Silk Porter - Hoppin' Frog Brewery

Scrumtralecent

Illinois

3.65/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

L: Poured into a pint glass. A very dark pour with very little light brown head.

S: The smell is full of roasted malts and caramel. Perhaps a little oak very hidden as well.

T: A nice dark malty taste dominates. A small backbone of hops comes out in the end however the taste does not linger for long. Small hints of nutmeg and coffee.

F: This porter is indeed silky. Seems to slide right down not leaving a whole lot behind besides some remnants of malts.

D: A nice, easy porter by Hoppin' Frog. Perfect for a sunny day when a lighter bodied porter is desired. The taste wasn't all that complex or interesting, but wasn't overpowering to help compliment the easy mouthfeel. Don't think I would seek this one out again, but I wouldn't object to having another.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2008 03:28:25 | More by Scrumtralecent

pwoods

Ohio

4.1/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz. brown bomber, purchased at Sam's in Chicago, poured into an imperial pint. No dating.

A: Poured a very dark brown, nearly black, opaque. 1 finger tan head forms and then falls withing a minute or so to a nice skim. Lacing started good when the head was up but only produces some random wisps once fallen.

S: Chocolate is on the heavier side but not massive. The typical porter scents; chocolate, light coffee, cola, light molasses, a pleasant dry/chalky scent.

T/M: Nice fruity sweetness. Malts are very sweet dominant but not robust, thick, heavy, cloying etc... and that's what makes Baltic Porters(and even porters in general) so great. There's a touch of bitterness but not really from hops or from a strong coffee character. Lots of dark juicy fruits but not what you'd expect from a RIS or dark Belgian. Body is nearly full but not heavy and carbonation is controlled.

D: 6.2% for a Baltic Porter is pretty damn low. Alcohol isn't present but I don't normally notice them in BP's anyway. Very drinkable, as porters should be. Hoppin' Frog is a damn fine brewery.

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2008 03:23:01 | More by pwoods

bluejacket74

Ohio

3.68/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

22 ounce bottle. Served in a snifter, the beer pours very dark brown, almost black with a very small tan head and a bit of scattered lacing. It smells like roasted malt, coffee, caramel and chocolate. Aroma is pretty weak, but still nice. Taste is similar to the aroma (but stronger), the roasted/burnt malt and coffee flavors stand out and there's also some nuttiness too. Mouthfeel/body is medium, it has average carbonation and it's very smooth. Drinkability is good but not great. Overall I think it's a decent beer, but it's not one of Hoppin' Frog's best. With that being said, I'd buy it again and it's definitely worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2008 00:13:09 | More by bluejacket74

PorterLover83

Ohio

3.65/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured out of a 22oz bottle that I bought from the brewery. Had a brownish tint head that stayed a little bit. Color to me was pitch black almost stoutish. Smell was of very dark roasted malts. Smelled like a shot of expresso. Coffee like taste was no surprise since thats what it smelled like. It was good though. Not too overpowering. Had a slight caramel hint at the end as well. Mouthfeel was pretty smooth but heavier. A very good beer to drink. Don't think its a session beer because it is pretty filling. This is the closest craft beer brewery to my house so I had to try it and support them even those it was a little on the expensive side. $5.75 for a 22oz bottle! I still have 4 more styles to try from them and hope they are just as good.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2008 21:59:28 | More by PorterLover83

Dogbrick

Ohio

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

Growler from West Point Market in Akron. This brew pours black with a little bit of a ruby highlight. Medium thick and foamy light beige head that has decent retention. Latticework of lace on the glass. Sweet malty aroma with touches of nuts and coffee. Medium-bodied and smooth with flavors of caramel malt, coffee and chocolate. The finish is dry with coffee and hops flavors. Overall this cousin to Old Leghumper is a good Porter and I look forward to it being bottled.

Serving type: growler

03-14-2008 20:37:04 | More by Dogbrick

MayorAdamWest

Illinois

3.45/5  rDev -10.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Okay, first off thanks to my friend in Cleveland for the bottle. Fred from the brewery says I'll be able to pick up Hoppin' Frog in Chicago soon... I can't wait. They are making some amazing stuff. On to the review...

Appearance: Rich "coca-cola" black. Not brown, not quite true black. Nearly no head formed even with a near straight pour into my snifter.

Smell: Sweet...milky... toasty. Pleasant... Pleasing...

Taste: Okay, So my buddy in Cleveland got a suggestion from Fred to add whole coffee beans to the glass to enhance the flavor. I poured half the bottle without and half the bottle with. To be honest... Without the beans it was only mediocre. Sorry HF. Kinda sweet. Kinda malty. Kinda good. Once I added the beans it was an entirely different story. The coffee added a bitterness that excited the flavor and just blew me away. HOLY COW! After a year long love affair with the Frog I was worried. Man was I wrong.

Mouthfeel: Silky smooth. Little carbonation. Nice.

Drinkability: Well... without the beans I don't think I'd come back to this one. With the beans I could drink this one all day long. Seriously, add the beans.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2008 13:47:19 | More by MayorAdamWest

klewis

Ohio

3.58/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Growler from the brewery.

A: Pours nearly black with a modest, frothy head. Moderate lacing left behind.

S: A subtle, burnt chocolate aroma.

T: Much like the smell. A dark roasted malt flavor predominates with a touch of chocolate that becomes more prominent as the beer warms. The taste is a bit subdued and light for a robust porter.

M: Very nice, smooth texture with moderate carbonation. Light-medium body.

D: A good porter, but it fell slightly below my expectations after so many other outstanding beers. For me, a little more oomph and this would be stellar. Still, it's worth buying again.

Serving type: growler

12-20-2007 13:18:23 | More by klewis