Dark Horse Thirsty Trout Porter - Dark Horse Brewing Company

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.65/5  rDev -5.2%
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

BEERchitect

Kentucky

3.5/5  rDev -9.1%
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

TMoney2591

Illinois

4.1/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served in a tumbler at The Tribes.

Memories of somehow drug-free arguments about Spongebob episodes come to mind here: How can a trout be "thirsty"? Anyway, this stuff pours a straight obsidian topped by a finger of dusty tan foam. The nose comprises chocolate (both dark and syrup), molasses, and roasted malts. This stuff smells damn fine, I tell you what! The taste holds notes of dark chocolate powder, roasted malts, light coffee, very light molasses, and a kiss of maple syrup. The body is a sorta-light-medium, with a light moderate carbonation, a generally smooth feel, and a kinda dry finish. Overall, a very nice porter, one I wish I could find regularly in bottles out here. Let's go, Dark Horse!

Serving type: on-tap

12-11-2011 18:44:32 | More by TMoney2591

metter98

New York

3.9/5  rDev +1.3%
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

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev +2.6%
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

jlindros

Massachusetts

3.85/5  rDev 0%
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

weeare138

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +3.9%
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

cokes

Wisconsin

4.33/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A deepened purple-tinged brown that mimics black from afar. A yellowed tan head rides on top.
Nose full of chocolate syrup, vanilla beans, flaky toffee, and roasted herbs.
That full-on Dark Horse roastedness is manifest from the get-go. Lighter here than in their Smoked Stout, as it certainly should be. But permanently adhered grill residue, charcoal nuggets and burnt, extra bitter dark chocolate are all still here. Lightens towards the middle as a sweet, milky (not lactic) vanilla-caramel hue drifts in. Finishes upturned in bitterness, with citrus and wilted flowers.
Sub-medium body, but astutely structured, and drinkable in gallon+ doses. Though I lack the quantity to prove that statement.

A workingman's thanks to inebrius!

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2004 02:32:51 | More by cokes

bluejacket74

Ohio

4.13/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

12 ounce bottle. Served in a pint glass, the beer pours dark brown/black with about a half inch tan head. Head retention and lacing are both decent enough. Aroma is nice and sweet, the brew smells like roasted malt, chocolate, coffee and a bit of dark fruit. It tastes like roasted malt, bittersweet chocolate, coffee, and some licorice. The aroma is sweet, but the bitter roastiness really shows up in the taste of this brew. Mouthfeel/body is medium, it's a bit creamy and has moderate carbonation. I think this is a good brew, I'd definitely like to try it again sometime.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2013 23:15:02 | More by bluejacket74

drpimento

Wisconsin

3.9/5  rDev +1.3%
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

tdm168

North Carolina

3.95/5  rDev +2.6%
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

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

4.03/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

After being turned down for Plead the Fifth everywhere I am glad to come home and drink a this new Dark Horse beer. Got it from Vintage Estate for $1.99 a single.
A - Fairly dark for a porter it does have some ruby hues with a 1/4 inch of silky mocha head atop. As most of their dark brews the lacing is excellent.
S - Smell is very roasty with tones of lactose sugars, some mocha, and a touch of sweet chocolates.
T - Has everything I expected, moderate bittering hops, some coffee and burnt sugars, and a bit of milk chocolate to boot. Finish is also on par with the style slightly drying finish.
M - Quite creamy much more than the Reserve Special Black Ale. Liked the medium slick body.
Overall another great beer from Dark Horse. In a way if made me remember how good the series of the "four" beers are.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2013 04:22:08 | More by DrDemento456

superspak

Michigan

3.9/5  rDev +1.3%
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

Crosling

Colorado

3.5/5  rDev -9.1%
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

TheSevenDuffs

Ontario (Canada)

3.95/5  rDev +2.6%
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

xnicknj

Pennsylvania

3.55/5  rDev -7.8%
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

Bung

North Carolina

4.1/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Hop Cat in G.R. Very murky dark brown pour. Not a substantial off white head. Sticks to the glass ever so slightly. Rich malt aroma with quite a bit of chocolate, less roast. Taste does kind of match that, with some earthy peat and tobacco, but quite a bit of molasses and chocolate. Barely enough bitterness in the finish. Just medium bodied, with adequate carbonation. The only thing preventing an excepetional in drinkability is the slight over sweetness. Otherwise, well worth trying. This had a tough road to hoe following a Founders KBS, so another good brew from Dark Horse.

Serving type: on-tap

09-09-2009 18:55:25 | More by Bung

granger10

Wisconsin

2.85/5  rDev -26%
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

wedge

North Carolina

4.18/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Very dark chestnut color with only a slender, creamy line of a head. Aromas of salted dark chocolate, caramel, nuts, and berries. Rich, malty flavor transitioning to dark fruitiness. Sweetened coffee, tobacco, molasses, faint licorice, caramelized sugar, and vanilla bean. Dry in the finish and creamy, but thinner than expected. A very tasty, big-ish porter and yet another malty success from Dark Horse.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2013 01:54:38 | More by wedge

CRJMellor

Arkansas

3.38/5  rDev -12.2%
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

hosehead83

Ohio

3.53/5  rDev -8.3%
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

putnam

Michigan

4.5/5  rDev +16.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Exceptionally dark colored, creamy head that is gathered in quickly by the nearly opaque, brown/black liquid.
On the nose it offers a very deep, profound sense of baker's chocolate, brine and bran muffin.
Creamy and viscous on the palate, it expands generously to reveal sooty, seasoned wood flavors intermixed with charred blueberries, cocoa, palm leaves, baked coconut and roasted shoes. Very impressive and very faithful to classic Porter - as well as Dark Horse's mission to summon all of the delightful bitter flavors from the bowels of the earth and put them in beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2004 22:19:27 | More by putnam

marburg

Michigan

4/5  rDev +3.9%
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

jmdrpi

Pennsylvania

3.68/5  rDev -4.4%
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

StoutHunter

Michigan

4.39/5  rDev +14%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I picked up a bottle of Dark Horse's Thirsty Trout Porter last week for $1.89 at The Lager Mill. I have always wanted to try this beer but I've never made the trip down to Dark Horse, so i'm happy they decided to bottle it, so lets see how it goes. No visible bottling date, but I know it's fairly fresh. Poured from a brown 12oz bottle into an imperial pint glass.

A- The label looks nice, it's pretty different looking and for some reason it reminds me of the band Phish. It poured a dark black color that didn't let any light come through with two fingers worth of dark tan head that died down to a thin ring that stayed till the end and left some great sheets of lacing. This is a good looking beer, I have no complaints at all.

S- The aroma starts off with lots of roasted malts which have a higher amount of sweetness to them and impart some nice coffee, chocolate, and roasted malt aromas, the chocolate and roast seem to stick out the most. After that comes a slight bit of dark fruits with raisins seeming to stick out the most and there was also a nice and light smokey aroma with a light amount of earthy hops towards the end. This beer had a good aroma that was really true to style, nothing is out of place.

T- The taste seems to be pretty similar to the aroma and it starts off the same with loads of roasted malts that have a medium amount of sweetness to it and imparts some nice coffee, chocolate, and roasted flavors with the coffee sticking out the most this time. Up next comes a light dark fruit flavor with no one fruit really sticking out and it's followed by a nice slightly smokey and slightly charred taste on the finish with just a little bit of earthy hops that impart a surprisingly low amount of bitterness with a roasted and chocolate like aftertaste, This beer tasted very good and was very true to style, again I have no complaints.

M- Very smooth, pretty creamy, on the full side of being medium bodied with a good amount of medium carbonation. The mouthfeel was very good and it worked really well with this beer.

All in all I thought this was a very good beer and a very good example of the style, it had everything that I look for in the style, it call came together nicely with this beer and it's just how a good Baltic Porter should be. This beer had great drinkability, it was very smooth, with lots of nice roasted flavors that really held my attention and the alcohol was hardly noticeable, I wouldn't mind drinking a couple of these, it would make for a nice beer to have by the campfire, one of the most drinkable Baltic Porters I have tried. What I liked the most about this beer was how true to style it was and how drinkable it was, those aspects really made this a nice beer. What I liked the least about this beer was nothing, there was nothing that I thought was out of place or needed to be improved on. I would for sure buy this beer again when looking for a nice and roasty beer, I consider it a bargain for $1,89 and you can be sure that I will be stocking up on some in the near future, I highly recommend this to anyone who likes Porters and Stouts. All in all I was pretty impressed with this beer, it's one damn good Baltic Porter and I would put it right up there with Bridge Brew Works Baltic Porter as my favorite of the style, they are both very good but this one is a little more drinkable. Dark Horse can make some pretty damn good beers and this is no exception, I'm glad they finally decided to bottle this, it's a great addition to their lineup and it will be a great addition to my fridge, great works guys, this one's a winner.

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2013 04:44:35 | More by StoutHunter