Puppy's Breath Porter - Cigar City Brewing

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

3.53/5  rDev -14.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

First had: on tap at Cigar City, Tampa, FL

Dark brown-black pour, topped with a small tan head that receded to a wispy layer, and left a bit of lacing on the glass. Smell was that of a basic porter, roasty dark malts, light notes of coffee and unsweetened chocolate. Taste was about the same, dark malts, coffee, maybe just a touch of unsweetened chocolate, and some burnt caramel. Medium body and carbonation. An okay porter, nothing really memorable.

Serving type: on-tap

12-29-2012 02:10:44 | More by Rifugium

KarlosT

Massachusetts

4.03/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Being from New England (w/ lots of great micro-brews), my brother proudly took me to Cigar City Brewing in Tampa Florida. And I must say I was very impressed with both the quality and the number of excellent craft-brews on tap. The organization is very well run, and I fully expect to find their beers in the New England region in the near future ( I can see them expanding nationally).
I started with a taster rack of Jai Alai (IPA), Resonator Double Bock, El Lector English Style Dark Ale, and the Puppy Breath Porter. All were excellent.

Had the Puppy's Breath in a small 4oz tasting glass.

Appearance:
Compared to the beers in the rack, with was definitely the darkest. Very dark, black, with no translucency

Smell:
Strong coffee notes

Taste:
strong coffee notes. very complex. Nice burnt notes to the hops. Surprised that it was 8% ABV. No sense of high alcohol

MF:
heavy bodied beer. leaning more toward a stout. Nice Effervescence.

Overall:
Excellent Porter. Highly recommended.

Serving type: on-tap

12-21-2012 13:01:37 | More by KarlosT

macrosmatic

Florida

4.08/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Reviewed from notes. Had on-tap (nitro) at CCB tasting room. Poured into pint glass.

A: Dark dark auburn in color, opaque, with an off-white one finger head. Beautiful nitro cascading motion in the glass.

S: Dark malt, toffee, and dark iced coffee.

T: Dark roasted malt, caramel & toffee notes, chocolate-covered espresso beans. Just a hint of hop bitterness.

M: Smooth mouthfeel (as expected with nitro), and a mild bitter chocolate hang. Alcohol content well-hidden.

O: Very good beer, especially on nitro. There are a few other porters I would prefer, but this one is certainly recommended.

Serving type: nitro-tap

08-15-2012 14:54:05 | More by macrosmatic

PorterLambic

Florida

4.68/5  rDev +13.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Arrives the darkest possible brown with a silky, creamy dark tan head resting gently on top. Head lasts a good long time and leave a very thick film and great lacing. Think Guinness.
Smell is toasted malt, dark chocolate, coffee, vanilla and light cardboard. Balance is really good, fairly complex.
Taste is toast, coffee, malt, semisweet chocolate, light vanilla and cardboard notes.
Rich, silky smooth, full body, light effervescence. This just floats across the tongue. Warming from start to way after the finish. Possibly the single smoothest beer I've ever had.

Serving type: nitro-tap

07-21-2012 19:18:05 | More by PorterLambic

GallowsThief

Florida

3.73/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On tap at the House of Brews in Jensen Beach, Fl.

A – Poured out black with a nice solid finger and a half of creamy tan head that stuck around and left nice lacing.

S – Dark chocolate, molasses, toffee with a burnt wood aroma.

T – Nice sweet and roasted malts to start. Has some light sweetness from cocoa and dark chocolate. Has a smoky like quality. Finishes off with a solid hop bite that gives it a burnt like quality.

M – Medium bodied with medium carbonation. Dry on the palate. Leaves a smoke taste in your mouth,

O – Easy drinker and a solid brew all together. A little on the heavy smoke side for my tastes but all together well worth a drink.

Serving type: on-tap

04-28-2012 14:25:10 | More by GallowsThief

AgentZero

Illinois

3.88/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - Dark brown color with a tan head that left some good stick behind. This is a pretty good looking beer.

S - It's not particularly sweet, and has some good roast. Smells

T - It's not particularly sweet, but with a touch of it. Has some good roast and a bit of a sticky taste on the end of it. There's a little bit of coffee and some smoke. I like this one.

M - Medium bodied, moderate carbonation, has a good dryness on the end.

O - Good beer, a little bit different. Wouldn't necessarily seek it out, but would drink it again if offered.

Serving type: on-tap

02-20-2012 04:11:34 | More by AgentZero

Zraly

Virginia

3.93/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Almost black with a touch of crema head. A funky, earthy note up front coupled with roasted malts.

Rich chocolate and coffee notes predominate. This is followed by earth, spice and tobacco -- had quite the dank quality to it. The hop bite in the finish helps balance the front-heavy malt bill and smooths out the mouthfeel. Carbonation rounds the composition out well and, overall, this is quite balanced. Very enjoyable to drink.

Would be quite nice with something gamey or a late-night cigar run. CCB does some pretty things with porters.

Serving type: on-tap

02-10-2012 02:11:53 | More by Zraly

syrupjoe

Minnesota

4.25/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to Gtreid for a fresh growler of this goodness.

This thing pours so beautifully. It is a deep deep brown color with shades of dark cinammon on the edges. Head is about one finger of creamy deliciousness that is the color of the inside of an almond.

Nose gives off notes of chocolate, roast, slight vanilla, chocolate cookies, and dairy. Slight smokiness.

Taste is very rich with roastiness, slight malt sweetness, and is lightly acidic and smoky.

Moderate carbonation with an overall very well balanced flavor profile. Easy on the uptake with a gritty and roasty but clean finish.

Very delicious.

Serving type: growler

01-18-2012 23:21:53 | More by syrupjoe

codysjb

Florida

4.7/5  rDev +13.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I’ve had this on draft at the brewery and from a 1 gallon growler multiple times since I was at the brewery eight days ago. This particular is from some of the beer from the growler which was siphoned into a wine bottle, corked and sealed with wax. It has held up incredibly well. Served in a pint glass.
A: Black and brown beer with little head (same as from brewery).
S: Roasted malts and caramel.
T: Malty, caramel and some small notes of vanilla and that sweetness that Cigar city dark beers have. Not as evident as Marshal Zhukov but still there.
M: A little bit of a coffee taste and the same roasted, caramel goodness that accompanies the rest of the beer.
O: This is a great porter that has held up extremely well since I bought it. I wish this was bottled because it rivals some of the better six pack porters that I like as regular everyday beers (Founders, Ballast point…).

Serving type: growler

01-07-2012 04:05:31 | More by codysjb

Immortale25

Florida

4.31/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Poured into a Dogfish Head pint glass. Bought from the Cigar City tasting room.

A- Pours a solid black color with a 1/2 inch tan head that soon slips down to an 1/8 inch thin head and has nice spackled lacing coating the entire circumference of the glass.

S- A fresh, clean malt nose that's quite sweet and has notes of chocolate.

T- Rich, roasty chocolate with a bit of caramel in the aftertaste. Alcohol is hidden beautifully as every sip is better than the last. A hint of glass but that's expected from such a malty brew.

M- Robust as CC's description promised. Not too heavy that it becomes a sipper though. Medium-high carbonation keeps things interesting all the way down.

O- Much better than the Jose Marti porter IMHO.

Serving type: growler

01-05-2012 02:24:51 | More by Immortale25

JayS2629

Alabama

4.03/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured a dark brown, almost black with a two finger tan head that sticks around and leaves nice rings of lace.

The aroma is of chocolate with coffee hints and burnt edges. Toffee notes and grassy hints.

Nice balance. On the sweeter side. Loads of toffee in the middle with a touch of smoke and vanilla. Loads of milk chocolate and some earthy/grassy elements.

Nicely balanced, medium body

Very good porter

Serving type: on-tap

01-04-2012 17:27:48 | More by JayS2629

fields336

North Carolina

3.98/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured into CCB snifter

A:black as night 1 finger creamy beige head, recedes but still leaves some thicker creamy lacing behind.

S: some light chocolate and sweet malts

T: dark chocolate, burnt charcoal, toffee, bittersweet chocolate

M: medium body, good carbonation

O: good example of a baltic porter, not my favorite style but an excellent change of pace beer

Serving type: growler

12-26-2011 23:44:44 | More by fields336

MasterSki

Illinois

3.93/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to Frank (lurchingbeast) for sharing this one. Served in a Hill Farmstead glass.

A - Voluminous foam with great retention, eventually settling to a thick collar and wispy near-complete cap, leaving spotty lace behind. Very dark brown with some reddish glints at the edges.

S - Roasty, with light vanila and baker's chocolate, dark grains, and a touch of soapiness. Very dry, with low sweetness to it.

T - Taste is a touch sweeter, with some milk chocolate presence mingling with heavily roasted malts, cocoa powder, and hint of coffee. Finishes very dry and smokey. Thankfully the soap is gone.

M - Medium body, moderate carbonation, dry and toasty texture, and a hint of warming alcohol in the finish.

D - Solid, but not really my thing. Is this a true Baltic Porter made with lager yeast, or is it just a really attenuated American Porter? In any case, a bit too toasty and dry for my tastes, but no major flaws. I preferred Hot Blooded by a significant margin.

Serving type: growler

12-20-2011 04:21:26 | More by MasterSki

Sean9689

Illinois

4.1/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Growler, thanks to lurchingbeast! Poured into Darkness tulip.

A - Pours a dark brownish color, tan-colored head, sticky lace.

S - Sweet dark fruits, roasted malts, some toffee, chocolate. The sweetness isn't over-the-top, it's just right. Just how I like my BP's.

T - Roasted malt, dark fruity sweetness, chocolate, some caramel, and a touch of coffee. The finish is dark chocolate sweet and bitter, very nice.

M - Medium, good carbonation, creamy finish.

O - A solid Baltic Porter that I would have often, if available in my area. I will definitely keep an eye out when this is offered at CCB again and have someone send me a growler. Very good stuff.

Serving type: growler

12-19-2011 16:52:43 | More by Sean9689

oline73

Maryland

4.43/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a growler into a standard pint glass.

Appearance: Pours almost black with some red hints where the light hits the beer. There is a two finger, smooth off white head. This beer has good retention and really great lacing.

Smell: Lots of sweet and roasty malt right off the bat. Dark chocolate with some mild caramel. Nice and smooth.

Taste: Just as roasty as the smell. The roast from the malt is just little bit bitter. Some dark chocolate and sweetness. The finish is roasty and bitter.

Mouthfeel: The body is on the thick side with aggressively tingly carbonation and a dry finish.

Overall: This is a really easy drinking porter. I couldn't taste the alcohol at all. Simple and extremely smooth. Really glad I got to try this one.

Serving type: growler

12-11-2011 02:40:51 | More by oline73

Spider889

Ohio

3.85/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Black, thin bodied with a dark tan head. No lace.

This smells like a stout right off the bat, so Baltic Porter isn't hard to believe.

Very well roasted aroma and flavor. Lots of cocoa powder to be found as well. There's a nice bitterness going on, but it seems to be more from the black malt than the hops.

Dry finish. Overall I really enjoyed this one.

Serving type: on-tap

12-09-2011 16:58:35 | More by Spider889

Gtreid

Florida

4.43/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

32 oz. growler poured into my ccb tulip.

A: Pretty much black. The pour dropped a 2 finger sand colored head that faded to a thin Rim and left excellent lace.

A: Chocolate, roasted, and smoked malts. Nice assault on the nose. Notes of cocca nibs, tangy molasses,and earthy hops.

T: More chocolate, but the smoke is a bit more prevalent. Nice balance of malts, smoke, roast, chocolate, and black. Finishes a bit sweet and bitter, no hint of the abv.

M: Medim body, just as I would suspect from a porter. And as usual, perfect carbonation from the guys at ccb.

O: I like this one so much better then Jose marti. Much more dramatic flavor profile, and justa better beer. This is the porter they should bottle. Excellent brew. Skal.

Serving type: growler

10-29-2011 00:53:01 | More by Gtreid

adam42381

Florida

4.35/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Review from notes at World of Beer - Fort Myers on 9/29/11.

Poured on draft into a snifter.

Appearance: Pours a cola brown, almost black, with a 1 finger creamy light tan head. Excellent lacing.

Smell: Sweet and roasted malt with a touch of chocolate.

Taste: Fruity bitterness and roasted malt up front followed by chocolate in the middle before ending with hoppy bitterness and sweet malt at the finish. Aftertaste is bittersweet. Definitive CCB flavor comes through.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied with a decent amount of carbonation.

Drinkability: Very good drinkability. The elevated ABV% would keep you from drinking multiples, but the flavor is very good.

Overall: Very good beer overall. This isn't your typical porter, so it's more closely related to an imperial stout. Definitely try this one if you get the chance.

Serving type: on-tap

10-07-2011 22:45:00 | More by adam42381

bierguru

Florida

4.28/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A - deep dark brown pours a thin tan head laces out and sticks to the rim of the glass very well

S - deep sweet roasted notes with almost a chocolite finish

T - sweet chocolatie roasted maltiness with some slight bitterness

M -very rich and bold no overly sharp notes and nothing unpleasant

O - gave this beer a 4 overall just because this is my first baltic but this beer was really awesome

Serving type: on-tap

08-26-2011 19:02:43 | More by bierguru

rel

Florida

4.15/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I had this at the CCB tasting at Cervezas.

Very dark beer, little head, but nice lacing.

Roasty and smokey smells...

...smokey smells turned into BBQ flavors in my mouth. There was definitely roasted malts, some chocolate, and mostly it was like a smokey chocolate/bbq sauce in my mouth without any of the sweetness in either of those. More like a BBQ potatochip or chipotle... but this is still a porter, no doubt.

Light-medium body. Dry beer, flavor dissipates quickly.

Another sip solves that problem.

Serving type: on-tap

08-25-2011 20:03:45 | More by rel

sendsilk

Florida

4.35/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Had on tap at Cigar City

A: Not much of a head. Very dark beer, nice lacing on the glass.

S: Mild chocolate notes. Some smell (almost bitersweet) that's difficult to quantify into terms.

T: This is nice. A mid palate explosion that fades over very quickly. Nothing really left on the palate afterward. A rich beer with a touch of maltiness, coffee and chocolate.

M: While drinking this its' extremely nice, but the finish is a bit abrupt and dry. Luckily I can keep taking another sip of this delicious beer!

Overall: Very nice. I have had this many times at the tasting room. Unfortunately it was only available for a short time.

Serving type: on-tap

08-21-2011 15:35:00 | More by sendsilk

TheDudeRules

Minnesota

4.22/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Generously hooked up from Jcartamdg. Thanks Jason.

Poured into a Grolsch 7oz taster glass.

Muddy brown colored beer with a half fingers width of head. Smell is coffee and chocolate notes. In the taste coffe and chocolate up front followed by what I only can describe is peanut butter. Damn this is tasty. Like the chex mix puppy chow. What a solid beer. Glad I was able to try it.

Serving type: growler

08-06-2011 00:10:23 | More by TheDudeRules

kylehay2004

Florida

3.93/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: single finger head, dark,no light getting through. Amazing lace.

S: mild roast, touch of spice and smokey.

T: roasty, malt with a touch of coffee and chocolate notes.

M: drinkability is solid though the dry finish was a little too dry for me. flavor erupts and subsides quickly.

Overall: Solid all the way around. I got a lot of notes from this one.

Serving type: on-tap

07-30-2011 23:03:31 | More by kylehay2004

VaTechHopHead

California

3.98/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

A - pours a typical porter black with a foamy, latte-like brown head that lasts. Very good lacing given the nice density of the beer

S - Has a nice cocoa and lactic acid aroma. The sweet sugar pairs well with the light roasted/bitter malts. Finishes with a cold coffee and slight metallic hint

T - Flavor relies heavily on the grains with a wonderful toasted biscuit flavor and light chocolate. Finishes chalky like tart sugars and the aftertaste is a rich roasted chocolate

M - heavy body for a porter with light carbonation. Velvety on the palate with an aftertaste that lasts. Each sip fills the palate but is very easy to drink. No alcohol reminance either

O - drunk this for brunch and it was perfect for the occassion. Overall it's one dimensional but classic. Another solid ccb brew

Serving type: on-tap

07-24-2011 16:06:50 | More by VaTechHopHead

afksports

New York

3.85/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to Al Alvarez for bringing this to a rooftop party and sharing with the group while we opened some fun brews. I was a bit drunk by the end of the night, but that's ok because better ingredients make better pizza. On to the review.

Coffee char and roastiness come through in taste and smell, and this Baltic porter from Cugar City was round both the first and second time I visited the growlers. Maybe not the best of heads, in fact there's not much at all, but a pitch black appearance makes me pro-porter all the same. It starts sweet and slightly hoppy bitter, and finishes roasty bitter, but there's too much burnt and not enough sweet. The girlfriend likes it, but I'll say it's about average. A tough one to find though, so I'm happy to have had it.

And honestly, rooftop parties aside, I probably only thought it average because I don't like dogs. I mean seriously, they're allowed to piss on sidewalks, but I'm not. What gives?

Serving type: growler

07-22-2011 01:27:47 | More by afksports