Narragansett Porter - Narragansett Brewing Co.

jucifer1818

Florida

3.88/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: the darker side of dark brown, with only the bottom of the glass showing a dark amber colors. On top of this inviting clear dark brown color, is a thick quick appearing head.
I love the way this brew looks

S: IT smells of light chocolate, medium caramel, and light fruity esters (a bit of green apple and pear). no real hop aroma, which is quite odd really.
It is a nice smell, but it does get a bit abrasive on the nose after some time
3.5/5

Taste: this one is conflicting, because this is something I shouldn't like very much, but do. This is actually a rather bitter porter, and I've had bitter porters like this one and haven't liked them before,
however this one works rather well
Maybe its because it starts off with a sweet, lighter chocolate and roaster flavor, and finished off with harsher bittering flavors, with a bit of dark chocolate on the distant part of the after taste.
It is surprisingly drinkable porter for its bitterness
It also covers up its alcohol very well.
4/5

mouthfeel: wattery and astringent on the tongue, with a powdery feeling on the after taste (like freshly grinded coffee)

overall: not a bad porter, tho youvcan defiently do better than it. but that's not the point
for the price, booz, quality, and size of this can, it is really a good deal, and a excellent thing to go for if your looking for something different. you could get through a whole party on just two-3 of these

A defient 4/5 from me. I might have this again, might not.
Its tricky
depends on the cash. but defiently worth a first try. It wont dissipoint you, not for its price that's for sure

If you can find it and split a 6 pack with 2-3 friends youl be in for a good night

Cheers

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2012 20:14:26 | More by jucifer1818

ixnay21

Rhode Island

3.95/5  rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A:Dark,opaque,almost black

S:alcohol tinge,yeasty,roasted malt

T:nice roasted forefront,slight hop,slight alcohol in the backend

M:On the lighter side for something this dark,little more carbanation then desired.

O:A good american porter. the drinkabilty is great and the quality is worth every dollar

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2011 23:55:41 | More by ixnay21

dirkchivers

Rhode Island

3.88/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4

16oz tallboy into an beer-clean glass.
I had yesterday when i originally bought the 6pk and was thoroughly unimpressed. the carbonation was too high, the nose to subtle, the favor unbalanced and dominated by roast with no chocolate or coffee notes. Today is a new day, and a different story...

A. Nice one finger tan head, with tenacious lacing! Pretty cascade of bubbles running up the side of the glass. Deep, opaque brown color.
S. Its smells exactly like roasted barley right before it goes in the mash. There's also this creaminess to the smell, like a hint of milk stout character.
T. Toast, cereal, hint of wortiness, heavy roast, hint of creaminess, very bitter chocolate.
M. pretty highly carbonated, more than i would like. lower carb. would allow a creamier mouthfeel, which i look for in porters.
D. Despite the mouthfeel issues and the heavy roastiness, i will definitely have more than one given the chance, and will buy often. Porter, in a can, for this price point, how could i resist?

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2010 03:31:13 | More by dirkchivers

nickfl

Florida

3.93/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours with two fingers of grayish, medium-brown head on top of an opaque, black body. The head settles slowly and leaves nice, thick lace.

S - A mild aroma of roasted malt and caramel with some toffee notes. Light chocolate in the background with just a hint of spicy hops.

T - Tart malt up front with some cherry and chocolate notes. Acidic chocolate in the middle with some caramel notes. Finishes with more dark malt, lots of chocolate and cherry with the sourness continuing to dominate the flavor.

M - Medium body, moderate carbonation, and a sweet finish.

D - WTF? Really, what is going on here? There is a distinct underlying porter/stout character, but it is inexplicably dominated by slightly funk acidity and fruit notes. If this were some sort of chocolate-cherry lambic, I might be impressed, but since it is supposed to be an American porter, I can't help but think that something has gone terribly wrong. I actually kind of enjoyed this, but anyone expecting a normal porter needs to adjust their expectations and realize that it is significantly out of style.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2010 07:13:06 | More by nickfl

erosier

Connecticut

4.1/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

L: Pours a nice dark brown, almost black with a tall but light medium bodied brown colored head that laces the glass some on the way down.
S: Smells of sweet roasted malts, some darker burnt malts, hints of caramel, coffee, and chocolate all in the nose.
T: Really nice mix of toasted, roasted, and slightly burnt malts for a very nice malty backbone followed by hints of caramel, coffee, and chocolate. Really this is a lot more than I was expecting.
M: Very smooth, lighter bodied yet full flavored, perfect amount of carbonation.
D: Very drinkable, this is a good porter and a really nice representation of the style while still maintaining a very modest amount of alcohol.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2010 13:24:34 | More by erosier

Brewtr0n

Connecticut

3.15/5  rDev -14.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Serving from 12 oz bottle into 20 oz pint glass.

A: Jet black near opaque with garnet highlights. Substantial Deep tan head. Some amount of lacing apparent.

A: Roasty and malty maybe some subtle fruitiness.

T: Bready and roasty with a dry finish, Maybe even verging on a a Roquefort flavour.

MF: Medium bodied with a pleasantly smooth carbonation.

D: Could drink a couple of these, would be more if I found the flavour more agreeable.

Overall favourable, pleasantly surprised Narragansett made this.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2010 02:14:44 | More by Brewtr0n

CavePainter

Massachusetts

3.38/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Serving type: Bottle

Appearance: A nearly solid opaque black mass with just a hint of dark ruby coloring around the edges. Small tan head which fades to some nice lacing.

Smell: An interesting mix of roasted, coffee and chocolaty aromas.

Taste: Rich vanilla, roasted and coffee flavors. Roasted flavors are just short of burnt. Sweet - slightly bready - slightly nutty. A bit of roasted and hop bitterness. Slightly acidic.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied. Adequate carbonation. Finishes dry.

Drinkability: Easy to drink and flavorful. A good companion for winter nights.

Gansett Porter is an interesting beer. There are a lot of flavors competing for your palate's attention. There is also an interesting bit of acidity in this beer - I believe owing to the use of Summit and Amarillo hops - both fairly citric. The use of citric hops bitterness and chocolaty flavors works well, adding a slight sourness that offsets the sweetness of this beer.

I am slightly confused as to the strength of this beer. Gansett reports a strength of 7% on their web site. Beer Advocate reports a strength of 5.4%, which seems more appropriate. This just doesn't drink like a 7% beer. If it is, hey - good for Gansett! You can hardly tell. I would like a bit of clarification on that though.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2009 14:11:04 | More by CavePainter

OatmattStout

Connecticut

4.22/5  rDev +14.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

very excited to see this was contract brewed at Cottrell Brewery which makes excellent beers in IMHO. Don't particularly get the warm fuzzys about contract brewing.

Pours black as coal with a slight ruby background in bright light.

The head is deep tan and substantial with average lacing.

The nose is really nice with sweet biscuity grains and roasted malts.

The taste has a very appealing roasted malt backbone with a substantial sweetness. Not as dry as some porters but does have a somewhat dry hop finish to balance out sweetness.

For me a very nice porter with a medium mouthfeel making this a perfect session brew. I was not suprised to see a this coming out of cottrell.

CAN UPDATE: grabbed a six of 16oz cans and these are brewed in genesse brewery in rochester. I noticed a bit of flattening in flavor profile overall. It to me seems to have lost some of its complexity and have to attribute to new brewing location (or maybe i am just loosing it).

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2009 22:44:52 | More by OatmattStout

OtherShoe2

Massachusetts

3.48/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours dark brown with a decent brownish head and little lacing. Some nice reddish highlights shine through this one.

Some roasted malt and chocolate scents, but not overly strong or assertive. What I smelled was inviting.

A decent surprise, but a bit too much on the thin side for me -- almost watered down in flavor. Firm roasted malt, some cocoa bitterness, a touch of sweetness in there as well, and a little hop bitter bite. Just -where's the intensity?

Fully carbonated, which actually takes away from the beer and the style. Must have done that to clear the palate of all of those "strong" flavors...

Overall, it went down easy. Had this as a sampler in a liquor store about a year ago, which prompted me to grab a quick and very cheap single now. I will not go out of my way for this beer, but if a stumble upon it again (i.e. in someone's fridge), I'd give it another go. It is missing some elements, but you won't hate it -- just don't expect it to be Sam Smith Taddy Porter either.

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2009 12:40:51 | More by OtherShoe2

puboflyons

New Hampshire

3.88/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

From a 12 fl. oz. bottle with no date or lot code. Sampled on March 15, 2009. Under the bottle cap were the words "Cranston Street and Garfield Avenue." I haven't looked at the other beers in the 6-pack but I would not be surprised if they are doing this little marketing thing to remind us of their Rhode Island roots.

Appearance - It was a deep, dark brown pour with about a finger of foamy, tan head that fades a bit but remains at some level during the session.

Smell - The aroma is mildly smoked but little else. I don't notice much in the way of malts or hops. Maybe something bread-like.

Taste and Mouthfeel - The mouthfeel is of medium texture and rather enticing. The flavor had a little more of a hop feel to it but the mild smoky sensations were the leading essence. I think it reminmded me of a watered down, but smoky Guinness Stout if I may be so bold. For under $6.00 it was a steal for the experience that I had. Glad I bought a 6-pack so I can enjoy it again.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2009 20:42:25 | More by puboflyons

Coorskid33

Rhode Island

4.1/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A~ Black/dark brown in color. Very dark with a 2 finger head that had little retention, and minimally laced the glass.

S~ Malt with a pinch of maltyness. Chocolate-E.

T~ Crisp and smooth as hell. Good stuff. I really tasted the chocolate as it was the dominate trait. There is not really an after taste, but it left me wanting more. Really nice hops flavor to it too.

M~ Chocolate malt with great carbonation. A plus in my book.

D~ I loved this beer. Not really watery, but not thick either. It seems the more I drink, the more I like it. It is very good and complex to me. I def recommend trying it to any beer drinker, both rookies and veterans.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2009 02:40:43 | More by Coorskid33

roopy40

Rhode Island

3.63/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a pint glass from a 12 oz bottle.

A - Dark brown to black in some spots. Decent two finger head that lasted a few minutes and minimal lace.
S - Dark roasted malt and caramel notes.
T - Medium roast coffee, a tad bitter hops coming through, roasted malty flavors.
M - Good carbonation, thinner than most in body, but a nice dry finish.
D - I could drink this a whole night by a fire on a cold night.

Overall, I enjoyed the beer. I would try this if you like stouts or porters. Worth it. Another good beer by Narragansett.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2009 23:14:30 | More by roopy40

Dopplebock

Rhode Island

4.33/5  rDev +17.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

For those, like myself, that really enjoy a microbrew style porter that also is easy to drink, Narragansett Brewing Co. has truly delivered a strong result. Pouring a dark brown color, there is a strong aroma of roasted malt dominating this porter. The mouthful is also very satisfying. The bitter, roasted character is wonderfully balanced by subtle flavors of caramel, hops, and even coffee. The porter is not overly thick, making it a prime choice for those who are expanding their tastes into the microbrew/dark beer categories or those who simply love to savor a satisfying, flavorful porter on a cold winter day. Overall, I find this to be a very successful American Porter that I highly recommend to both new and experienced beer aficionados.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2008 18:35:57 | More by Dopplebock

chinchill

South Carolina

3.93/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Narragansett Porter is clear but nearly black and nearly opaque, with a long lasting tan head. Excellent lacing.

Aroma: light fruity with the expected medium and dark malts.

Taste: wow! this has a lot of flavor, and very good flavor. Lightly sweet, with plenty of medium and dark roasted malts.

O: While not a 'big' beer, I was pleasantly surpised at the quality and 'size' of this beer. Very nice porter; recommended.

Serving type: on-tap

06-10-2013 03:59:29 | More by chinchill

emerge077

Illinois

3.7/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Inkjet code printed on the bottom of the can reads "3032 1205, guessing the first part is a Julian date, making this beer 7-8 months old.

Black in the glass, reddish brown and clear as it is poured. Billowing tan foam, a collar of sticky suds adheres around the sides, and an ever present skim covers the surface. Good retention, and lace coats the glass.

Aroma is somewhat faint, vague floral hop and light roasted malt.

Light bodied and slightly watery, but full of roast malt flavor. Dry bitter roast lingers long into the aftertaste, which is almost better than the initial taste. Slight astringency at first also. Pretty easygoing and drinkable, though there are better porters out there. Hope to try a fresher sample and get a 2nd impression of it.

Serving type: can

06-10-2013 01:21:32 | More by emerge077

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

4.01/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This poured out as a nice deep brown color with a tan colored head on top. The retention and lacing are very good on this brew. The smell is roasted, slightly chocolatey and had an earthy yeast aroma. The taste is roasted with nice earthy flavor. The hops don't really come through all that much. The mouthfeel is medium bodied. Good carbonation also. Overall I was impressed with this beer . Much better than I expected.

Serving type: can

05-06-2013 03:37:39 | More by Knapp85

tdm168

North Carolina

3.58/5  rDev -3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - black with a huge, thick, dense, brown head that has great retention

S - big chocolaty aroma, roasted malts, toffee

T - chocolate, roasted malts, grainy, earthy hoppy bitter finish

M - medium bodied, well carbonated

This beer is a bit disappointing. Upon first glance, it looks great in the glass and smells promising. The flavor however does not follow suit. An adjunct graininess comes through that does not mesh well at all with the roasted malts. This mismatch takes away from the drinkability as well. In the end, this is a beer with promise, but in its current formula does not deliver. I probably won't be picking this up again.

Serving type: can

04-03-2013 19:00:26 | More by tdm168

BeerForMuscle

New Jersey

3.6/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

A - Rich, dark brown brew with a healthy and frothy tan head. Super sticky and retentive head.

S - Metallic water aromas. Raw mineral water twang and the smell of a wet piece of metal. Not much in the way of roasted scents or chocolate. By the ingredients, I expected a robust scent.

T - The flavor profile is much more attractive than the nose. Some semi sweet chocolate, but mostly a bitter hop taste. I was hoping for more roasted, viscous, malt bite and some sweetness. Im not sure whats really going on here, as it's tasting like a bitter lager. Lacking that "imperial" flavor and body.

M - Light-medium bodied, pretty drinkable. Bitter on the palate and dry after the finish.

O - Not a bad choice, but between my hopes for a robust porter and a complex "imperial" style porter I was left wanting.

Serving type: can

03-24-2013 00:49:50 | More by BeerForMuscle

SaCkErZ9

Florida

3.58/5  rDev -3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75

Picked up a six pack of tall boys of these at the local Total Wine for the gut busting price of $3.99 for the six pack. I didnt care how good or bad this beer was: that was a steal!

Pours from the 16oz can into a half liter Gordon Biersch pint glass, one of my faves for stouts and pilsners. There is quite a large, stuffy, voluminous head of about three fingers in size. Tons of lacing and the head stays put for nearly the duration of the consumption.

Aroma is prototypical porter, bordering on stout. There seems to be some alkalinity in the aroma. Backed up with a nice amount of dark roasted malts in the way of toasty bread and charred flax seed. The coffee is kept to a minimum, and there is a slight hint of caramel, but the toasted bread reigns supreme.

Decent flavor. There is nothing inspiring about this one, rather insipid. There is definitely more of a pronounced coffee flavor and even some bitterness in the flavor which tilts this one back toward the stout style. This may truly be a hybrid. Slightly salty, alcohol is noticeable, bitter, long dry finish comparable to a dry stout. The mouthfeel is kind of thin and slightly watery, but certainly holds its own.

A true hybrid this one is, but also a very nice beer. I have been overloaded with hoppy IPAs recently so this was a welcome departure from those. This six pack will be fully enjoyed.

Serving type: can

03-09-2013 20:48:46 | More by SaCkErZ9

snilsen13

Georgia

4.23/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

I'm very up on this beer. It has the right color and the normal thin head of a porter. What more can you expect? It smells, hardly at all like anything but what do you expect of a porter? It tastes smooth and mainly of roast chocolate and ends on a mild bitter note - not fancy, but because of the alcohol content (7%) there is an added warmth that just it up a notch. The mouthfeel is thick but not too thick and complements the flavor really well.

Overall, it gets added points because its $9 for 6 pint cans. You CAN'T beat that price for a beer this simple and good. Naragansett beers are often like this: excellent representations of the style, not fancy, and at a great price. This one may be my favorite, but their Bock is also and outstanding value.

Serving type: can

02-13-2013 19:34:33 | More by snilsen13

Etan

Illinois

3.88/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Pint can into a Revolution pint glass.

A: Pours a hefty-looking dark brown with a thick cap of spongy light tan foam.

S: Roasted grain, light coffee and caramel sweetness, slightly buttery.

T: Chocolatey, slightly harsh roasted malt, a good dose of hop bitteness, dark bread and bitter cocoa.

M: Between medium and thick-bodied with light carbonation.

O: Tasty porter with a surprisingly hefty mouthfeel.

Serving type: can

01-12-2013 21:00:37 | More by Etan

Bung

North Carolina

3.71/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Pint can. Semi black dark brown pour. Nice frothy finger of off white head.

Aroma, A little subdued, but a good amount of roast, a fair amount of herbally hops as well. Just a trace of peat, cocoa.

Taste, Caramel and peat up front. It is quite dry, cocoa, pine. A heavy roast malt, subtle coffee. Pretty interesting, improves as it warms.

Mid body, carbonation seems a little high at first but subsides nicely. Drinks quite easy, though it is very dry. Pretty unique, I would have no problem buying a sixer of cans.

Serving type: can

01-12-2013 04:15:40 | More by Bung

Onenote81

North Carolina

4.05/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Always excited to see this one return to my local shop. Grabbed a sixer and was on my way. Drank the first 5 over the last week and saved the last one for a proper review.

Poured into a pint glass, and this one pours beautifully. A deep dark black with a bit of light on the edges. Perfect 1-inch mocha head on top that retained perfectly throughout the drink. After each sip, a sticky ring of lace stuck to the glass. I had to take a picture when all was said and done as I've never seen such perfect lace rings on my glass. A rare perfect 5 for this one.

The aroma is of chocolate powder, dry grainy bread, a little alcohol. Sweet dark fruit aroma noted as well. The body is a little hefty, but still slick enough for my liking to sip straight from the can. Not too filling. Chocolate flavors abound, semi-sweet and rich. Dry cardboard like flavor, husk, a tiny bit of ethanol noted as well. Good roasted character on this one. Light char on the finish.

All-in-all, this is a great Porter, and one of the best from a can, no doubt!

Serving type: can

01-04-2013 18:08:12 | More by Onenote81

alexgash

Connecticut

4.03/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

16 oz. can.

Dark root beer brown body. Tall, towering, frothy, dark khaki brown head. Very nice lacing and retention. Nose of milk chocolate, roasted barley, light-roast coffee, nougat, cocoa nibs, and a little vanilla.

Toasted malts lead to smooth chocolatey flavors and cocoa nib bitterness. Sweetish dark fruits fill up the palate. Dark chocolate and light coffee bitterness increase into the finish. Licorice and vanilla notes in the end. Finish is bittersweet with plenty of lingering carob and semi-sweet chocolate. Medium bodied, with a slightly syrupy feel. Nice, especially for the price ($8 a sixer).

Serving type: can

12-22-2012 22:31:49 | More by alexgash

NilocRellim

Minnesota

3.8/5  rDev +3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Poured cold from the can.

This beer poured a very dark brown colour with a foamy, tan head that lasted the duration. It doesn't have much of a smell; Nuts, hops, malt. The taste was right along with the smell. There was a hop taste upfront, chased by a mellow nut flavour and a malty finish.

Would I buy it again? Yes.

Serving type: can

12-17-2012 03:45:26 | More by NilocRellim