Big Jamoke - Marshall Brewing Company

BEERchitect

Kentucky

3.8/5  rDev -4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Robust in its roastiness yet remarkably dry, Marshall's is bold in taste but drinkable in finish.

Deep, dark brown in color and basically opaque, this porter errupts in a billowing head of both tightly and loosely knit bubbles that gel into a near-rocky head with intermitten rings of lace left behind.

Bittersweet chocolate aromas start the session with a quick follow up of walnuts, deep roasted coffee, malted milk, caramel, and grain. Savory, the coffee roast seems almost stout-like and the grains illude to a thin astringency to come- let's see.

Malty and roasty flavors come together with a flavor spread that includes deeply roasted coffee but not espresso, cocoa powder, malt, molassas, walnuts, heavy toast and charred grains. Very robust for a porter but the intensity and proportions don't seem like a stout either- the beer is caught somwhere between. With no real fruitiness and only a slight phenolic character, the beer has a strong porter profile.

The mouthfeel is the highlight of the beer- very creamy and expressive in its carbonation, the beer expands delightfully in the mouth and wiht a creamy-dry character that carries it into finish. Malty dry with arid toast and charred grainy bite, the hop bitterness is accentuated by the textures of burnt woods and overworked grains. Light astringency is the only deterant in texture.

A delicious yet aggressive porter that borrows some heavy roast character from stouts. The heavy malt character makes it delicious and the dryness make it palatable. But the grainy-astringent flavors and bite hold it back a bit. But overall, any porter fan will find a friend with this beer in their glass.

Thanks BlueOkie!

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2011 06:32:50 | More by BEERchitect

Mora2000

Texas

4/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to bu11zeye for sharing this bottle.

The beer pours a dark reddish-brown color with a huge off-white head. The aroma is toffee, brown sugar and roasted malt. The flavor is toffee, chocolate and roasted malt. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation. A good porter.

Serving type: bottle

08-05-2010 02:34:07 | More by Mora2000

russpowell

Oklahoma

4.15/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a ruddy mahogany with 2+ fingers of mocha colored head. Stellar lacing & above average head retention

S: Roasted grains & a touch of dark fruittyness

T: A touch of chocolate, roasted grain & herbal hops, some smokeyness & a touch of dark fruit up front. I could make an argument this skews more towards English porter, but it's too rich & beefy...Dark choclate, a touch of licorice & dryness surface as this warms, plus some chicory/molasses. Finishes roasty, dry & with a slight stringent/coffee ground bite with just a bit of booze burn on the roof of my mouth & a bit of baker's chocolate. Almost pulled a 4.5

MF: Creamy with moderate carbonation, nice maltyness, plus a touch of oilyness once warm

Drinks very easy, a good stab at the style. Nice to see a beer from the Sooner state I can proudly share ( there are few others, but not always available ), well done Marshall! can't wait to try this on draft, preferably nitro or dare I dream? cask at Mc Nellies!

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2010 05:36:17 | More by russpowell

Bitterbill

Wyoming

4.45/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle courtesy of the excellent trader known as russpowell. Thanks Russ!

Cream coloured wax bottle.

A slightly vigorous pour yielded a very dark brown coloured brew with a 2 finger head of foam. Checking on the lacing and yep. It does not fall short on that account.

The smell has a lot of malty meat to it bringing nice sweetness ala a milkshake, good roasty tones, and a light whiff of smoke.

The taste has the roasted malt and to a lesser extent, that milkshake like sweetness with a more obvious smke character. Very yummy!The finish is nice and dry from the roast and the smoke and I think there's a touch of some coffee here as well. Again..yummy!

A nice thickish mouthfeel with lowish carbonation...gives it an extremely nice creamy texture. Superb mouthfeel.

Drinkability? This bottle will not last long...very drinkable and so damn smooth. A great find, imho. Thanks again, Russ!

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2010 23:23:08 | More by Bitterbill

champ103

Texas

3.55/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A big thanks to armock for sharing this with me and some other BA friends.

A: Pours a dark brown color. A small beige head forms with little retention. Light lace is left behind.
S: Lightly roasted malt up front with some coffee aromas. Acrid and sharp.
T: Lightly roasted malt and coffee again. Not nearly as acrid as the nose.
M/D: A medium body and carbonation. Smooth and crisp, as a porter should be. Easy to drink. I could put away a bomber with ease.

A solid porter. Not nearly my favorite of the style or the brewery however. Still, worth a try if you can find a bottle.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2010 01:58:58 | More by champ103

Mebuzzard

Colorado

3.85/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Quite a big porter here from the OK Land.

Very dark brown pour turns black. Atop which is a chocolate malt looking foamed up head. Looks good, lacing is slick and oily, sugary.

Aroma has hints of lots of things; leather, molasses, roasted flesh--non human I think, figs, black plum and marble rye bread. not sure if it's complex or un-decided...

Still, definitely worth a taste and then some. Dark chocolate up front and on the end giving it a sharp feel. Molasses and leather pop in and out, as do some earthy hops and spice. Robust and rounded, with a pinch of oddity.

A nice porter, perhaps more English, but still good.

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2011 16:57:59 | More by Mebuzzard

cpetrone84

Pennsylvania

2.7/5  rDev -31.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A-pours a nearly opaque black with a thick bubbly caramel colored head leaving a thin sticky lacing.

S-the nose is very sweet, the dark chocolate, toffee and roasted to burnt coffee is up front. these flavors are overpowered by malty sweetness, lots of sugar, burnt brown sugar and dark fruits.

T-the flavor is much more burnt than the nose. roasted to burnt malt and coffee, rather bitter. light malt sweetness in the back with little balance.

M-medium to light body, slightly thin, assertive carbonation and a little grainy on the palate.

D-the nose and flavor are both one dimensional and exact opposites. the flavor is overly burnt, the nose is overly sweet. nothing really working well here.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2011 00:33:24 | More by cpetrone84

BeerAdvocate

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Review from BeerAdvocate Magazine Issue #50 (March 2011):

Head reaches high, then leaves big clumps of lace on the glass. A black color is all that was expected, and it was deliv- ered. Roasted edge of unsweetened chocolate, burnt raisin fruitiness and a level hop resin make up the nose. Smooth and creamy, with a bitty roasted bite that kicks things off. Deep charcoal and undertones of coffee and cocoa powder blanket the palate. Slight warmth of alcohol lends a burnt currant flavor, and the hops go leafy and earthy, which ends up complimenting the roasted flavors. Hint of yeast in the bittersweet finish. The Porter throws down hard in a robust manner without being so big that it detracts from drinkability. A serious Porter here.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2011 13:36:37 | More by BeerAdvocate

ktrillionaire

Florida

2.63/5  rDev -33.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 1 | overall: 2.5

Thanks to Beertracker for this brew.

A - It pours a deep shiny black with a mocha head. It is a huge head, gushing, perhaps this beer is infected?

S - Smells like roasty malt, caramel-apple and berry-fruit. Again, I am unsure if these flavors are intended.

T - Follows on the nose, roasty and slightly sweet, with a lingering taste of coffee grounds; it is a drinkable Porter. A somewhat unusual combination of flavors, interesting but not outstanding.

M - The feel is very thin and light for the taste and style. Leaves a parched dry feel in the mouth, like coffee.

D - This beer is either quite unusual, or infected. Perhaps it is both.

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2010 21:10:48 | More by ktrillionaire

armock

New York

4/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Poured a dark brown color with a tan head that leaves lacing behind

S - Is of roasted malt with some coffee scents

T - Follows the nose roasted malts with coffee flavors

M - This beer has a medium body with medium carbonation to it

D - Not being a huge porter fan I found myself really liking this one it was very easy to drink with its good taste worth picking up if you find yourself in Oklahoma

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2010 23:52:36 | More by armock

Bierguy5

Ohio

4.08/5  rDev +3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

22 oz bottle, 6.8% abv. Nearly pitch black, maybe just a bit of brown. Luscious mocha head. Very nice retention and lace.

Roasted malts, caramel, coffee and dark chocolate. Some darker fruit. American hop presence in the nose goes well with the fruity components.

Lots of roasty flavor, with a sharp edge. Bitterness lingers, giving an espresso-like feel. Dark fruits are held to a minimum. Long, bitter American hop finish.

Medium body, with a creamy feel. Alcohol is felt a bit, but not overwhelming. A well made beer here.

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2010 16:30:38 | More by Bierguy5

alleykatking

Indiana

4.05/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from 22oz bottle. Thanks goes out to SuperNova777 for bringing this bottle over.

A- Pours a near black deep brown color. Hints of red highlight just hits the edge of the glass when held to the light. Two finger cocoa colored head shows medium retention. Lacing on the glass shows some light streaks when taking drinks.

S- Roasted malts with hints of chocolate in the front of the aroma. Coffee with a huge roast character to it and some toffee come in as a secondary aroma. Lastly in the ending of the nose is smoke, hints of roast, and light earthy hops.

T- Roasted malts in the front of the beer. This starts to give way to a light chocolate flavor with a hint of vanilla in the background. Toffee notes also jump out more so in the middle. Ending has more of a light smoked malt lingering with roasted coffee giving way to the dominate back flavor. Alcohol is light and only brushes the palate.

M- Medium mouthfeel. Carbonation is good for the style. Chocolate, roasted malts, and hint of smoke are left on the palate. Aftertaste is alcohol, light chocoalte, smoke, and hints of roasted coffee. Flavors were blended well together for the style I thought. Off flavors are nowhere to be found in this beer. Medium alcohol drying on the palate.

O- This beer was good but there seemed to be something that was not quite there. I liked it a lot but there was a little something missing that would have made this beer amazing. I thought the abv was well hidden and never became a forefront of the beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-29-2011 07:36:10 | More by alleykatking

yourefragile

District of Columbia

3.7/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22 oz bottle, gold colored wax, thanks to a generous trader, poured into a snifter.

Pours a dark brown color, allows little light to pass and massive light fluffly tan head with great retention and thick rings of lacing. Aroma is slightly boozy, chocolatey and roasted malty. Fresh out of the refrigerator there isn't much going on with this, definitely needs some time to warm up. As it does, a nice smooth body with soft fine carbonation and pleasant roast malt bitterness and chocolate sweetness take over. Finish lingers with an ashy, roasted taste. A very pleasant porter, not quite in the class of Edmund, but happy to have tried it.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2010 02:50:44 | More by yourefragile

EgadBananas

Louisiana

3.93/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Thanks Herf!

Pours black with mahogany edges. Big, fluffy khaki colored head. Roasted malt nose, with some chocolate, and light roasted coffee. There's a slight whiff of piny hops in the back. Big chocolate taste, with some light coffee roast notes, more roasted malts and a slight sweetness. Despite the big head, which seemed to allude to some carbonation issues, the feel was rather full, creamy and robust...quite wonderful on the palate. Overall, another solid, tasty Marshal offering!

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2012 02:55:09 | More by EgadBananas

augustgarage

California

4.05/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Big thanks to gawnphishin for the chance to try this. Very cool WWII-esque line-art graphics on the label (depicting the brewmaster's grandfather I think).

Poured from a waxed 22oz bomber into my Dogfish Head shaped pint glass.

Bottle conditioned I presume considering the enormous heft of rocky sponge-like foam that fills the glass despite a careful pour. Eventually it settles down to a messy smattering of light tan suds covering a very dark brown yet clear liquid with very faint rufous highlights. Superior retention, sticky thick lacing.

Roast malt has a woodsy aroma along with faint cocoa and vanilla. There is some caramel as well, though this could be a hint of diacetyl.

Very rich coffee, light smoke, faint toffee and bittersweet chocolate (as noted by the brewer), and an array of well blended specialty malts. Dry lightly bitter finish with somewhat grassy hop notes and maybe a whisper of citrus.

Mildly astringent, crisp, though perhaps over-carbonated for the style.

Unique, bold, and flavorful porter - it tastes like some "Imperial" porters I've had except without the high ABV or heavy roast qualities, which keeps the drinkability high.

Worth seeking out - this would be a regular purchase for me if I lived in the region (especially if I lacked access to Anchor, Deschutes, etc).

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2011 21:09:10 | More by augustgarage

Cresant

Kentucky

3.23/5  rDev -18.4%
look: 2 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Poured this 22 oz. waxed, brown bottle into a Sierra Nevada Hops glass. No date. Created a giant glass of foam. Really the most ridiculous head I have ever seen. (The bottle was sitting for well over a month undisturbed before pouring.) The massive head was tan and very resilient. What beer remained in the bottle began to develop a head too! When the body finally settled it was a dark, opaque brown.

The smell was clean roasted grain. Lightly nutty.

The taste was coffee and cocoa. Some nice roasty char which left a bittering finish. Well hidden alcohol.

The mouthfeel was medium to thin in body. There was not much carbonation left in the beer, it spent itself on the over the top head.

Serving type: bottle

09-13-2011 13:26:27 | More by Cresant

craytonic

District of Columbia

3.6/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Black pour with an enormous mocha head that fills the majority of the glass, big time retention and lacing

Smell: Roasted malts and bitter chocolate

Taste: Roasted malts, bitter chocolate, hops, smoke, dark fruits, licorice, molasses, coffee.

Mouthfeel: Creamy with aggressive carbonation

Overall: Decent porter, nothing special but a good local attept at the style.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2011 23:10:50 | More by craytonic

Spider889

Ohio

3.7/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I normally am not too inclined to re-review beers unless there's a really good reason to, but in this case I will. BlueOkie tried like hell to send me a good bottle of this stuff, the first two were progressively worse, while the second 2 were both fine. Scot, your effort and determination have earned a second look here.

My first review will remain below the new one, but I will score according to the newest batch. But to recap - bottle #1 was over carbonated and oxidized a lot. Bottle #2 exhibited the same issues but worse, with more off flavors and the distinct aroma/flavor of copper.

Scores: #1 = 2.98, #2 - 1.5 (both of these were the large format bottles with gold wax.)

Bottles #3 & 4 were from the most recent batch, and are 12 oz bottles.

I poured this latest batch into a snifter. Finally the head was working the way it should. Instead of flash foam overflowing everywhere, I had to pour vigorously to attain some head. Not a lot of retention, but at least this Jamoke is behaving himself now. Some wisps of rocky lace coat the glass.

Smells really nice. Bitter baker's chocolate, light char, and subtle coffee notes.

The taste is also much better. The char is a tad overdone - causing bitterness beyond what I'd prefer in the style. But too much roasted barley is much better than oxidation and pennies. Some more sweetness to compliment the chocolate in the aroma would really make Big Jamoke shine a little more.

Medium bodied with lighter carbonation. Slightly sticky on the palate. Overall, I still don't agree that this is a top tier Porter the way the Bros have rated it, but this is definitely a solid beer when you get one that is not plagued by carbonation/infection issues.

Advice - avoid anything with the waxed cap.
___
Bottle #1 review from 8/14/11

The presentation is a nice looking label on a 22oz bottle, though it seems somewhat stubbier than the average. The gold wax is a nice compliment to the appearance I suppose. Though waxing a simple porter seems a bit unnecessary to me.

As I cracked the wax there was a lot of visible corrosion around the cap. After popping the cap, sludgy rust is caked all around the inside lip as well. Not usually a great sign on a beer that ought to have been bottled this year.

Poured into a stein for the hell of it. I got maybe 2 or 3 ounces out before a flash of foam filled the entire stein to the brim. I'm surprised the bottle wasn't a gusher. Nearly ten minutes later the foam subsided enough for me to try and fill the glass again.

Black, albeit thin, the foam is a moderately dark khaki color. Super tall, and it lingers. Rocky spires decayed slowly atop the liquid beneath. Pretty good lace, too. In short, I was getting lots of mixed signals right off the bat here.

Smells typical, though maybe a bit more fruity than the average porter. Later inspection left me disliking the aroma more... I really want to call this beer oxidized here.

The flavor runs in the same vein. Oxidized notions are luckily very muted, if non-existent. Lots of roast and char, with a sturdy malty base. Bitter at times, and a tad earthy.

The mouthfeel is too thin, and the carbonation is off.

Overall not bad, but I feel like either I got a bad bottle or the homers are propping this jamoke up more than he's earned.

Serving type: bottle

08-14-2011 05:48:05 | More by Spider889

coldmeat23

Oklahoma

4.5/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

GLASS: Nonic Glass
TEMP: Served @ approx 55-60 degrees

A beautiful dark, dark, brown liquid with serious ruby/garnet highlights. Over a fingers worth of creamy, light brown foam sits on top. The retention is very good and the lacing is full and quite sticky.

The nose is full of big roasty notes. Tons of roasted coffee. Lots of dark chocolate notes. Very subtle hints of dark fruit sweetness. Decent notes of cocoa powder. Light touches of smokiness.

The roastiness is not quite as dominant as expected, but is still here and very good. Nice hints of dark fruit sweetness, but not overly done. Nice, earthiness presence from the hops. Very smooth and balanced.

This is almost full-bodied and has a mild level of carbonation, which is expected from a cask version. It is extremely smooth and easy drinking. It goes down like satin.

This version is very drinkable. I've been drinking as much as I can for the past couple of months, since this one showed up....and will continue to do so until it finally disappears.
Delicious!

Serving type: cask

03-02-2010 00:07:19 | More by coldmeat23

StaveHooks

Oklahoma

4.5/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A - Black with dark brown edges. 2 finger creamy mocha head. Thick sheets of lacing all the way down the glass.

S - Chocolate, roasted malts, marshmallow, toasted toffee, graham cracker,

T - Decadent chocolate, dry roasted coffee beans, anise, sweet but earthy black malt. Hints of dry fig and raisin. Has a vanilla bean sweetness in the middle but finishes dry.

M - Low carbonation, velvety and creamy.

This is my favorite porter of all time. It is full, rich, and delivers tons of flavor. I wish this was a year round release.

Serving type: cask

01-14-2011 19:57:26 | More by StaveHooks

stephens101

Oklahoma

3.95/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Would be a jet black pour if not for some slight dark brown hues at the edges. The fluffy and bubbly tan head slowly recedes and leaves a thick sheet of lace behind, with some fat fingers poking out above. A strong aroma of smoldering wood strikes the nose at first, followed by some caramel sweetness, and a little coffee with a slight note of pine. A smooth malty essence fills the palate initially, followed by cocoa and dark chocolate. Viscous going down with a tinge of roughness at the edges. Medium-bodied with no alcohol heat to speak of. Another strong showing from Marshall!

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2010 22:10:07 | More by stephens101

bump8628

Oklahoma

4/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Deep brown with a light tan head that clumps and laces to the sides of the glass.

Light roast and brown sugar in the nose with a pleasant soft fruitness.

Taste is amped up a few notches from the aroma with an acrid and bitter burnt edge that gives way to some light chocolate, coffee, and caramel as it warms up. Hops are herbal and earthy and bitterness is firm. There's also some dark fruit notes from yeast. Mouthfeel is smooth and plenty full for a big porter and carbonation is moderately low which smooths the beer out.

A nice offering, I wish the burnt character was a little less prominent to let the chocolate/coffee character shine a little more.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2010 20:48:07 | More by bump8628

tronester

Oklahoma

4.6/5  rDev +16.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Pours a very dark brown with red highlights, almost black. A massive, rocky tan head develops. Smell is of freshly roasted coffee and ripe pears. Taste is rich malt flavors up front, with a roasted grain middle, and a rich earthy herbal hop finish. A bit of citrus in the finish as well. Delicious! Mouthfeel is super rich and creamy, slightly high carbonation, but nothing bad. Drinkability is super high, a 22oz bomber is not too much at all even with 6.8% alcohol.

I look forward to this again next year, hopefully it becomes year round soon though!

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2010 23:15:12 | More by tronester

cavedave

New York

4.25/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Big thanks to coldmeat23 for this Oklahoma gem.

On the border between black and brown, opaque, and topped by a brownish-beige, lather-like, lasting, three finger head that coats the glass with serious lace. This is almost the poster boy for a porter.

Medium/light aroma, coffee, herbal bitter, toasty bread sweet, hints of tart yeast, even lighter hints of bitter chocolate.

Medium taste, fronted by coffee and chocolate, a touch of yeasty tart, dissolving into roasty sweet goodness that picks up some nice herbal bitter, into a finish that is more charry coffee, more bittering hop, and less sweet chocolate as the beer warms. Very nice taste, bright, and delicious.

Fuller in the mouth than the smell and taste predicted, very coating, thankfully lower carb. than expected, and a dry , clean finish.

Drinkability is wonderful. Pleasingly, interestingly, deliciously refreshing.

Impression: What a pleasant surprise, this beer rocks. I recommend you get some immediately.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2011 20:59:23 | More by cavedave

JuicesFlowing

Kansas

4.33/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Poured into a New Belgium globe.

The beer is as black as new tires with brown barely coming through on the edges. A mocha colored head recedes to a film with a thicker patch in the center. Webbed lacing coats the glass.

The beer first smells of burnt, roasted malts. Then roasted coffee notes come in, as well as a faint smokiness and some black licorice on the back end.

The taste starts with bitter roasted malts. Then a really dark rich coffee flavor kicks in. It has some Oreo cookie richness in it, dark chocolates. There's faint smokiness and bitter hops in the finish.

Mouthfeel is dry and lively.

Overall, really impressed with the coffee and bitter chocolate notes on this. A great porter to take your time with and enjoy.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2013 00:37:55 | More by JuicesFlowing