Smuttynose Robust Porter - Smuttynose Brewing Company

brureview

Massachusetts

3.84/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

The beer poured a very dark chocolate-coffee color with a 3F head in a stein.

Aroma: very strong vanilla-chocolate.

The mouth feel is moderately carbonated.

The taste is complex-especially for a 5.7%ABV beer. Chocolate, lemon.

Hoppy, and pungent in the finish.

Overall a solid porter.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2013 01:28:56 | More by brureview

mattcrill

Ohio

4.68/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Aroma: Big chocolate, cocoa powder, espresso notes up front. Clean fermentation character. Roasted malt profile is big and bad.

Appearance: Jet black pour with a khaki sticky head that laces and retains well.

Flavor: Big roasted profile continues. Lots of cocoa, espresso, powdered chocolate notes, and hot chocolate flavors. Malt profile is balanced by earthy hop bitterness. Balance is nearly even with the roasted malts and hop character playing off each other. Finish is clean and dry.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied, slight roasted malt astringency. No alcohol heat.

Overall impression: Wow. Really impressive. Loved the roasted profile. I think this is the best Smuttynose beer. Well done!

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2013 00:42:39 | More by mattcrill

creal92

Kentucky

4.8/5  rDev +15.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a pint glass.

A - Very dark brown with a tan brown head. Very silky.

S - Chocolatey and fruity malt that makes a great smelling beer.

T - Chocolate, coffee and raisin.

M - Texture is extremely creamy and silky. Very pleasant.

Overall - This is an extraordinary porter. Highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2013 04:11:32 | More by creal92

coreyfmcdonald

Georgia

4.2/5  rDev +1%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

12oz bottle into a snifter. Not sure how old this bottle is, but the best by date was 1/16/13

A: Pours an opaque pitch black with two fingers of dense tan head. Retention is very good and lacing is superb.

S: Roasted malts mix with malted milk balls and dark chocolate to create a very nice aroma. The aromas mix extremely well together.

T: Dark chocolate and roasted malts dominate the flavor. The beer stays quite dry throughout. A milk chocolate flavor also comes out, adding to the complexity.

M: Medium thickness with adequate carbonation. Very good for the style.

O: Not the most complex beer I've ever tasted, but the flavors work very well for the style and is quite tasty. Impressive.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2013 01:23:01 | More by coreyfmcdonald

godlessape

Georgia

4.19/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Poured into a Smuttynose pint glass. This beer is aggressively dark, yet it still has a slight brownish hue to it if you look close enough and hold it up to the light. The tan head hangs on and never leaves.

The aroma is all about roasted malt, very very expensive espresso, and rich, dark chocolate.

The taste is everything the nose alerted you to but times ten. Think of a hunk of dark bread, smothered in chocolate syrup, and washed down with very good coffee. This brew also contains a decent hop bite that kind of snaps in your mouth.

The mouthfeel is thick, with a viscosity close to something you would pour over pancakes. Perfect carbonation here as well.

Overall a great porter from an impressive brewery.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2013 22:47:03 | More by godlessape

smiga

New Jersey

4.34/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

A: Dark as any Stout. Rocky, thick head when poured aggressively. Rich lacing. As nice a porter as any I've seen and I am a fan of the style. (porter, pale ale, ipa fan)

Smell: A mysterious pillow of dark malts, want to dive in, caramel, dark fruitiness, slight floral hop aroma and roasty notes of coffee. 19th century factory floors, old wood, machine oil, attic.

Taste: Upfront citrus combined with bread. hoppy grapefruit more than other porters. (good). black malts lead to factory, heavy weight, coffee machine tingle. a lot going on with burnt chocolate/coffee ground/ malt / hay flavors. Finishes tingly dry, burnt mix, not sweet. This is a winner of a porter!

Feel: Medium, smooth, nice tingle. Interesting, stays interesting. Not cloying. sippable. Great after dinner porter.

Robust Porter - apt name. As good as any I have tried. complex. save for your last beer of the evening, or with a cheese dessert course.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2013 01:45:35 | More by smiga

polloenfuego

Ontario (Canada)

4.46/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a pint glass.

Pours almost black, small head that lasted only briefly.

The smell has elements of coffee, smoke, malt and a bit of chocolate.

The taste follows the smell...and it Is a pleasant experience.

This porter reminds me of time spent with my favorite uncle. It is a beautiful example of the type and it keeps me wanting more.

This was only my second beer from Smuttynose, but given the quality of this porter, I can't wait to try more.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2013 17:29:04 | More by polloenfuego

ksimons

New York

4.36/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

A-pours a very dark brown, almost black, with no highlights seen and a fingers worth of tan head that leaves a bit of lace around the edge

S-the smell is very nice, roasted malt, dark coffee, light chocolate, and a little bit of smoke

T-taste is also nicely roasted with a nutty quality, roasted coffee, and as the beer warms the chocolate comes out a bit more

M-just makes the medium body mark, good carbonation, dry roasted taste is left in the mouth

Overall this is a very easy, tasty beer. I could definitely have more than one of these at a time.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2013 21:56:27 | More by ksimons

Beer-A-Lot

Virginia

4.24/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

This is a delicious porter that makes the style so appealing. So easy to drink and leaves you desiring for more. Nice, slightly burnt, roasted flavors, and a nice hardy mouthfeel. The type of beer that you could drink year 'round. If you're in the mood for a imperial stout but don't want the abv, this is a nice alternative. Smuttynose knows porters. (I should be paid for that. :))

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2013 00:24:29 | More by Beer-A-Lot

57md

Pennsylvania

4.2/5  rDev +1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Pours a dark brown, almost black with over a finger of fluffy tan head. There is some retention of the head, particularly on the edges of the glass where it leaves nice lacing behind. The nose is roasty; also hints of sherry are present. The body is "robust," if you will, but the flavor is a touch flat. Roasted malt flavors are certainly present, but I would call the roast profile a touch short of bold.

A great porter - close to the best of its style.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2013 06:57:14 | More by 57md

KYGunner

Kentucky

4.03/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Very dark and opaque for a porter the coloring is nicely black but the head was thin and had little retention.

Dry chocolate and burnt malt aromas are softly present. Not a weak scent at all its just not Robust.

Great burnt maltiness there's a lot of roasted breadiness. Again, not as Robust as I had hoped, this brew is still delicious and smooth. Touches of chocolate mix with a bit of cracker in a dry feel.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2013 21:35:37 | More by KYGunner

taulpepper

New York

4.65/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.75

Poured vigorously - huge rocky tan head fills the glass.

Aroma of dried fruit and sweet malt disspates quickly, leaving a slight malt/bread aroma.

Taste is aggressive, very roasty/burnt upfront, pretty dry with a bit of malt sweetness, leaving a good amount of bitterness and some chocolate on the end.

It's on the thin side for a dark beer, but not watery, carbonation on the high side, which is fine when paired with the agressive flavors.

Overall this is a great example of the style, no wonder it's listed in the BJCP as an exemplar robust porter. This is not a classic English porter, definitely a bigger, American version of the style, but not a crazy imperial/chocolate/coffee etc. porter. Just a great robust porter.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2013 00:36:37 | More by taulpepper

AmitC

Indiana

4.51/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 12 fl oz bottle into a snifter. 5.7% ABV.

A very thick and robust pour. Dark brown in color. Pitch black in color. Over a finger thick brown colored head with slight chocolate shine. Excellent head retention. Awesome lacing on the sides. A very solid look for such a low ABV porter. Opaque.

Aroma is of a strong stout. Thick roasted malts. A good amount of charred and burnt up malts. Some chocolate and very little dark coffee flavor.

Taste is even better. A lot of burnt up malts. Some chocolate and may be coffee. A very robust taste with dry finish.

Mouth feel is medium light bodied. Moderate carbonation. Very silky and smooth touch. Easy drinking and sessionable.

For a porter, it is very good. Feels like a stout.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2013 21:24:33 | More by AmitC

ThisWangsChung

Maryland

4/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle says 5.7%. Poured into a pint glass.

A: Pours a very dark brown color with good opacity for the style. The head is a two finger mocha shade. It takes a while for the head to recede away, and it leaves beautiful lacing down the glass.

S: This one is very forward in coffee, dry chocolate, roasted barley, and slight hop qualities. The hops come across in a faded manner - and honestly, that's a good thing.

T: The strongest note here is that of roasted barley, creating a coffee expression when mixed with the (faded) hops. The hops do come across a bit citrusy on the back end, but it's balanced with the rich unsweetened chocolate and coffee flavors. I'd say this is the perfect age for this one (two months before the best by date) - some hoppiness is there, just doing enough to balance any malty sweetness without providing an overbearing acidic nature.

M: I like how balanced the mouthfeel is: it's dry enough to be easy to drink, yet there's enough of a lingering flavor to interest the palate. It could use a bit more body, but that's just nitpicking, really.

O: Not much to say here, it's a great porter that I've been ignoring for far too long. As I said before, this bottle is at the perfect age for consumption.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2013 18:01:50 | More by ThisWangsChung

deadonhisfeet

Kentucky

3.75/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Poured from a bottle into a New Belgium snifter. The beer pours out very dark with little light escaping. The beer sports a nice khaki head with really good retention. On the nose I get toasted malt, vanilla, some toffee-like notes, and something that reminds me of pancake batter.

The beer has a medium body and a rather complex flavor. Burnt toast flavors arrive first, followed at mid-palate by some bitter, roasty coffee flavors and some hops. The roastiness lingers nicely on the finish.

My favorite beers of this style are more stout-like. I find this one to be black IPA-like. There's lots of roastiness and hoppiness (as opposed to roastiness and sweetness) and I'm sure this will appeal to many others, but it's a bit overdone for my palate. It's a very nice beer, but I doubt I'll buy it again when Great Lakes and Founders offer porters that suit my palate much better.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2013 12:39:24 | More by deadonhisfeet

Waypoint

New York

4.33/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A poured from a 12 oz bottle. three finger foamy head, light tan color

S aroma was light malty,

T Lots of flavor from this beer, some roasted , woody but smooth and well balanced no notable hop flavors.

M Full bodied and smooth. It goes down fast and leaves me wanting more.

O A great porter, easy drinking . i really enjoyed having this beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2013 02:05:18 | More by Waypoint

Lemke10

Wisconsin

4.61/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This pours a dark brown color with a slight, beige head. There is a fairly decent scent of coffee, black licorice, and caramel malts. The taste is heavy and complex. There are a lot of bold robust flavors mixed with some smoky hints. There are lots of roasted grains and sweet malts. Very well made for a porter!

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2013 05:34:04 | More by Lemke10

dar482

New York

4.58/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

It comes in a rich dark color, with a slight bit of brown in its head, like what a porter should have.

It has a complex round flavor of chocolate, coffee, and malt. It rolls off the tongue nicely with a clean wonderful finish. I find that some porters lack that characteristic and this is what makes this beer so good is because of its body and mouth feel. Easily one of the best porters I have had.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2013 04:26:33 | More by dar482

MDDMD

Pennsylvania

4.19/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

A-dark brown black color with a nice tan head and good lacing

S-dark malt, chocolate, coffee, hints of toffee

T-dark roasted malt, rich chocolate, coffee, vanilla, caramel, nice bitter finish

F-medium body with moderate carbonation, creamy and smooth

O-a really nice Porter with great flavor and feel, nice to savor

Serving type: on-tap

02-25-2013 01:27:48 | More by MDDMD

Beerstorian

District of Columbia

4.91/5  rDev +18%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5

Served in a traditional pint glass, poured from a bottle.

Aroma: A big dose of roasty malt, coffee, earth. and some chocolate. The nose is well-balanced, and might be one of the best I've sampled on a porter. No individual part of the aroma dominates--all the parts blend together.

Appearance: Coal black, as if it were swallowing the light. A sea foam head, with dimples and a bit of a meringue quality. Nice lacing as I drank the beer.

Taste: I don't usually give a "5" because there always seems to be room for improvement, but this one's it. Rich chocolate and coffee notes, with roasted malts mixed in. Big flavor. The aroma still came in with the flavor, which was nice.

Mouthfeel: Chewy and full, like a loaf of chocolate bread. Smooth at the same time. Wonderfully done.

Overall: An excellent beer, and a great example of the style. One of my favorites overall.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2013 23:25:00 | More by Beerstorian

alexipa

Colorado

4.54/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

A: Black with a dark brown thin head that stays throughout.

S: Sweet malts, chocolate, some generic hop scent, alcohol on the finish.

T: Sweet caramel malts with a roasted chocolate note. Vanilla is tossed in along with some hop bitterness to balance it out beautifully.

M: Full bodied and smooth, with a crisp carbonated bite. Feels somewhat fizzy in the mouth.

O: I must admit that I don't usually love porters, but this is a great one. Not a lot of roasted taste which I appreciate, along with enough balance to keep it insanely drinkable. This is a great beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2013 05:46:18 | More by alexipa

JuliusCaesar

New Hampshire

4.21/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

A: Solid Black with a light brown head.

S: Aroma of chocolate, coffee and roasted malts.

T: Flavors follow the nose with bitter dark chocolate and toasted malts. Finishes with a strong bitter bite.

M: Smooth, dry palate.

Overall: Robust is the right word to describe this beer. Rich dark flavors and a big bitter finish. Very good.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2013 01:49:19 | More by JuliusCaesar

patpbr

Ohio

4.49/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A- Dark with a tan head,with nice lacing. The presentation is great.
S- Malt And coffee
T- Robust, smooth, and malty. Roast coffee and dark chocolate, hints at sweet and hops.
M-Full body with a slightly bitter finish.
O- One of the better porters I've tried, I'm going to drink several.

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2013 01:27:39 | More by patpbr

barczar

Kentucky

4.06/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Aggressive pour yields an opaque deep brown brew with subtle garnet highlights and a frothy inch and a half tan head that lingers, eventually dissipating and leaving sheets of lacing all around.

Roast malt and coffee dominate the aroma initially, with hints of vanilla and chocolate lurking I'm the background. There's a burnt brown sugar sweetness present.

Flavor follows suit, with huge roast malt character giving way to chocolate mid palate, which lingers into the slightly bitter finish. There's an underpinning of slightly acrid coffee and char. Citrus hops are subtle, and blend well.

Body is a on the full side and fairly creamy, with fairly low carbonation and a bit of alcohol warmth.

Great example of the style, with enough chocolate and coffee to accompany the roast malt character. A little heavy on the char, but very rich.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2013 19:21:01 | More by barczar

laramis

South Carolina

4.19/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

beer number three of my random beer review night

A: Dark, it is very dark nearly black with a medium sized tan head decent retention and good lacing

S: Roasted malts and coffee some chocolate and Carmel notes as well as some hop smells

T: Very roasted flavor, strong coffee notes and a very slight sweetens there is also some hop flavors towards the end very complex the name is very appropriate

M: Really smooth good balance of carbonation it has a very good finish, stellar overall feel

O: This is a great porter i really like the complexity of the flavor and the smoothness with which it goes down not only is this a great porter its a great beer definitely worth experiencing

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2013 03:28:36 | More by laramis