Puppy's Breath Porter - Cigar City Brewing

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

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

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

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

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

armock

New York

4/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to sendsilk for hooking up a mini growler of this in a trade.

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

S - Is of roasted malt with coffee scents that smells quite a bit better than my own puppy's breath

T - Follows the nose with strong roasted coffee flavors

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

O - This is one enjoyable easy to drink beer a little too easy to drink for the abv as the alcohol isn't in the flavor at all definitely worth getting a pint of if you ever see it around

Serving type: growler

07-14-2011 00:52:07 | More by armock

thagr81us

South Carolina

4.47/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Massive thanks goes out to my boy Jefe73 for sending me a growler of this for consumption on my birthday weekend! Served from growler into a Funky Buddha snifter (also compliments of Jeff in this package). Poured pitch black with a half finger light brown head that subsided to a minimal amount quickly. Maintained excellent lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of sweet malt, roasted malt, dark chocolate, vanilla, and dark fruit. The flavor was of sweet malt, roasted malt, dark chocolate, dark fruit, caramel, and a hint of smoke. It had a heavy feel on the palate with medium-high carbonation. Overall this brew was nothing short of excellent. This style has really been growing on me lately as I have enjoyed quite a few offerings of this style. The flavor on this one is great and quite complex. While holding this complexity it is very smooth, making it QUITE easy to drink. The aroma was very nice and inviting and pretty much spot-on for what I enjoy about Baltic Porters. My only complaint... That this was only a 32 oz growler. I could have drank a 64 oz of this no problem, even at 8%. A definite must try for sure as this is a stellar brew.

Serving type: growler

07-11-2011 13:51:22 | More by thagr81us

Doodler

Colorado

4.5/5  rDev +9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Mini Growler - thanks to Hopscotch for this one. Shared with Ratman. Dark rich pour with nice lacing, Nose of chocolate and espresso. Offers up a tasty maltiness, with a dusty? / dry ? coffee and molasses character. Finishes a bit bitter but still nice overall. Liked this beer. .

Serving type: growler

12-24-2010 08:05:43 | More by Doodler

thetomG

Illinois

4.05/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Dark brown pour with a layer of bubbly tan head... decent lacing left around the glass.

Aroma is primarily smokey with a bit of maltiness also coming through. Flavor follows the nose closely, but overall this is very drinkable considering relatively high ABV. Nice smooth mouthfeel. I'd definitely drink this one again...

Serving type: growler

11-25-2010 01:26:08 | More by thetomG

beerwolf77

Wisconsin

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

Growler thanks to my never ending CCB supplier fogdog. Poured into my tulip.

A: Yet another leaky CCB growler leads to little or no carbonation. So zero head and zero lace. Pitch black in color. One of the darkest porters I've seen.

S: Lots of smoked roast malt, dark chocolate and black coffee. Smells inviting.

T: Pretty much a mirror of the nose. Loads of roadt malt and black coffee. Bitter but not excessively bitter. Smooth chocolate in the finish.

M: Hardly any carbonation yet still has a touch of mouthfeel.

D: Overall without the leakage issues this beer is a top notch Baltic porter.

Serving type: growler

10-26-2010 23:53:57 | More by beerwolf77

BeerFMAndy

Wisconsin

3.8/5  rDev -8%
look: 2 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

32 oz growler split and poured into a Sierra Nevada tulip.

Last taste of the night, thanks Beerwolf77!

A - No carbonation at all, it pours without a touch of head. It was even sealed with that heat-shrink wrap. Missing about 8 oz from the growler. Wtf? Clear and dark brown with mahogany highlights.

S - Tons of rich roasted malts with a smooth nose and smooth coffee aroma! Hints of hops come through on the back end. Very nice Baltic porter aroma.

T - Strong bitter coffee overwhelms the roasted malts, nothing like the nose suggested the coffee to be. Good Baltic porter flavor through, it finishes with a balanced hop flavor.

M - Somewhat flat, it's not missing all carbonation, it's got a bit on the finish. Relatively bitter as it should be, but it's nicely balanced overall. A touch dry.

D - A little dry and bitter for my liking for drinkability, the problem is the shitty caps that Cigar City uses on the growlers. Even with that shrink wrap stuff it still comes out. Oh well, it's still a nice Baltic porter.

Serving type: growler

10-13-2010 12:35:10 | More by BeerFMAndy

Ratman197

Colorado

4.05/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Growler poured a clear dark brown with a small lingering brown head. Aromas of bitter chocolate, roastiness, coffee, light licorice and a hint of vanilla. Palate was medium bodied and smooth with a dry finish. Flavors of bitter chocolate, roastiness, light coffee and hints of licorice and vanilla with a smooth dry lingering roasty finish.

Serving type: growler

10-09-2010 23:36:17 | More by Ratman197

mikesgroove

South Carolina

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

huge thanks to a good friend who sent me up some extra special ccb offerings this week. i decided to crack this one open this afternoon as i needed to get a jump start on my day! served col and poured into a pint glass, this one was consumed on 09/25/2010.

a rich dark pour produces a nice light tan head that quickly fades to a thin lacing around the sides and a few scarce bubbles. dark as night with an abyss looking color to it.

the aroma is huge, deep roasted malts, touches of chocolate an vanilla. lovely notes of dark fruits and a touch of vanilla and coffee. amazing and the perfect way to start my day. not as thick as i thought it would be, but i have to say it still works well. rich chocolate waves rush across the palate and are smushed aside by a deep resonant coffee note. this coffee only gets stronger as we let it come up to room temperature. really an amazing beer i have to admit. dark fruit notes and vanilla come through on the finish after the last of the coffee flushes from the mouth.

overall i was freakin impressed with this one. amazing depth and ungodly drinkability. i would have this all day.

Serving type: growler

09-25-2010 18:00:34 | More by mikesgroove

Shaw

Florida

4.2/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From a growler I bought two days ago at the brewery.

Pours almost totally black with a brown head that quickly reduces to a thin ring in my glass.

Nice complex aroma of coffee and chocolate.

The taste is very good. I actually sampled this at the brewery and it didn't taste as good as it does now. My other samples must have blown out my palate. This is rich and chocolaty, with coffee and lots of roasted malt flavors. The higher alcohol level is well hidden.

Nice, glassy body.

Overall this is a very nice porter and one of the best of the style -- which is saying something. Seek this out.

Serving type: growler

09-15-2010 03:49:52 | More by Shaw

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