Silk Porter - Hoppin' Frog Brewery

dragonWhale

New York

4.08/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Wandering through the aisles looking for hurricane beer, I thought this one might suffice. Having just had the BORIS for a second time and loved it, I figured stabbing out at this one might be a delight.
Poured a couple tulips for me and the lady. And it is black and sexy, rich mocha head that dies slowly, nobly.
Robust porter, this is. Rich chocolate aroma with a burnt coffee background.
Flavor is very rich and full of chocolate and coffee, some berry fruit in the background, very nice.
Thick mouthfeel for a porter, definitely borderline stout, but I ain't gonna complain. Reminds me of a poor man's Founder's Porter, and that ain't no knock.

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2011 04:16:54 | More by dragonWhale

THECPJ

Delaware

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

Reviewed from notes:

appearance: dark brown black with a 1 finger mocha head

smell: chocolate, coffee, roast, malts

taste: cocoa, coffee, malts

mouthfeel: mild carbonation, medium to full body

overall: a very rich and complex porter. border line stout. glad I got to try it.

cheers,
The CPJ

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2011 18:41:43 | More by THECPJ

RedSpecial1

Florida

4.4/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Pours pretty dark for a porter, a nice dark brown that verges on black. Also there's a fair amount of fizzy head initially that fades quickly leaving only a trace on the surface of the beer.

S: Smells mainly of sweet cocoa and alcohol.

T: Sweet cocoa at first, followed by a touch of alcohol heat, and then a nice coffee roast note which gradually fades.

M: Lives up to its name as the flavor is quite 'silky.' Also, a nice dusty feeling in the finish.

O: A great example of flexibility within the style without deviating too much from traditional guidelines. Not incredibly bold, but I could definitely drink more than one.

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2011 00:49:46 | More by RedSpecial1

kojevergas

California

2.9/5  rDev -24.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Brown glass bottle served into a Beck's flute in Castle Rock, Colorado. Reviewed live.

A: Three finger head of fair cream, great thickness, and good retention. Colour is a solid black.

Sm: Chocolate, toffee, nuts, and cream. A mild strength aroma.

T: Heavy chocolate, decent nuts, light cream, and light caramel. Complex enough, but badly built and balanced.

Mf: Smooth and wet; fairly complementary of the flavour but not the style.

Dr: Fairly high ABV, drinkable enough, and decently priced.

Serving type: bottle

08-05-2011 03:02:52 | More by kojevergas

wcintula

New York

3.25/5  rDev -15.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

22 oz bottle, no freshness date visible.

Pours dark black with an espresso cream head, no lacing. Smells of strong roasted coffee, taste profile follows up with a dark sweet fruitiness, but all around the smell and flavor could be stronger. Very prickly carbonation distorts the perceived body of the beer, I'm finding it thinner than I'd like. Very decent, don't know if I'd come back to it.

Serving type: bottle

07-16-2011 13:59:25 | More by wcintula

RickS95

Indiana

4.25/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Extremely dark. Looks like dark black coffee in the glass. The head is initially about a finger thick and off tan in color, but dissipates quickly and soon the beer really appears like coffee.

The smell of coffee is unmistakable. Bits of sweet caramel come through as well. Lots of roastiness in this beer.

The coffee is prevalent in the taste as well, but there's a lot of sweetness from the caramel. It's not oversweet, just sweet enough to let you know it's not a stout.

In the mouth, it's immediately smooth and creamy. There's a lot of sweetness, but not too much, and it balances well with the roasty, smokiness, and slight bitterness of the coffee.

This is a good beer. It's almost exactly what I'm looking for in a porter. Would like some more ABV heat, but this is well done.

Serving type: bottle

07-16-2011 02:12:11 | More by RickS95

morebeergood

Massachusetts

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

My 700th beer review. Poured from a bomber into a stemmed glass. Tons of carbonation from the start. Have to pour slow to avoid spillage. Not much lacing on the glass though. Dark brown colored body with a huge beige head that looked like a root beer float. Smell was not extremely pronounced, but had an aroma of chocolate milk. Taste was very pleasing, though I found it less on the bitter roasted side, and more on the sweet side for a porter. Mouthfeel was bubbly from the carbonation, and also a bit thin to be honest. Overall I liked this beer, but it reminded me less of a porter and more of a lighter version of a milk stout. It was a good choice, but I am glad I found this bottle on sale for $6 and didn't pay much more than that.

Serving type: bottle

06-22-2011 04:07:06 | More by morebeergood

jayhawk73

Maryland

3.65/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

A- Pours black w/ a sliver of chocolate head that quickly goes away. Good carbonation, and less than stellar lacing. You can't see through this one at all, very dark. Nice looking beer for the style.

S- Hops, roasted malt, chocolate and coffee. Very nice smelling beer, especially for the style. Hope this Porter tastes as good as it smells. I have high hopes, especially from this brewery.

T- A little let down by the taste. You get the chocolate and coffee/hops... but- there's something missing. It doesn't have the big bold taste I was expecting from the nose. It has taste, but not a full bodied taste.

M- This is the downfall of this beer. It's just WAY too thin, and very dry. Definitely not worthy of 'silk porter'. I want something a little heavier, thicker and more luxurious. Average feel at best.

O- A decent Porter that's really let down by its thin taste/feel. A little more oomph and this brew would be outstanding. Worth picking up if you're a fan of the style, otherwise....

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2011 00:01:30 | More by jayhawk73

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4.28/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

What a pour. Black as night with a rich tan colored head that reached a height of at least two inches before settling down to a respectable inch of head that did not go away. Lots of chocolate and coffee leading the way here. Hints of molasses as well. Huge flavor here, maybe the best tasting porter I have come across. Lots of cocoa and chocolate, rich, huge flavor with a smooth creaminess that was second to none in my eyes. Really fantastic balance here as the chocolate really starts to come out as it warms. Lots of flavor here with a ton of mellow notes that were just all over the place. Nice tight, dry finish as it fades off into the night, this was a great way to end my evening.

Overall a very solid beer. One of the best i have had as a standard porter in a long, long time. I would have no issue going after thi one any day.

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2011 21:58:47 | More by mikesgroove

metter98

New York

3.83/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: The beer is very dark amber (near black) in color and has a light amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a finger high dense beige head that died down rather quickly, leaving lacy rings of bubbles down the sides of the glass.
S: There are moderate aromas of chocolate malts in the nose.
T: The taste has flavors of chocolate and roasted malts; the roasted flavors particularly stand out in the finish.
M: It feels medium-bodied and slightly creamy on the palate with a moderate to high amount of carbonation.
D: The beer is very easy to drink and goes down smoothly.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2011 02:39:20 | More by metter98

mwill7287

Ohio

3.35/5  rDev -12.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

3/1/11, home

22oz. bottle into a Chimay goblet.

A: Dark brown, with a thin layer of head which dissipated into random assortment of bubbles within a minute. Lacing around the perimeter of beer's surface is retained throughout the drink. Smallest amount of light seeps through when held up to lamp. Very, very carbonated around the surface area of the beer upon pour.

S: Mild smell of chocolate, on the weaker end. Doesn't do much.

T: As expected, the predominant taste is of chocolate, rather sweet with a tad bit of bitterness. Taste, although fairly rich, does not last long on the tongue.

M: Not too heavy for being a porter. Strong at first, fading quickly.

D: I find myself drinking this beer relatively swiftly for a porter. Finishing this bomber will be no problem. Drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2011 04:03:10 | More by mwill7287

Rhettroactive

Virginia

3.1/5  rDev -19.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

From bomber to Bruges hybrid glass on 2/11/11
*From notes

A: This one is dark and ugly - better then I had expected. It's got a good 1.5 finger head that looks like one of Grandma's chocolate chip cookies.

S: Creamy toffee and black coffee on the nose. I also detect traces of cocoa nibs and smoked malt.

T: Ehh - it's ok. Maybe it's me, maybe I'm just getting older. But I'm really finding that a lot of the low ABV porters and stouts I've had recently taste like processed chocolate sauce in skim milk. More Ovaltine? No thanks.

There's also a trace layer of malt and hops that lay down and take it like a sissy from the Hershey's syrup.

M: No suprise here: it's got that patented Hoppin' Frog forced carb that sticks my tounge like a prsion shank. It makes the overall presentation come off like a carbonated Yoo-Hoo.

O: I mean no offense when I say this, but I'm over Hoppin' Frog. Their beers aren't bad (other then the Frosted Frog, which is an unmitigated disaster), they just don't wow me in any way. Ever.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2011 21:26:24 | More by Rhettroactive

4DAloveofSTOUT

Illinois

3.58/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

aggressively poured from bomber to Sam adams boston lager glass.

Appearance: almost opaque brownish, black beer with a tan/brownish head.

Smell: cocoa, carmel, roasty, milk chocolate, smells really fresh.

Taste: chocolate & roasty flavors that do not come across bitter at all! Slight hint of hops at the end of taste that give it a fresh taste.

Mouthfeel: medium body and smooth, but not silky. Moderate carbonation appropiate for the style.

Drinkability: This beer is a great example of a porter. I say this is a very sessionable porter. It got alot of flavor, but not too much that you can't keep drinkn. i drank the whole bomber fast and i could have had more! Solid Porter. My first Hoppin Frog Brewery beer 7 i think I will seek out more from them.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2011 00:45:57 | More by 4DAloveofSTOUT

stewart124

Ohio

4/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a chocolate brown with a centimeter of tan head.

Slightly astringent nose with roasted notes.

Medium bodied with a decent amount of hops and a smooth chocolate character that eminates throughout. This is silky but not overpowering. The alcohol is hidden behind layers and layers of milk chocolate. Little bitterness and almost no bitterness from the roasted malts.

This is a delicious porter and oh so drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2011 20:13:59 | More by stewart124

cooncat

Ohio

3.95/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured at room temp. into my SA glass. A pour down the center gave an initial 2 fingers of tan head, which diminished rapidly to a little foam around the edges ... a little disappointing. The dark color isn't opaque, if held to a back light. Dark hues of deep red/garnet highlight the edges. No lacing either (also disappointing).

The nose is pretty complex, with roast caramel, licorice, chocolate malt notes, and a citrus hop note. Being able to notice hops in the nose definitely makes this an American Porter, as compared to a Brown or Robust porter.

Taste follows the nose pretty close. Roasty caramel malt is up front, with hints of chocolate, coffee and licorice in the background. No escaping a citrus hop note in there, which is not overpower, but occupies a nice place in the background. Carbonation is mildly low, giving a medium mouthfeel. Not sure I'd rate this as 'silky' .. needs a bit more body for that.

Drinkability is good, as nothing is 'over the top'. Could easily drink this one all night.

Is this my favorite porter? No, but it is a solid example of the style. I can recommend it to one and all. Hoppin' Frog, in general, makes very good brews, and their lineup includes some Gold medal winners. While this one isn't a gold medal winner, it IS worthy of a try!

Na Zdravje!

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2011 00:11:52 | More by cooncat

meatyard

Pennsylvania

3.83/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

When held to a bright light, the pour is a very clear, dark mahogany with a nice 3-finger, tan head that falls rather quickly to a cover without lacing.

The smell is chocolate, licorice, a hint of dark fruit and dark roasted malt.

The taste is roasted malt up front followed by the chocolate & licorice flavor finishing with a tangy acidic taste on the tongue.

Mouthfeel is somewhat light but still smooth & creamy.

Drinkability is very good. Not too high in the ABV, tasty though for the price ($7.99) there are better porters. Definitely worth a try from a solid brewery.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2010 01:00:08 | More by meatyard

comfortablynumb1

California

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

Had the opportunity to drink this one on a Caribbean Cruise. Cheers to Holland America for not breaking my stash of craft brews in my luggage...

Poured from a bomber into a Cigar City pint glass...

A - Pours black with a one finger tan head. Head dissipates fairly quick, and although there is a fair amount of lacing that sticks to the glass; it is nothing to special...

S - Chocolate, brown sugar, and a little roastiness come through...

T - Wow, this one is really smooth. Chocolate, roasted malts, and brown sugar. Finishes with a dark chocolate bitterness. Abv well hidden. Tasty...

M - Medium bodied with a moderate amount of carbonation. A little thin for my personal likings. Tend to like porters to be a little more thick and creamy...

D - Not the best porter out there, but definitely a solid brew, and something I would buy again if I saw it in my area...

Cheers...

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2010 20:28:04 | More by comfortablynumb1

TheHoppiest

Ohio

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

Poured from a 22 oz bomber into a pint glass. Pours a deep dark brown with a thin tan head that quickly reduces.

Has a nutty smell, with toffee malt and cocoa. Smells quite pleasing.

Mild malt, caramel, coffee and dark chocolate meld for a creamy smooth brew.

Medium to full bodied with very little bitterness.

Smooth and quite drinkable, I look forward to having this again.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2010 00:26:42 | More by TheHoppiest

theghost3

Louisiana

4.03/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a deep brown, almost black with a 1-finger beige head. Some lacing.

The smell is chocolate, wood and toasty malts. The flavors consist of dark chocolate with burnt toast malts, bitter wood, and a hint of molasses. The mouthfeel is crisp at first, but becomes more smooth over time; medium-bodied.

This is a drinkable beer. It's crisp, which I like in a porter. It would go well with a chocolate dessert or grilled meat.

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2010 03:46:54 | More by theghost3

JoEBoBpr

Missouri

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

Poured into a pint glass from a 22oz bomber.

A - Pours a nice dark dark brown with the nice ruby reddish hints that typically surround the borders of porters. A nice .5 inch head pops up with some nice tight bubbles. The retention is pretty long with some nice slight lacing. The pour seemed to show a nice slightly viscous liquid.

S - Aroma starts off with some roasted malt notes. Mild but delicious milk chocolate hints as well as some slight dark chocolate bitterness. There are some nice caramel hints and nice brown sugar notes. The sweetness in this beer is full and delicious but not overwhelming. Very nice aroma.

T & M - Starts off with the nice roasted character. Slight coffee notes and some good chocolate sweetness and caramel malt sweetness as well. There is some nice malt backbone to this beer and surprisingly there seems to be some slight spice in the middle part of the beer between the roasted character and the sweetness. It is interesting to say the least. The mouthfeel is nice and medium and it has some nice viscosity to it that makes the beer fill bigger than the 6% ABV would lead you to believe.

D - This porter is great. Awesome for the holidays and the colder weather. Great ABV for this beer and style.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2010 21:23:27 | More by JoEBoBpr

wvsabbath

West Virginia

4.28/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Serving Type - 22oz bottle

Appearance - Black as oil, 1 inch tan head that died fast

Smell - Smoked malts, some sugars and barley, a little coffee and nut to it. No smell to strong

Taste - The beer is call silk porter for good reason. It has a lushious sweet chocolate taste mixed with smoked nut porter. I love the sugar flavors and the malts. The bitterness is very low since the sweetness covers it up

Mouthfeel - So nice and sweet, tounge is screaming, pallette is happy, and my tastebuds are rocking. Wow this is dessert in a bottle

Drinkabilty - I crushed the 22oz. With it being only around 6% and being so smooth and sweet, I could drink two 22ozers no problem. Its a dessert beer but, i could so see drinking this in the summer with a steak on the grill. Third beer in a row from hoppin frog that ive loved, the brewery is a beer or so away from becoming a top favorite of mine.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2010 07:06:03 | More by wvsabbath

jlandis

Pennsylvania

4.2/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This silk porter pours a beautiful pitch black with 2 finger creamy tan head that slowly fades into a small ring. The aroma is amazing and slightly unexpected. The first thing that comes to mind is that first deep breath in a humidor filled with the finest cigars. There is an element of musty wood, rich roasted grains and luscious sweetness. The flavor is just as exciting as the aroma. Rich smooth roasted grains hit you up front, and soon you are enjoying the sweet caramel malt. Tobacco and musty wood create a fantastic finish. The mouthfeel is creamy and smooth with subtle carbonation. This is an all around amazing beer. I wasn't expecting the cigar / tobacco elements, but they really take this beer to the next level.

Serving type: bottle

10-25-2010 14:38:10 | More by jlandis

lovetranquillity

Rhode Island

4.33/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a dark brown, almost black with a light tan head. Looks thick due to the color.

Smells of chocolate, vanilla, toasted malts, burnt sugar.

Initial taste is sweet sugary malt, some vanilla , and coffee and chocolate flavors in the background. Tastes are not overwhelming. It is like a simplified version of a milk or cream stout.

Very smooth mouth feel but slightly sticky on the lips. Medium carbonation enough to be noticeable.

Very easy to drink because of the low alcohol percentage, relatively low bitterness, a good dessert beer. You could drink a whole 22 ounce in a sitting without feeling a buzz. It is pretty close to a cream stout.

I would buy it again.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2010 02:19:45 | More by lovetranquillity

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

4.38/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: Pours out a dark brown, very near black body with a plentiful, light khaki-colored head.

Smell: Richly-scented aroma of dark malts, with inviting notes of anise, espresso powder, chocolate milk, and charred toast. Also some curious, welcome hints of blackberries.

Taste: Dark malts, yielding tastes of lightly sweet chocolate and licorice twists, followed by toasted grains, caramel, and marshmallows. "Molasses?" Yes, TheLibrarianGirl, I was just getting to that. Molasses. Modestly smoked hand-picked blackberries. Faint, though fairly complimentary sourness. Very small hint of bitterness, with the hops definitely take a back seat in this one, though there is a smidgen of earthy bitterness for the roasty, malty finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Medium carbonation. Velvety smooth mouthfeel.

Drinkability: A certainly solid, rich, pleasant, albeit pricey porter.

Serving type: bottle

09-20-2010 01:22:37 | More by ChainGangGuy

Xul

California

4.03/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Pours very dark brown to almost black, capped by a finger of fizzy, pale mocha head. Retention is poor as it dissipates quickly, leaving behind scattered lacing.

S: Semisweet chocolate and roasted malts up front with some slightly acrid roastiness/coffee. Caramel and light nutty character in the background.

T: Starts out with some roasted malts with a hint of char, before a burst of dark fruits hits on the mid-palate. Dark chocolate and coffee come in near the backend and stick around through the finish.

M: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation, feels a touch thin but it's not a huge detriment.

D: Goes down easily and the acrid/charred nature of the roast is restrained enough to not affect drinkability. Solid porter.

Serving type: bottle

09-11-2010 15:14:28 | More by Xul