Dark Horse Thirsty Trout Porter - Dark Horse Brewing Company

granger10

Wisconsin

2.85/5  rDev -26.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

This one was super dark in appearance and the head was almost totally absent from my vigorous pour. Where is the carbonation? The smell is intense roastiness. The taste brings about a burnt coffee/espresso flavor that I feel is too blunt. Chocolate mixes slightly as well as some earthy flavors. This one is too one sided and intense to really be enjoyed. Not a bad offering but I was hoping for more from Dark Horse here.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2004 05:07:37 | More by granger10

BB1313

Ohio

3.25/5  rDev -15.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle poured into a pint glass. Pours black with barely any light getting through. Small khaki head that sticks around leaving nice film and decent lacing. Nice looking beer. The aromas are full of chocolate malts and dark fruits. There are subtle expresso aromas which can be found in the flavors as well. Although there's a roasty bitterness from the chocolate and coffee, this beer has a fairly strong fruit sweetness to it. I feel like I'm picking up some cherries giving it an extremely subtle tartness. The finish is clean and dry for the most part. Mouthfeel is very nice. Although it's light and somewhat watery, it has a nice fluffy body to it and makes for a very easy drinking beer. I'd say it's on the lighter side of medium-bodied. There's a slight creaminess to it. The alcohol goes unnoticed.

Nice example of the Baltic Porter style, but it doesn't exactly stand out. It's traditional and well executed, just a little one note.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2012 18:52:46 | More by BB1313

CRJMellor

Arkansas

3.38/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours dark brown/black with red highlights. 1.4 inch tan head leaves lots of lace on the pint.
Aroma of coffee, chocolate and grain plus some oliy hop notes.
Flavor is chicory, chocolate, roasted coffee and some earthy, soil hints.
Mouthfeel starts promising with chocolate sweetness and full feel. Unfortunately it then slides into a moderately bitter but somewhat vapid finish that is heavily watery. Somewhat disappointing.
Drinkability is solid but wateriness makes it an unspectacular offering.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2004 19:17:17 | More by CRJMellor

proc

Michigan

3.43/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A good, but not spectacular porter. Pours out to a dark brown to black color with a slight head. Despite the slight head, carbonation is fairly active in the glass. The aroma is that of malted milk balls. The taste interesting. There is a definite coffee/expresso taste present that borders on burnt coffee and finishes as such, bringing down its drinkability score to the average range.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2004 00:25:37 | More by proc

Crosling

Colorado

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

Deep formulation of every color except black. Fruity, lacking aroma of dark fruits (blackberries, cherries) with scents of roasted malts and coffee. Nice underlying dark fruitiness is all over the palate, along with deep roasted malts, bitter chocolate and coffee. The coffee in particular lingers on after the swallow for seconds and is ignited once again after a simple lick from my tongue. Lacking in body and texture but still true to the style and pretty delicious.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2006 05:16:17 | More by Crosling

BEERchitect

Kentucky

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

If the trout is thirsty, you might want to put it back in the water- fish really, really, really like it there! But as a beer goes, the Baltic porter portrays a lot of porter-ish character but plays it safe on the sweeter, fruitier, and smoother character of classic Baltic options.

Thirsty Trout opens with the typical appearance of porter: Strong dark "bark" brown with a modest haze that strictly prohibits light from emitting. A creamy blanket of lace covers the beer with solid retention and spotty lace. Where I often look for bright clarity or a depth of clarity and rubyish highlights in Baltic versions, those seem to be omitted here.

Strong, masculine aromas of coffee, chocolate, roasted nuts, and black jelly beans play out in the nose with a deeply grounded malt scent of milkshake. The roast-heavy scent begins to resemble stout, but pulls away with more cocoa and fruit complexities.

Coffee lovers should feel right at home with this beer, as the taste of Colombian and breakfast blends rise in the most bold and delicate ways. The coffee focus is backed with the flavor of bittersweet chocolates, walnut, toffee sweetness, malted milk, and a tinge of grape-like fruitiness (I doubt that I would have picked up on much of the fruitiness if the beer hadn't been described as a Baltic porter- I would have likely chalked it up to a standard American porter). Coffee-like bitterness rises in the broad and earthy wood taste to close the beer.

Medium bodied throughout, the beer's early texture relies on its malt sweetness and creamy carbonation, but the slow fade into finish brings a tad of abrasion from alcohol, grain, and hops-again, fine for standard ales, but I'm looking for a smoother lager-like mouthfeel in the Baltic porters.

Where Thirsty Trout draws in inspiration from several porter sources, it doesn't really resonate with the palate as a Baltic porter any more as it does for American porters, robust porters, or English brown porters. But it is a pleasant flavor profile that makes it a joy to drink.

Serving type: on-tap

11-02-2012 05:13:15 | More by BEERchitect

hosehead83

Ohio

3.53/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from 12oz. bottle into a standard pint glass.
Mudpuddle brown, cloudy in color with a thick cap of tan foam.
Aroma-Dark malt note
Taste-Dark toasted malt, faint coffee, smooth, easy finish. More of a classic porter taste than a Baltic porter, but a nice offering none-the-less.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2013 15:43:47 | More by hosehead83

xnicknj

Pennsylvania

3.55/5  rDev -8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

on tap at revolution house - served in pint

Pours an opaque mahogany color with charred hues. Crop of toasted brown head slowly fades into patchy lacing on the glass.

Roasted dark malts, chocolate and a dash of smoke in the nose. Soft sweetness, nutty and a bite of warmth.

Waves of maltiness up front with soft, smooth sweetness driven by cocoa and dark chocolate. Coffee beans, roasted dark malts and caramel. Finishes with a touch of alcohol and dark sweetness.

Fuller medium body, decent carbonation, chewy and smooth on the tongue. Well-crafted, albeit fairly standard porter. I'd drink this again, but there's definitely some better ones out there.

Serving type: on-tap

12-29-2012 23:31:53 | More by xnicknj

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.65/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

More of a porter slash brown than a baltic porter, on tap at Hopcat. Brown with carbonation bubbles. Average mouthfeel. Malty. Licorice brown taste. A little roast, more licorice than chocolate, and a tad coffee. Much better at the brewery, better mouthfeel..

Serving type: on-tap

08-09-2009 18:43:17 | More by northyorksammy

jmdrpi

Pennsylvania

3.68/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

served on tap at the Dark Horse brewery pub in Marshall, MI.

appears almost black, with off-white head. nice lacing as I drink the glass. milk chocolate in the aroma. slightly roasty taste. thicker body, lower carbonation. I'd say it's to style as a Baltic Porter. I'd drink it again.

Serving type: on-tap

06-20-2012 02:21:39 | More by jmdrpi

Stevedore

Wisconsin

3.8/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle poured into a Bell's tulip and quaffed today 3/26/2013

Aroma: Nose is mostly roast malt. Some chocolate, a little bit of dark fruit. Not a particularly strong nose but it's definitely there. (3)

Colour: Looks great. Pours with a dark cola body, almost black. Illuminates cola brown. Comes with a lush 2cm tan head that dissipates within a minute or so, leaving a thick, light tan collar. Lacing is thick and grainy, falling back into the collar quickly. (4)

Flavour: I like it. Roast, malt are pretty dominant which I enjoy very much in my porters. There's a little bit of dark fruit, like dates. And there's a chunk of the dark chocolate bitterness on the back end. Pretty great tasting porter! (4)

Mouthfeel: A bit on the thinner side of medium body. Carbonation is quite solid. Aftertaste reminds me of eating dark chocolate a bit too quickly, with the bitter aspect being rather dominant. Don't get a ton of heat at all from this beer despite its 7%. Very, very drinkable despite its being on the thin side. (4)

Overall: I enjoyed drinking this porter. I like getting tons of roast malt in the flavours and nose of the porters I drink, and this delivers in that regard. For the most part it's a good solid porter, nothing to write home about. If it was a bit creamier and thicker, I'd consider putting it up there with some of the better porters like Eddy Fitz (even though they are in different beer styles) (4)

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2013 20:43:32 | More by Stevedore

Flounder57

Massachusetts

3.83/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

12 oz bottle was poured into a pint glass.

Appearance: This beer poured a one finger mocha head that reduced to a thin layer. It is a pitch black color with no clarity or vision of bubbles coming up through the glass.

Smell: roasted coffee, chocolate, malty sweetness, and some molasses.

Taste: All of the above with some mild bitterness and burn in the end.

Mouthfeel: Creamy smooth, medium to full bodied, low to medium carbonation, and extremely drinkable.

Overall: A nice BP in my opinion. It good to see more breweries try this style out as compared with the Eastern European breweries.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2013 06:43:00 | More by Flounder57

shivtim

Georgia

3.85/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This is probably the only "fish-themed" beer I've ever had that was actually good. Just so you know, avoid any beer named after a muskie.
Anyway, it's a nice black with slight ruby hints and a thin brown head. Nose is malty molasses with almond, vanilla, and maybe even slight cardamom. Quite delicious! The taste is mild malts, some hops. Nowhere near the complexity of the nose. Mouthfeel is a tad thin, but drinkability is pretty good. Nice brew.

Serving type: on-tap

01-08-2009 22:16:16 | More by shivtim

FightingEntropy

Minnesota

3.85/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

First draft on site at Dark Horse, and it's a pretty good start. Poured in a pint glass right up to the rim with very little head, yet it lingers a bit. Solid coffee and malty roast in the nose with a bit of light hop as well. Very easy drinking, even in the heat of the summer swelter--mouthfeel is chewy and light at the same time--malt, coffee and roast settle and linger in the mouth--same hop spice on the tongue. Nice beer that would be better on a cooler day or with a bit more AC in the bar. This pitch black 7% porter is more than worth the effort but moved on for the next pint.

Serving type: on-tap

07-28-2011 17:51:34 | More by FightingEntropy

jlindros

Massachusetts

3.85/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Snowed in, time to break out the baltic porters.

Pours a very light fizzy bubbly but darker head covering that fades pretty quickly, more like a 9-10% abv beer like head, touch of lacing, pitch black beer.

Nose brings loads of chocolate, creamy milk chocolate, hot cocoa, a little expensive Belgian or Swiss creamy lush chocolate, little bakers even, etc. Some vanilla, light caramel and even a little syrupy sweetness. I think there is a hint of lactose sugar in there since it brings quite a bit of creaminess.

Taste starts with creamy flavors again, almost sure there is lactose sugar in here with the creamy milky flavor almost like a milk stout. Then chocolate but not as complex, more like milk chocolate and a little creamy Godiva chocolate filling flavor. Light caramel and sweetness, a little stout like bitterness, light vanilla too, and faint bitter hops. Finish is quite dry, bitter slightly earthy hops and stout malt bitterness, more creamy lactose and chocolate lingering.

Mouth is quite creamy and milky but feels a bit thin, esp for a 7% baltic porter... then again a baltic porter is typically has lots of malt and flavor with lesser overall beefiness to the beer, so I can't fault it for that, lighter carb though.

Overall not bad, more like a milk stout than baltic porter, but still fairly tasty and drinkable, nice robustness, just a bit light overall feel and carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2013 22:29:18 | More by jlindros

metter98

New York

3.9/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: The beer is jet black in color and poured with a quarter finger high dense tan head that died down, leaving a large patch of bubbles in the center and a ring of bubbles around the edge of the glass.
S: There are light aromas of dark chocolate malts in the nose.
T: Like the smell, the the taste has has lots of flavors of dark malts along with hints of coffee beans. There is a light amount of bitterness.
M: It feels a bit more than medium-bodied and a little dry on palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This beer tastes a little heavier bodied compared to regular porters but is very drinkable when compared to other types of Baltic Porters.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2012 20:54:24 | More by metter98

superspak

Michigan

3.9/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12 ounce bottle into tulip glass, bottled on 1/3/2013. Pours fairly pitch black color with a nice 1-2 finger dense khaki head with great retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lingers. Nice dense soapy lacing clings on the glass. Aromas of big chocolate, roasted malt, caramel, coffee, toast, light char, molasses, light raisin, floral, and hop earthiness. Very nice aromas with good balance, strength, and complexity of dark malt notes. Taste of dark chocolate, roasted malt, caramel, coffee, toast, toffee, molasses, light char, light raisin, floral, and hop earthiness. Light earthy coffee bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of dark chocolate, roasted malt, caramel, light coffee, toast, toffee, light raisin, floral, and earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Very nice balance and robustness of flavor with good complexity; and zero cloying flavors present after the finish. Medium carbonation and body; with a creamy and smooth mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is well hidden with only a slight warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is a very nice porter. Very nice flavor balance and robustness; and very smooth to sip on. A very enjoyable offering.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2013 06:47:46 | More by superspak

drpimento

Wisconsin

3.9/5  rDev +1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 4

Goot schtuf! Served at a good temperature with modest head that soon settles to a light cover that lasts forever and good lacing. Color is an opaque black brown. Aroma is malt, roast, dark ripe fruit, molasses, cocoa. Flavor's like nose with all the above characteristics amplified plus the integration of sweet, carbonic tang, and bitter. Body is good but carbonation seems a little light. Finish is like flavor, longish, and a touch boozy.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2013 05:56:12 | More by drpimento

beerluvr

New Jersey

3.93/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Hits the glass with a nice light brown head. Very dark reddish/brown liquid, some yeast haziness. Nose is some carob/chocolate, a slight whiff of liquorice too. The taste is very roasty with light butterscotch notes, light coffee and some latent fruitiness. Finishes somewhat dry due to the very roasty nature of the malts used...a nice drinking porter, but nothing to get excited about.

Thanks to CRJMellor for the bottle.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2004 13:33:29 | More by beerluvr

TheSevenDuffs

Ontario (Canada)

3.95/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On tap @ HopCat. Served in pint glass.

A - Black with a small ring of white head.

S - Roast, chocolate, and light coffee. Fairly sweet overall nose.

T - Big roast profile, chocolate, some nutty flavours and a touch of coffee.

M - Medium body, moderate carbonation.

Serving type: on-tap

08-10-2012 20:25:39 | More by TheSevenDuffs

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

At this point I've had enough baltic porters (from both sides of the pond) to know the difference. This one is thick as it should be. That someone berry kind of robust sweetness is there. Smooth feel. Minimal carbonation. An easy drinker and a good example of the style.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2013 02:03:37 | More by RblWthACoz

tdm168

North Carolina

3.95/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - dark brownish black with reddish hues and a soft, thin layer of quickly dissipating brown head

S - fruit, chocolate, faint coffee

T - big roasted malts, coffee, intense dark fruit, some faint black licorice, very mild bitterness

M - medium bodied, some warming alcohol, well carbonated

This is a nice porter. It has a nice flavor profile that is intricate but simple. The body offers great drinkability. Overall, a good, well-rounded porter. It probably won't please everybody, but for me this is a porter I would go back to.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2013 15:22:14 | More by tdm168

KC8LTL

Michigan

3.98/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from Growler into Snifter glass and about an inch of creamy tan head appears. Beer itself is quite dark. When I hold it up to the light there is the slightest red that gets through bur hardly anything. Creamy smell with slight roasted coffee notes for smell - it is certainly inviting... Taste is sweet creamy with a bit of a rich fruit taste with some roasted background. Mouthfeel seems a bit thin to my taste, but admittedly this is to style. Drinkablity? Beer Me again.

Serving type: growler

08-07-2008 02:37:59 | More by KC8LTL

marburg

Michigan

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

Fresh from Putnam's just a few days ago... Dark, brown, yada yada. Not quite chocolate in the nose. More like the aroma of the sticky residue left on a metallic wrapper for a chocolate candy -- not that that's necessarily a bad thing.

Taste... Ah, well... Smores? Coffee? Dirt? I'm not quite sure. There's a lot of low, lingering, throbbing bitterness here. Not sharp or potent really -- just continual. Certainly some expected chocolate notes and the roasted flavors. But there's a very sugary melted marshmellow feel to this beer that makes it more interesting than some.

A traditional porter with a twist.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2004 03:18:03 | More by marburg

weeare138

Pennsylvania

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

Appears a brown/black with a fluffy tan head that retains nicely. Lots of spotty lacing left on the glass.
Smell is of roasted malt with crystal malt and creamy sweetness evident.
Taste is sweet, roasty, dark fruits, creamy vanilla.
Mouthfeel is chewy, creamy, sweet, balanced, and getting the job done.

Serving type: on-tap

12-02-2005 23:08:38 | More by weeare138