-16-2013 01:01:19 | More by IcemanCometh

ElijahRivera

New York

4/5  rDev -0.5%

06-03-2013 17:55:59 | More by ElijahRivera

ncaudle

Virginia

4/5  rDev -0.5%

05-28-2013 18:28:56 | More by ncaudle

spark3148857

New York

4/5  rDev -0.5%

05-28-2013 02:02:33 | More by spark3148857

dunix

Vermont

3.25/5  rDev -19.2%

05-07-2013 14:06:19 | More by dunix

jaasen64

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev -0.5%

05-05-2013 15:34:34 | More by jaasen64

liamt07

Ontario (Canada)

4.25/5  rDev +5.7%

05-02-2013 21:27:46 | More by liamt07

waiting4lunch

Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev +11.9%

04-27-2013 21:47:53 | More by waiting4lunch

BigOldOaf

Massachusetts

3.75/5  rDev -6.7%

04-27-2013 10:52:00 | More by BigOldOaf

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

Colosdog

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev -0.5%

03-15-2013 00:03:19 | More by Colosdog

Apathetiq

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev +5.7%

03-09-2013 23:41:56 | More by Apathetiq

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

kinopio

Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev +11.9%

02-01-2013 20:07:30 | More by kinopio

lucas1801

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev +5.7%

01-26-2013 22:58:58 | More by lucas1801

aorloski

Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev +11.9%

01-11-2013 00:00:37 | More by aorloski

pogoowner

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -0.5%

12-16-2012 05:10:50 | More by pogoowner

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

BeerBucks

New York

4/5  rDev -0.5%

09-25-2012 00:05:21 | More by BeerBucks

Reagan1984

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev -0.5%

07-27-2012 09:13:21 | More by Reagan1984

57md

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +5.7%

07-19-2012 04:39:47 | More by 57md

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

GuidedByBill

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev -0.5%

05-14-2012 19:52:19 | More by GuidedByBill

PatGreer

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev +5.7%

05-13-2012 06:11:34 | More by PatGreer