Mayflower Porter - Mayflower Brewing Company

magisterquintus

Massachusetts

5/5  rDev +19.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

This beer is absolutely wonderful. The perfect porter! I've been drinking Mayflower for a few years now and I like their others, but my love always lies with the porter. The appearance is dark and the smell is of light coffee and hints of dark chocolate and some good hops. A nice full mouthful with a great hoppy finish and dark chocolate aftertones. Like I said, perfect. The way porter should be.

Serving type: on-tap

03-04-2011 01:52:40 | More by magisterquintus

bjoyce12

Massachusetts

4.88/5  rDev +17%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Wow. My new favorite. At first sip can taste the malts which are outstanding, but I am blown away by the body. Mayflower has created a new gem. I expect a porter with this taste and feel to need an 8-9% ABV in order to carry it off, but to manage this with only 5.5% is amazing. The only problem I have with this issue is finding it; is constantly sold out locally.

Serving type: bottle

07-08-2010 20:09:28 | More by bjoyce12

MA08

Massachusetts

4.85/5  rDev +16.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Served in a Mayflower Nonic at 55 degrees.

Pours a deep ruby brown color with a thick tan head with good retention. Strong smells of roasted malt, smoke, and chocolate notes. Bitter hop taste noticable coupled with dark roasty malts with some coffee notes. Smooth, creamy mouthfeel with limited carbination. An excellent and unique porter on par with Fullers.

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2010 11:52:05 | More by MA08

rowingbrewer

Massachusetts

4.85/5  rDev +16.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

This beer pours a dark brown color with a nice 1 1/2 finger tan colored head. the smell is slightly roasty with a good hop presence. the flavor is a little hop flavor up front, kind of floral, followed by a slightly sweet roasty malt flavor and finishes with a tiny hop bite. the mouthfeel is a little fuller than i would expect for this style, but the carbonation is just right, overall this beer is absolutely phenomenal.

Serving type: on-tap

06-25-2011 01:32:32 | More by rowingbrewer

NewGeneric

California

4.8/5  rDev +15.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Thanks go to (I think) LocalIsBetter for hooking me up with this.
Poured into my Delirium tremens tulip.

A: Pours a deep mahogany color with ruby highlights around the edges. About a finger of foam recedes fairly quickly to leave a thin layer floating on top with little to no lacing around the glass.

S: Very robust. Heavy coffee up front. Deep caramel and chocolate tones follow close behind. Not much hops to speak of, but then again, there really shouldn't be. Near perfection.

T: Big roasty flavors bombard the palate immediately upon impact, followed by some coffee and chocolate. Some caramel notes are present, but are mostly covered up by the massive roastiness. Seems to get better with every sip. Impressive.

M: Almost spot on. Could use just slightly less carbonation, but otherwise this is about as good as it gets.

D: Wow. One of, if not the, best porters I've ever had. And at 5.5%, I could drink plenty more. Remarkable.

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2010 04:31:38 | More by NewGeneric

hudsonvalleyslim

Massachusetts

4.78/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Fine, superfine porter! Drunk from an undated bottle poured into a Mayflower pint glass. (Cmon y'all, date these bottles - it's in your interest as well as ours!) This one has become one of my favorite porters. It's dark, dry, robust, very malty. Medium lacing, a pretty brew. Full, round and chewy, just as I like my porters. Cara-karma!

Mayflower's Pale Ale is excellent as well. A very promising brewery. I believe the brewer is from Offshore on Martha's Vineyard. And they sure serve up some excellent ales there. Just sayin'.

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2008 02:27:12 | More by hudsonvalleyslim

edchicma

Massachusetts

4.75/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Dark murky chocloate in appearance..small head. Smell- coffee, smoke, malt..very nice. Taste rich coffee, smoke...smooth and with great body. Mouthfeel..wow! Smooth and craemy, butnot losing a hop presence..exceptional. Drinkability...smooth, just right...not too light or heavy..exceptional.

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2008 01:52:21 | More by edchicma

PatriotsRule

Massachusetts

4.75/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

A dark beer with a light heart
A: Essentially pitch black with medium carbonation. Average off white head
S: Coffee and hops with a bit of chocolate and some smoke
T: Hops and roasted malt, coffee aftertaste with just a hint of smoked chocolate
M: Lip-smackingly crisp, almost minty. Certainly full bodied and full flavored
O: This porter does not mess around. Compare w/ Otter Creek's Stovepipe Porter

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2012 01:44:43 | More by PatriotsRule

selecter70

Massachusetts

4.72/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Truly fantastic offering and on cask locally in Cambridge (Thanks Cambridge Common!) although the demand is outrunning the current supply. Perfect pint served straight from the cask, nice rich dark brown with lovely creamy tan head that stuck to the glass all the way. Nearly a stout by sight, and by taste, I'd definitely forgo a Guinness for this lovely. The aroma had a roasted malt-coffee-chocolate-molasses quality that emerged in the tasting as well. A slight floral hop hint with mild smoke lingering added to this extremely smooth and rich porter. Not too much alcohol tatse, and little carbonation definitely led to the stoutness of it. A pleasant bitterness to the mouth and a clean falvorful aftertaste that left one leaning for more!

Serving type: cask

12-15-2008 23:53:59 | More by selecter70

diechipmunk

Massachusetts

4.6/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Poured from the tap into a pint glass. Deep dark brown with ruby highlights. Moderate head dissipaded quikly, but left a nice lacing

s- roasted malts, coffee, chocolate a little dried fruit.

Taste is well balanced and on the dry side, good roasty malt flavor with a trace of coffee, milk chocolate and dried fruit/plum and a touch of smoke.

Mildly carbonated and so easy to drink. Feels light bodied but still tastes rich.

Really smooth and easy to drink, definiately up there as one of my favorite porters and I love that is is brewed locally.

Very drinkable. Light and easy to drink but so full of flavor. Definitly on of my top 3 favorite porters. At 5.5 ABV, this makes an exceptional session beer.

Serving type: on-tap

01-07-2010 14:16:19 | More by diechipmunk

ppoitras

Massachusetts

4.58/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

12oz bottle purchased as part of a mixed 6 from Yankee Spirits, Sturbridge, MA.

Poured into an imperial pint glass, formed a 1/2" orangey tan head over the clear dark reddish brown brew. Head fades at a reasonable pace, with plenty of slow-falling lace. Aroma is rich and roasty. Taste is also roasted dark grain husks with a dry close. Mouthfeel is smooth and easy, and drinkability is superb. Something so drinkable yet flavorful is a rare find.

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2008 22:34:49 | More by ppoitras

BeerMusketeer

Massachusetts

4.58/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Sometimes I don't want big beer, though not that often anymore. I am also trending to darker brews, so this one is the prefect fit when I want a sixer. Deep dark brown with a good head and nice lace. The smell is well balanced chocolate, coffee, and roast. The taste is the same. Very well balcned and drinkable! Mayflower rules!

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2011 21:04:49 | More by BeerMusketeer

nanobrew

California

4.58/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I am not a big reviewer, but I took one sip of this and said "wow, this is great, I think I should review it". So here I am drinking this beer at my computer reviewing it.

Poured into my Duvel tulip

Appearance: Nearly black pour with a slight brown tinge. The head is a dark tan and is fairly sturdy. as I drink the beer the head fades to just around the edge of the glass.

Smell: This is loaded with a milk chocolate aroma, with a slight hint of coffee.

Taste: First thing that hits is a slight roast, definitely a chocolate tasting porter, again with faint coffee. I also pick up a slight vanilla flavor towards the end.

Mouthfeel: The flavor is well balanced with sweetness, maybe a little bit more mouthfeel would be nice, it gets a little thin towards the end.

overall: This is a excellent porter. It is more of a sweeter porter, but I enjoy it a lot. I think I will keep this beer on my wants for extras.

thanks to cbeer88 for sending me this beer!

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2011 18:02:55 | More by nanobrew

fitzy84

Massachusetts

4.55/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

I must say this was a pretty exceptional beverage. Appearance was dark black with a light, coffee-color head with eventual lacing. The best way to describe the smell was a definite "icy", smoked feel wrapping around the strong mocha flavors. There was even a hint of vanilla I sensed. It was wicked sweet for my tastes with a soft, bitter aftertaste. Definitely strong on the mocha, coffee flavors. The mouthfeel, I felt, was a key to the success of the drink. A good solid body but wonderfully light and thin essentially. Allowed it to be enjoyed the whole night. Overall, an excellent porter.

Serving type: on-tap

04-19-2008 18:03:56 | More by fitzy84

3leggeddub

Massachusetts

4.53/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

I'm always glad to pick up a beer from a local brewery to help support the cause and craft of local brewers and artisans, but I'm downright ecstatic when it's a local beer that's this damn good.

Mayflower Porter pours out a lovely black-brown with a respectable tan head that dissipates to a thin covering with a little lacing. The nose isn't too powerful , but it is pleasant with a bit of dark fruit and general roasted malt smokiness. The first sip reveals a great body as it spreads across the tongue. Goldilocks would love this as it's just right: not too thick and not too thin. This tastes like a porter should with lots of roasted nuttiness up front, some hints of sweetness, and a slightly dry finish. There's some coffee and hop bitterness around the edges that is thankfully not overwhelming in the least. Combined with sharp carbonation the mild bitters maintain a solid balance to the beer. Even after a few Mayflower Porters you don't find an unpleasant build up of after taste that you would expect from a dark beer. There's no acrid bitterness and no sweet malt slickness. Throw all that together with the reasonable 5.5% ABV and you have a beer that could take you from the beginning through to the end of the night with no regrets.

This beer is an absolute pleasure to drink. What blows me away about Mayflower Porter is its simplicity. There's plenty going on with the flavors of this beer yet they never bombard you, are heavy handed, or out of balance. That's exactly what an English porter is supposed to be. If you are tired of imperial or Baltic porters and would like something easy-going and basic pick up some Mayflower Porter and drink the hell out of it.

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2008 19:18:30 | More by 3leggeddub

davexisxrabid

California

4.53/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Got this bottle as an extra from 6DaysBottomOcean. Thanks!

Dark brown pour, almost black; think flat pepsi. ¾ inch tan head with decent retention. Held up to the light and tinged brown at the edges, lively carbonation bubbling up from the bottom but hidden in the dark depths of the beer. Decent lacing on the pint glass too during my drinking.

Aroma of roasted dark malts, dark chocolate, caramel, brown sugar. Pleasantly surprised by the complexity of this porter.

Taste parallels the aroma. Again, pleasantly surprised but it seems that the flavors area all fighting for attention and none really get recognition on the palate.

Full bodied with a dark chocolate aftertaste. Decent lingering flavor between each drink. Carbonation seems just right to keep this from being too heavy.

Damn good drinkability. Good flavor, not too strong, complex. Worth a try and wish I had some more!

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2009 21:33:10 | More by davexisxrabid

Patrick

Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Dark brown with mahogany hints around the edges. A thin film of tan head sits on top without leaving much lacing behind.

S: Some subtle roasted coffee notes are detectable as well as dark chocolate. Very nice smell.

T: Lots of roasted coffee flavor up front with some bitterness from the hops as well. The dark chocolate sneaks up on you at the end leaving an astringent chocolate bitterness in your mouth.

M: Nice and dry, subtle astringency, well carbonated, smooth.

D: Great porter, more of this will be seeing the shelf in my fridge this winter.

Serving type: bottle

11-02-2008 21:40:56 | More by Patrick

Walken

Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Mayflower Brewing Company: Porter (Tasted 12/03/08)
12 oz. bottle, poured into an imperial pint.

Appearance: Dark brown, bordering on black with a head that fills the glass to the brim, then slowly fades down, leaving tide marks on the sides of the glass.
Odor: Candy corn, cream, roasted malt, chocolate, grainy aromas and nutty yeast underneath.
Consistency: Medium/full smooth body with a definite slickness. Acidity adds a little bit of dimension. Carbonation is on the low end, accentuating the creamy texture.
Taste: Bittersweet choco-coffee goodness dominates while other flavors slowly creep in, the yeasty fruitiness and acidity team up, adding some counterpoint to the roast. Bitterness is mellow, stopping at the point of balance, not much hop flavor to speak of. Finish is clean & malty, coffee, roast, earthy/leafy hop flavors and ghost like smoke ride through the finish and linger.

This is a fine brown porter, there's no denying that. I could drink this all day/night/morning long.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2008 21:56:16 | More by Walken

alovesupreme

Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A great looking off white head that sits on top of a seemingly pitch black body. Under closer observation it is apparent that it is an extremely dark shade of brown. Lacing is apparent.
Smells are mostly roasted in character with lots of chocolate and coffee, with a sour smell often found in traditional porters.
Roasted character is again very apparent. As is the sour old ale taste. A hop character is also present to add an additional form of bitterness to the brew. The finish sits on the back of your tongue with a lingering roasted bitterness.
I really love this beer. I will be drinking lots of this in the future. I am proud to have a local beer that I am this fond of.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2009 06:14:35 | More by alovesupreme

horshack7

Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Into a pint glass is a completly black and opaque 12 ounces of darkness. The head is mocha colored and is about one finger thick but thins out quick. The beer still looks good anyway.

Aroma: Dark roasted coffee, chocolate malts,. The hop aroma has a little bit of sharpness. On the tail end is a faint peanut aroma.

Taste: Chocolate malts that present themselves right up front. A little bit roasted hoppiness. The mouthfeel is is very smooth. On the finish has a subtle peanut flavor.

Notes: A great English Porter a good example of the style. Cheers.

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2010 01:13:00 | More by horshack7

BeerAdvocate

Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Review from BeerAdvocate magazine Vol. II Issue X:

We wish the world brewed more straight-up Porters.

Pours a dark, opaque brown topped with a tan lace. Aroma is slightly acrid with fresh toasty brown breads and suggestions of bitter chocolate and molasses. Fairly light bodied, but firm and even. Creamy on the palate. An underlying dryness sets the foundation. Semi-sharp acrid character with a quelling layer of sweetness on top. Notes of molasses, faint caramel, earth, dry chocolate, chicory, dark breads and slightly burnt edges. Pithy and peaty. Light citric hop bite with some grass. Finishes mildly abrasive with a drying linger and hint of smoke.

Quite possibly a perfect Porter, by modern-day standards. What we dig about Mayflower's version is that it leans toward the English style, which tends to be more balanced, well-attenuated and sessionable. Delicious!

Serving type: bottle

09-20-2010 17:40:29 | More by BeerAdvocate

wisrarebeer

Wisconsin

4.48/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bottled 3/18/11 and given to me by Maddog! This beer has held up extremely well for its ABV; a testament to how well it is made.

A: near opaque, clear, deep, deep copper color, incredible dense rocky head
S: great roasted-treacle malt, rich and decadent
T: deep roasted malt taste with good hop balance, an incredibly made beer
M: creamy, rich and extremely drinkable

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2012 02:16:54 | More by wisrarebeer

Acochran

Massachusetts

4.47/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Sampled at a company event, which was refreshing because you do not typically find porters at company events. Poured by Drew Brosseau, Founder and President, of Mayflower Brewing Co, into an 8-ounce sampling glass. Pours with a small creamy head, dark chocolate in color with strong roasted coffee aroma...ahh smells so nice. The aromas come from the Chocolate and Brown malts. Peated malt is in there for good measure. While the porter is hopped to balance the malts you'll struggle to find hop flavor, and that's a good thing for English Porters. If you're considering trying a porter or are an anti-hop fan I suggest giving Mayflower's Porter a try.

Serving type: growler

10-27-2008 03:16:54 | More by Acochran

johnnnniee

New Hampshire

4.47/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a clear dark brown with beautiful ruby highlights and a creamy off white head that dissipates but never really goes away. Smells of chocolate and roast Yum! Tastes of chocolate, roast, and a bit of hop bite with a lingering roast in the finish. Creamy smooth mouthfeel, medium body, light but ample carbonation. Great porter! Smooth and silky and chocolaty. Must try more Mayflower.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2009 23:26:17 | More by johnnnniee

jneiswender

Massachusetts

4.45/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Had this beer on tap at the brewery as part of the brewery tour. Pours a black body and a tan head. Smell is great. Chocolate milk shake, some smoke, faint grass.

Taste is chocolate milk shake and some herbal flavor just for some tang. Good medium body. Great porter. I really like this beer. Real respect for the style and the gives me the impression that this is what a style of this sort tasted like way back.

Serving type: on-tap

03-03-2012 02:34:00 | More by jneiswender