Cocoa Porter Winter Warmer - Tommyknocker Brewery

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

2.08/5  rDev -38.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Dull, turbid, reddish brown with reddish orange edges. The head looks much better than the beer. It's three full fingers in size, golden sandstone in color and richly creamy in texture. A thin blanket of lace covers most of the available glass. The appearance score will have to be a compromise of cap and crown.

Something seems seriously off-kilter with respect to the nose. Cocoa Porter doesn't smell like cocoa or a porter. I can't come up with any sort of coherent description, it just doesn't smell very good. I can't believe that the brewers intended to give this beer this nose, so something must have gone wrong with the batch.

Not good. Not good at all. Sour and metallic are the first off-flavors to make it from taste buds to brain. Tommyknocker can't be serious calling this beer a cocoa porter. Again, like the nose, it tastes like neither. Perhaps it's the honey that's screwing things up, but I doubt it. Honey doesn't taste like this... unless it's rancid.

If I didn't see the 'bottled on' date of November '06 on the label, I would have suspected that I got ahold of an old bottle. That's because it tastes like a beer that's way past its prime. The more I drink, the more I'm sure that this beer never had a prime. There's very little malt present and I'm even struggling to appreciate any of the added cocoa powder.

The mouthfeel is thin, thinner, thinnest. That, as much as anything, tells me that something is amiss here. A few more bubbles would have resulted in more life in terms of the mouthfeel, but even that couldn't have come close to bringing things up to average.

Cocoa Porter is Tommyknocker's worst beer by a country mile. I've been somewhat impressed with most of their offerings, even if they aren't world beaters. This one, though, needs to go back to the drawing board. I'd like something bold and colorful next time, rather than the faint, smeary outline of a beer that I've been struggling to finish for the past 30 minutes.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2007 15:01:30 | More by BuckeyeNation

mikesgroove

South Carolina

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

hazelnut brown color with a small tan colored head that faded almost immdiatly and was replaced by a thin layer of lace on top. Hardly any side glass presentation.

somewhat nutty and full of caramel. Light though and it did not have the depth I had hoped for. Some slight coffee notes in the backround.dark chocolate and caramel and some slight notes of metallic taste throughout. A bit of a bitter dry finish and a good follow through till the next sip though.Decently smooth, and a nice medium bodied ale. I did not detect much in the way of thinness or a watery feel. Good carbonation left a great impression.

Pretty sesionable to be honest

Serving type: bottle

08-08-2011 00:03:16 | More by mikesgroove

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

4/5  rDev +18.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 ounce bottle - Hop City in Atlanta, Georgia. Best By: May 21, 2012.

Appearance: Pours a very dark brown, near black body with a small-sized, beige head, despite an aggressive pour.

Smell: Coffee-accented roasted grain nose with some solid toast accents, ahead of any cocoa powder notes and, as it warms, some vague honey candy hints.

Taste: Moderately sweet blends of roasty coffee and semi-sweet chocolate, featuring the aforementioned toast accents, with a small hint of caramel leaking out as the roast, toast, and chocolate tapers off. Very low hop character, low bitterness, with the little bits of bitterness coming predominately from the cocoa powder and well-kilned grains. Goes from roasty-toasty to toasty-roasty as you near the drying finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Medium carbonation.

Overall: I'd tried this when it was initially released a few years ago, and it was pretty damn icky (I'd have scored it squarely in the low-2's). Looks like they got things squared away, which is a good thing, though, that still leaves it, at best, a gentle porter given a small cocoa infusion.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2011 23:43:51 | More by ChainGangGuy

brentk56

North Carolina

3.28/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Pours a chocolate brown color with a modest head that rings the liquid without leaving muchbehind

Smell: Chocolate milk

Taste: Chocolate milk, up front, with a sour lactic character developing by mid-palate; after the swallow, the chocolate milk character returns and lingers in the finish, though the sour tones persist underneath

Mouthfeel: Light to medium body with moderate carbonation

Drinkability: If you like chocolate milk, you just might like this one; not terrible, but not terribly complex, either

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2010 22:36:53 | More by brentk56

BEERchitect

Kentucky

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

A very smooth, but sweeter Porter that reminds me of a more timid but chocolaty Milk Stout.

Pouring a deep brown color with a moderate haze, the beer forms a lightly tanned head that retains for about half the session. No real lacing is evident.

Rich aromas of chocolate dominate, with a background roundness of toffee, coffee, and walnuts. Somewhat muted in intensity, the beer seems light on complexity... at least to the nose.

Flavors closely mimick the aromas with a bold start of chocolate but with caramel malts, brown/chocolate malts, and moderate coffee giving a variety to the chocolate flavor. After initial flavors, other notes of walnuts and grain weigh in as I expect a bittering finish.

Creamy and smooth early, the beer holds this mouthfeel going very deep into the finish, and without worrying about the transition to hop crispness or dryness in the finish. Where these attributes could have made for a more complex transition, it would have hurt the overall succulent experience of flavor.

I rather like this beer for it's chocolately smoothness, but the timid nature of flavor, moderate weight, and one-dimensional focus keeps it from scoring higher.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2011 16:40:34 | More by BEERchitect

TMoney2591

Illinois

4.18/5  rDev +24%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Served in a Dogfish Head shaped pint glass.

Found on a clearance shelf: Three bucks for a sixer? Get some! It pours a barely translucent ruby-brown, topped by a half-finger of tan foam, filled with a strange precipitate. The nose is a pleasant blast o' cocoa, with some maple syrup, molasses, honey, and some toasted biscuits. But the cocoa, as one might expect, dizzominates. Sweet. The taste also finds itself dominated by cocoa, but some molasses, roasted malts, dark chocolate powder, and brown sugar notes also set up shop. It's pretty sweet, but not cloyingly or annoyingly. The body is a stark medium, with a light carbonation and a silky feel. Overall, a major deal at the price I got it at, and one I'm glad I'll be able to enjoy for a while longer.

Serving type: bottle

07-24-2010 17:54:18 | More by TMoney2591

zeff80

Missouri

3.4/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A - Poured out a black color with hints of brown. It had a small, off-white head that left no lace.

S - It smelled of cocoa. It really reminded me of hot chocolate.

T - It tasted very chocolatey and sweet. The cocoa flavor was quite good. It was also malty and there was no hop bitterness.

M - It was soft and smooth. A light to medium-bodied beer.

D - This is a pretty good beer. I love chocolate and this delivered it in a good way.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2008 18:56:31 | More by zeff80

russpowell

Oklahoma

3.8/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Born on/best consumed date of oct 14 06 (Best consumed within 4 months according to the label). Claims to be a winter warmer, but probably just taking liberties with the term. No where on the label does it say St. Nick& is completely different than the one displayed, shame i suck at computer stuff. Using my ignorant tastebuds, I'd ballpark this at about 5.6%abv

Pours deep chestnut/mahogany with a 1.5 finger of offwhite head. Some thin film & some spits of lacing on the glass

S: Bigtime cocoa up front, then a hint of roast grain. A little breadyness & a whisper of cinamon& just a little bit of alcohol burn on the finish

T: Choclate & some lactose notes up front, then a few hints of burnt grains & then some brown sugar. Some warming notes & breadyness come through as the ale warms. Dryness is the main that I get from the honey that's added. More cocoa, a hint of maple syrup & dryness in the finish

MF: Slight slickness & low-low carbonation . Skews a little sweet to me

Drinks really easy, not something to get lost in deep thought with, but still works with the cool weather. Miles better than say, breckenridge porter. Works as a nice change of pace. Not bad, liked their rye-porter better when I was at the BP

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2006 23:08:13 | More by russpowell

tempest

Pennsylvania

3.18/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Picked up a single at Abe's Cold Beer a month or so ago. I can certainly see why this is a winter beer. It's essentially a cool, carbonated chocolate drink. The aroma is close to chocolate milk and the flavor takes that with only the addition of a little honey. This is a pretty simple beer, but if you want a beery chocolate drink, here's your beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2009 23:50:48 | More by tempest

rhoadsrage

Illinois

2.7/5  rDev -19.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

(Served in a nonic)
date on bottle Oct. 9 '07 (is that best before or bottled on date?)
A- This beer has a jet brown body that is dense with a thick creamy tan head on top that last for a good bit. There is a few strands of microcarbonation that can be seen trailing up the side of the glass.

S- The smell of watery chocolate has a note of instant cocoa and a slight sweetness and powdered milk to it.

T- There is a very light tartness to the beginning followed by a milk chocolate flavor and a tootsie roll flavor. The beer finishes with a light caramel malt sweetness that lingers.

M- This beer has a medium-light mouthfeel with no alcohol heat.

D- This reminds me of what an Ovaltine beer would taste like. There is very little malt qualities and the odd cocoa flavors seem to dominate.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2007 15:55:33 | More by rhoadsrage

Billolick

New York

3.65/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12 ounce bottle, with "Best by" dating of Jul 16, 2012.

Pours darn near black, under a whimpy darker tan head, that quikly goes to a fine film, slim colar and minimal fine lacing.

I pick up some chalky dark chocolate and cocoa in the nose.

Chocolaty porter, on the dry and chalky side. With a hint of cherry or something else sweet. Nothing terrible, but I'm not really lovin this one.

Would likely go well with some thing like a, suprise,chocolate dessert.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2012 01:14:38 | More by Billolick

Zorro

California

3.18/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Sampled due to the kindness of gbontrag.

A clear brown colored beer with a thin tan head, decidedly looks more like a brown ale than a porter.

Smells like Italian Espresso flavored soda. Little sweet with a seltzer and Espresso aroma. Doesn't smell bad it just needs more complexity and layers.

Taste is a little sweet with a big Nestle quick chocolate flavor up front at the beginning. Very much a chocolate flavored beer with a much lesser taste of coffee in it. Main problem here is that this tastes like Canfield's Diet Chocolate Fudge Soda. I happen to like that soda myself but it doesn't taste like beer.

Mouthfeel is very much soda.

A Canfield's Diet Chocolate Fudge Soda version of beer. If you like that soda you will like this, if you don't you will hate this.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2006 04:45:00 | More by Zorro

Bighuge

Minnesota

2.95/5  rDev -12.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Hazy brown body. Thin light brown head. Lace is spotty. The aroma is pretty nice. There's definitely cocoa powder there. But it also smells like coffee grounds. And a little of that burnt malt character. The more I smell it, the more I like the smell. While the aroma is intense, the flavor is not so intense. I wouldn't say lifeless, but definitely on the watery side. The cocoa flavor is there, but it seems a little artificial. And it's seems like there is an acetic acid like tanginess on the aftertaste. Just a little. Not one of my favorites here.

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2006 03:15:16 | More by Bighuge

beerthulhu

New Jersey

2.7/5  rDev -19.9%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Labeled as cocoa-porter winter warmer, technically an American porter.

A: Dirty reddish cola on the pour, dark plum with reddish highlights when backlighted. No head at all with a small visible amount of suspend material, bran colored yeast matter that floats about like plankton from the light carbonation factor.

S: Rich in cocoa powder of course, think nestle quick cocoa powder freshly opened. Deep chocolately malts smells more like a chocolate house then a beer.

T: The flavor is simply an overwhelming of the senses of cocoa-powder, chocolate and is very sweet, perhaps a overbearing sweet to the point where its like dumping 10 spoon fulls of cocoa powder into a 6oz serving of milk. The honey comes through and only adds to the sweetness and confusion of the style. Honestly its like drinking a honey beer loaded up on cocoa-powder. The finish is dry and powdery.

M: Light mouthful at first, but thickens up to a syrupy consistency. Good sense of carbonation at the start and leaves the tongue with a mixture of honey and cocoa-powder if that’s your sort of thing.

O: Really to sweet to enjoy in multiples. Had trouble convincing myself even to finish the single. Basically if you like honey beers dumped with loads of nestle quick then this may be the beer for you, if its an American porter your looking for turn away, this is a total confusion of what it wants to be and doesn’t seem like it wants to be judged in any one particular style.

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2011 22:50:24 | More by beerthulhu

Dogbrick

Ohio

2.7/5  rDev -19.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Sampled at From The Vine beer tasting Jan 26th, 2007: The beer is a dark chestnut color with a medium thin and rather fizzy light brown head that dissipates right away. Thin and spotty lacing. Cocoa aroma similar to opening a can of the powdered mix. Not much else to the aroma. Medium-bodied and lightly roasty with cocoa dominating the flavor as well. The finish is sweet cocoa and is chalky at times. Pretty much a one-trick pony.

Serving type: bottle

10-04-2007 17:47:41 | More by Dogbrick

Cyberkedi

Georgia

3.95/5  rDev +17.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a deep, opaque chocolaty brown with an OK tan head. Rich aroma is of roast coffee and chocolate and is slightly sweet. Smoky flavor has coffee and chocolate tones as well as a hint of brown sugar. Milk-smooth texture is cola fizzy and leaves a tingly and slightly sweet finish.

Serving type: on-tap

04-17-2010 00:12:33 | More by Cyberkedi

OWSLEY069

Pennsylvania

3.15/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a deep amber to brownish black color with an off white head. In the aroma, cocoa and a sweet roasty malt. In the taste, cocoa, roasty malt, dry honey, yet a bit watery. A small bite and medium to small body mouthfeel, with a dry cocoa aftertaste. Almost like a thin porter with some coca powder dropped in it. OK, but thought it was kind of thin.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2008 13:57:56 | More by OWSLEY069

ZAP

Minnesota

1.53/5  rDev -54.6%
look: 3 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 1

Beers like this always intrigue me but this one is pretty bad. The score should be worse than the total probably but I had to rate the appearance fairly and it "looks" good in the glass...it's just the rest of the experience that is disappointing.

A-Dark brown...vanilla white head on top

S-A lot of the green apple aroma..a small scent of coca perhaps..

T-The predominant impression is a sour green apple puckering flavor. Cocoa powder and honey might be in this but it is so overriden by the sour flavor it is completely secondary...As it warms some of the cocoa emerges a little (enough to move it up from a 1.0 to a 1.5)

M-On the light side of medium bodied...not big winter warmer by any means.

D-Not for me. One of the worst beers I've had in awhile

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2007 01:38:15 | More by ZAP

twiggamortis420

Texas

4.45/5  rDev +32%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 5

Pours a medium-dark brown color with a thin light tan colored head that fades rapidly and does not leave much lacing.

Smells like a freshly opened can of Hershey's baking cocoa, beautiful nose. Not much else here though, maybe a twinge of earthy hops and milky lactose.

Taste is straight up like a hot cocoa vanilla half-caf mocha cream latte porter with miniature marshmallows floating half melted on the top...uh, yea. Very yummy, but it is pretty thin and even a bit one-dimensional, but the shit is uber-tasty. A great offering from the boyz in Idaho Springs, IMO.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2009 00:21:22 | More by twiggamortis420

tpd975

Florida

3.6/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a nice medium brown with an average head.

S: Nice roasted malt with with hints of roasted malt and sweetened cocoa.

T: Not bad actually. Big sweet cocoa taste with a hint of vanilla. There is also a lactic quality about this one. It has a definite milky quality. Hot cocoa lovers will enjoy it.

M: Medium bodied with an above average carbonation.

D: Once bottle and done for me.

Overall: This would make a great dessert beer on a nice cool night. The chocolate taste is from additives opposed to malt but it is rather nice. I think this would be a beer that would be a nice gateway for someone expanding into darker brews, women included.

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2007 21:54:52 | More by tpd975

bluejacket74

Ohio

3.83/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 ounce bottle. Served in a pint glass, the beer pours dark brown with a half-inch tan head. Head retention is low, lacing is OK. The aroma is roasted malt and cocoa. The cocoa aroma is very strong, it smells like a cup of hot chocolate. It tastes mostly like hot chocolate does, well, except that the beer is a lot colder. There's also a milky/chalky taste too. Mouthfeel/body is medium, with moderate carbonation. Drinkability is good, it's smooth and easy to drink. Alcohol isn't noticable at all. Because of the sweetness, at the most I think I could only drink 2-3 of these at a time. It's more of a dessert beer than a session beer. Overall I think it's pretty decent, but I can see how people wouldn't like the sweetness in this beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2007 01:45:33 | More by bluejacket74

blackie

Virginia

3.48/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

felt like getting a little juiced before my first bus-metro excursion, bottle taken from the communal fridge

a: pours a low khaki head that recedes to a thin ring and layer, the beer is a very deep brown in color

s: smells first and foremost of cakey chocolate donuts and ho-hos, creamy bakers chocolate, hot cocoa, very light hops, that's really about it, reminiscent of Shenandoah Chocolate Donut, could use some aromatic diversity but it's actually nice in a very dessert-y way, don't get much of anything from the honey addition

m: low carbonation and medium-full body, dead on the tongue

t: tastes like a $0.25 chocolate cake snack you'd get at a gas station, lacks the depth found in the aroma, very much like the aforementioned Shenandoah, a touch of roast comes out in the finish, moderate-high grain sweetness, turns a touch metallic at the very end

d: finishing one is tough

note: turned much better after allowing it to warm

Serving type: bottle

08-16-2008 21:55:50 | More by blackie

StonedTrippin

Colorado

3.75/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

one of the better tommyknockers ive had. pours dark dark brown, with a small tan head. smells bitter like cocoa powder and espresso. flavor is more balanced, with a touch of sweetness from the honey to level off the bitter cocoa. almost tastes like a milk stout, but more complex than most. decent mouthfeel, but could stand a bit more carbonation. i really enjoyed the flavor of this porter, works well for the early winter season, and the complexity and lower to medium abv make it an fun session beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2011 15:31:13 | More by StonedTrippin

champ103

Texas

3.63/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Pours a dark brown with ruby highlights around the edges. A one finger beige head forms and gently recedes to a ring. Light lace is left in patches.
S: Some nice roasted malt with chocolate and coffee. Though an annoying metallic and chemical aroma is present.
T: Follows the nose. A good roastyness of chocolate and coffee. Again, a metallic and chemical taste.
M/D: A medium body that is a tad over carbonated for my tastes. this is smooth and easy to drink. I can quaff some pretty easily.

Not a bad porter at all. I will have no problem finishing off the six pack, but the metallic character detracts a little to much for this to be in the upper tier of porters for me.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2009 22:28:00 | More by champ103

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

4.03/5  rDev +19.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Not a bad winter warmer except the warming part due to the low ABV

A - Dark amber hue with a nice foamy head. I mean good and foamy with some nice lace. Looks tasty.

S - Smell wise this beer is spot on. Instead of a chocolate though its a heavy cocoa smell like a Swiss Miss. A mild coffee malt in the nose as well.

T - The taste is creamy. Maybe someone thought it would be more bitter since its a porter? Regardless I found it quite in the level with Chocolate Indulgence Stout yet with less body since the ABV BTW. Taste is of cocoa powered, kind of gritty with a base of malt and creamy body. It doesn't seem to offend!

M - I thought it was kind of low/medium and drank great!

D - I seem to like this beer since it reminds me of another version of a stout or porter. While most offer a bittersweet or chocolate creaminess, this one offers a gritty chocolate, one you would find in a glass of warm cocoa. I think that reminds me of Christmas the most so I love this beer. Prost!

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2010 00:59:39 | More by DrDemento456