Charles River Porter - Cambridge Brewing Company

Jason

Massachusetts

4.3/5  rDev +7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap and served in an American Pint tumbler. Big fat roasted malt character on the palate but not with overly burnt flavour, more of a soft roasted char flavour. Maltiness is thick in the middle with a splash of sweetness, almost bready. Dry finish with a refreshingly mild acrid twang. This is one of the better porters brewed in the US and one that I always go back to.

Serving type: on-tap

06-13-2002 05:42:23 | More by Jason

BeerAdvocate

Massachusetts

4.3/5  rDev +7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Presentation: On tap.

Appearance: Opaque with a tan, whispy, lace.

Smell: Citrus in the nose, well hopped. Earthiness, slightly roasted.

Taste: Light bodied malt profile, roasted to burnt barley flavours. Somewhere in between a grapefruit bitter flavour enters the taste realm. Finished grain dry with some ending grapefruit and sweet/sour flavours.

Notes: WOW! What a Robust Porter! We could drink this all night long. They have no need to change anything with this porter ever. Done just right!

Serving type: on-tap

09-22-2000 00:00:01 | More by BeerAdvocate

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

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

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

Streetcore

Massachusetts

4.75/5  rDev +18.2%

03-29-2012 17:36:57 | More by Streetcore

disemgrowler

Rhode Island

3.5/5  rDev -12.9%

02-24-2012 23:50:10 | More by disemgrowler