Wachusett Black Shack Porter - Wachusett Brewing Company

mikesgroove

South Carolina

3.7/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

dark, but obviously clear brown, almost black. Very large tan head graced the top, eventually faded down to just a slight ring around the outside of the glass. No glass lace and little carbonation,.Smell very sweet, lots of caramel and roasted coffee, a touch of chocolate perhaps. Very nice light feel. Good carbonation kept it feeling alive and allowed the flavors to really pop. Nice burnt caramel sugar and a touch of chocolate. Very nice dry piney hopped finish

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2011 02:19:01 | More by mikesgroove

cciquera01

Connecticut

4.75/5  rDev +26.7%

04-08-2013 18:56:49 | More by cciquera01

t0rin0

California

3.5/5  rDev -6.7%

03-06-2013 12:24:02 | More by t0rin0

Sailracer

3.25/5  rDev -13.3%

02-10-2013 21:05:25 | More by Sailracer

kjfinnerty

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev +13.3%

11-23-2012 18:34:49 | More by kjfinnerty

scsurfer27

1/5  rDev -73.3%

11-16-2012 17:16:34 | More by scsurfer27

JAHMUR

Connecticut

3.25/5  rDev -13.3%

11-09-2012 23:07:29 | More by JAHMUR

Screper

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +6.7%

08-17-2012 00:27:31 | More by Screper

womencantsail

California

3.13/5  rDev -16.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Almost black in color with an off-white head. A mild roastiness with some coffee and a hint of chocolate. The nose is just a bit simple and bland. The flavor offers up some roasted malt and maybe a bit of coffee. There’s not much sweetness to it other than a touch of chocolate. Kind of thin as well.

Serving type: bottle

07-18-2012 21:38:53 | More by womencantsail

ErrandWolfe

Massachusetts

3.5/5  rDev -6.7%

07-18-2012 02:00:16 | More by ErrandWolfe

farrago

New Jersey

2.63/5  rDev -29.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Close to two fingers of very loose and airy microfoam, surface loses its evenness as it dissolves, not a lot of retention, the lacing wispy and randomly spread out. Light brown color with a strong orange to yellow cast around the rims and glass bottom, transparent for its type with a fair amount of visible bubbles. Cocoa, cola bean, butterscotch, brown sugar sweeten up the nose somewhat but more toasty than sugary, bready with a metallic ring to it, hoppiness puts some spring in it yet without many distinct qualities. Light-bodied, perhaps on the dilute side, lacks enough flavor vibrancy to make up for the lack of palate heft. Coffee, mocha, cocoa and malt powder more roasted than anything else. Spring water, quinine and a certain stoniness to it, no real suggestion of fruit or citrus. Does keep that cola thing. The carbonation is hard-edged and churns more than smoothes. Not a lot left through the finish, dry and dusty in texture, simple in character.

Serving type: bottle

07-14-2012 19:13:37 | More by farrago

GarthDanielson

New Hampshire

4.13/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured on-tap and served in a tumbler pint, the beer is almost jet black in its depths, with a ruby highlight around the edges. A solid, dense, chunky head of beige coloring sits atop the brew showing no intentions of going anywhere. Aromas of mocha and cream, both subtle and smooth. Very inviting. Flavors are heavy coffee and roast, with a solid chocolate blend throughout that gives you a mocha/cafe latte type feel. Definite roast/smoke character, which balances the sweet and bitter character from the coffee and dark chocolate profiles. The aftertaste is dark roasted coffee grounds, with a kiss of dark chocolate. The finish is slightly dry, with a rich, roasty kick at the end. Solid brew.

Serving type: on-tap

04-24-2012 17:32:42 | More by GarthDanielson

C63AMG

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev +13.3%

04-02-2012 15:12:38 | More by C63AMG

gleeky99

3.75/5  rDev 0%

03-31-2012 01:21:21 | More by gleeky99

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev +4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle into a pint glass.

Pours a deep clear coppery amber, with 2 fingers of frothy light mocha head. This retains with a smooth and creamy looking ½ finger of foam, leaving back some sudsy lacing that sticks. The aroma smells of molasses and coffee, with a touch of cocoa powder mixed in and then some leafy smelling accents that hang on the edges. This also has a bit of a mineral edge to the nose but it eventually dissipates for the most part. The stickiness of this is what sticks out the most.

The taste features much more of that hop profile here, with a green citric bite that sends a leafy bitterness out into the mouth. This is surrounded by more of that molasses-like sticky sweetness and roasted coffee notes that mix in but the hops return in the finish, leaving this dry and bitter. The mouthfeel is medium bodied, with a bit of a prickle to it but majority of the carbonation has more of a firm creaminess to it that fills out the edges of the mouth.

Beyond some minor issues with the nose, this was a pretty darn solid American Porter, with that combination of molasses and coffee really taking to this a good place. A solid hop profile lends this some crispness on the palate, while the creamy body on this helped everything go down smooth. This was good.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2012 15:37:15 | More by Kegatron

rjplumer

Rhode Island

3.35/5  rDev -10.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Mild mocha and hop aroma. Pours a deep dark brown that can be seen through if held up to the light with a mild tan head. Bitter with a chalky mouth feel. Feels quite carbonated for a Porter. Finish is on the sour side. Not a bad brew but it just seems a bit plain. I would drink it again but wouldn’t go out of my way for it.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2012 07:17:02 | More by rjplumer

kevgod

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +6.7%

01-07-2012 18:16:53 | More by kevgod

Brad007

Vermont

4.15/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a reddish brown color with a two-finger head into my glass.

Roasted malt and coffee/dark fruit flavors greet the nose like a long-lost friend might.

Not roasty like a stout but it's still there. Very clean. Simple. Like a porter should be?

Lingering light roastiness with a hint of dark fruit, etc. The fancy, schmancy language doesn't quite capture the essence.

This is a porter, my friend. Drink up and enjoy. In the age of double this and imperial that, you just can't go wrong with a simple porter. I know that I enjoy a few beers similar to this and for that, I give it a good effort for drinkability and versatility!

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2011 06:09:17 | More by Brad007

thesarahfuller

Massachusetts

3/5  rDev -20%

12-22-2011 16:10:20 | More by thesarahfuller

brokentee

Massachusetts

3/5  rDev -20%

12-10-2011 23:58:25 | More by brokentee

kjkinsey

Texas

4/5  rDev +6.7%

12-07-2011 18:27:19 | More by kjkinsey

waiting4lunch

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +6.7%

11-23-2011 14:41:01 | More by waiting4lunch

Burt

Rhode Island

4/5  rDev +6.7%

11-21-2011 22:54:13 | More by Burt

Lawnboy33

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +6.7%

11-14-2011 18:14:08 | More by Lawnboy33

Jayli

Massachusetts

3.78/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Consumed 11/7
Poured in to a pint glass

A: This beer pours a somewhat thin, deep, dark brown that has chestnut and mahogany hues when held to the light. A two finger of foamy light brown head. Head recedes at a moderate pace and leaves wispy lacing on the glass.

S: Nose is roasted malts, toffee, and a hint of hazelnut.

T: Taste is roasted notes at the forefront. Chocolate and toffee come through in the middle with some lighter toasted notes. FInish has some hazelnut, grain and charred notes.

M: Lighter side of medium body, medium carbonation, thin but crisp.

O: Goes down easily, ok tasting, not filling, not much of a kick, overall a decent beer worth drinking for a while but isn't one that will blow you away.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2011 00:34:07 | More by Jayli