Eugene - Revolution Brewing Company - Brewpub

jegross2

Illinois

3.93/5  rDev -3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Reviewing the Eugene from Revolution Brewing Company.
Score: 87

12 oz self pour from a 24 hour old growler from the Revolution Brewpub. Served in a pint glass and enjoyed on 02/24/12.

Appearance: Pours a coffee color with dark caramel colored highlights atop the glass with half a finger of tan creamy head that quickly settles into a thin ring around the glass. Below average, oily lacing with minimal retention. 3.5/5

Smell: Smooth roasted coffee, oak, caramel, roasted chocolate malt, toasted oats, a little nuttiness and an aroma I can only describe as "cream." Some marshmallow too. 4/5

Taste: Quite roasty. Rich and silky roasted chocolate malt and oak throughout. Toffee, pecan, toasted oats and a little caramel on the midpalate. There is much less caramel in the flavor than there was in the nose. There are intermittent waves of raw coffee bean flavor too. The flavors seem "soda like" and a little syrupy at points, though it's not a "thick" flavor profile. Very flavorful for a porter. 4/5

Mouthfeel: Medium-light bodied with a light, but perky, amount of carbonation. Soda-like mouthfeel. Bittersweet finish. 3.5/5

Overall: As far as everyday porters go, this one is pretty roasty and fantastic. Alas, for all the flavors, this beer seems a little too thin on the palate and a touch too sugary at moments for my tastes. Take that criticism with a grain of salt, however, because I personally prefer fuller mouthfeels for my dark and roasty beers. Not everyone else does. Without a doubt, Eugene is one of the best porters that I have ever had. This is a brew worth seeking out, especially if you like the style, and it puts beers like Guinness to shame.

Recommendation: This is a mass-appeal beer with plenty of flavor. Grab a pint of this next time you are in Chicago.

Pairings: Tea poached pears soaked in homemade chocolate sauce (courtesy of Catie Sesler).

Cost:$18 for a 64 oz growler.

Serving type: growler

02-25-2012 17:24:59 | More by jegross2

KDawg

Illinois

4.05/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Had this from a growler that I filled at Rev. Pours a dark chocolate color with a dark head

Pungent and rich nose of roasted coffee, chocolate, toffee and various malt tones

Full bodied with a real smooth feel. Richer, but far from boozy with mostly roasted coffee and chocolate flavors

This is a quality porter that Rev has year round. Balanced, and though it is rich it is far from boozy.

Serving type: growler

10-16-2011 19:00:02 | More by KDawg

MarkFy

Illinois

3.9/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Poured from Growler 4-18-11 into tasting glass.

A: Dark brown

S: Faint milk chocolate and coffee aroma.

T: Nice dry coffee flavor upfront with a very slightly sweet chocolate finish.

M: Kind of flat, not bad, growler is only 2 days old, so it may be a factor.

O: Great beer from Revolution. Very good porter, will def seek out again.

Serving type: growler

04-18-2011 23:18:16 | More by MarkFy

Brenden

Ohio

3.96/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

This is a pretty thick-looking porter, somewhere in the medium-dark brown range with some heft to its look. It grows a tan head to one finger that retains itself quite well and leaves a good amount of patchy lacing.
This is a hefty porter in the American style. The nose gives off some cocoa sweetness with some coffee and a toastiness that's not common and adds a nice element. It's more toasty than roasty, in fact, and fights the urge to simply be a stout as bready malts play out with a good balance of gentle hops.
The flavor mingles toast, coffee, bready malts and a strong nuttiness with a bit of a dryer element with a touch of char. There's a flavor almost like toast with burnt edges, and there's an interesting interplay as citrus rind and light hops bitterness come into focus.
Eugene is a pretty hefty porter, but doesn't break character. Robust but not huge, with a thick body, there's a creamy texture to it that makes for good drinking. It leads into a dryer finish.

Serving type: can

05-19-2013 16:25:15 | More by Brenden

AndyP612

Illinois

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

12 oz Can poured into Darkness chalice.

A- Pitch black with a small light khaki head a top that dissipates quickly.

S- Very smoke heavy, Big malt nose

T- Super heavy in smokey malt. Chocolate overtones present as well as coffee with minimal bitterness.

M- Medium velvety bodied very well balanced porter.

O- Just extremely solid porter, absolutely delicious. I will be buying this again for the colder months but at this point I will be putting more emphasis on the lighter fare even though it is 80 degrees outside I can still drink this without worrying about it weighing me down too much. Cheers.

Serving type: can

05-16-2013 23:16:09 | More by AndyP612

WVbeergeek

Ohio

4.13/5  rDev +2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Paired review a L'atelier 54 ring gauge, yes folks I'm smokin' high quality cigars with some of these fine craft brews these days, and guess what they mesh well. Here's the Revolution Brewing canned Eugene Porter with one of my favorite Pete Johnson blended cigars, this is his and his brothers project which translates as the workshop...I guess it's a way for them to branch out their creativity even more and involve his family in the business away from his Tatuaje lines. Anyways here's the beer, pours a pitch black body with absolutely no ruby highlights seeping through this thing eats the visible light spectrum up, light tan head forms thick and dwindles slow with minimal patchy streaked lacing around the sides of my nonic pint glass. First up the nares are filled with a deep dark chocolate creaminess minimal earthy pine accented hops peak through the waves of dark kilned barley. Really nice dry porter leaving the drinkability factor really high, I get dark chocolate roasts mild espresso with a hint of dark cherry fruit peaking through ending in a creamy velvet decadent place on my palate. Flavor wise I like the way the alcohol and the dark beer features dark roasts, earthy hops, and hints of fruit intermingle so nicely with a 6.8% abv canned porter this place ain't kidding around it's a revolution. Furthermore, I'm glad I'm adding some flavorful smokes to the mix because the synergy of both worlds is really complementing the overall experience mouthfeel is medium to full bodied with dark dry roasted malt finish lingering roasted malt bitterness and hops in the backend with a bit of warming effect left between sips from the higher abv in this American aggressive porter.

Serving type: can

04-26-2013 03:12:57 | More by WVbeergeek

sbxx

Illinois

4.3/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Appearance - Pours a nice, deep chocolatey brown. 2 fingers worth of dark caramel head appears. A nice looking beer.

Smell - Rich chocolatey malts.

Taste - "Now that's a porter!" Much like it smells. The chocolate notes were balanced very nicely.

Mouthfeel - Med/heavy body, medium carbonation, clean finish

Overall - Easily one of my favorite porters. It is rich and robust, smooth & easy to drink. Looking forward to having more!

Serving type: can

04-17-2013 00:34:40 | More by sbxx

emyers

Illinois

3.85/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

12 oz. can poured into a Sam Adams perfect pint glass.

Appearance: Pours near black with a half-inch head. Dissipates very quickly into a very thin lacing.

Smell: Roasted malt, oats, a little bit of cocoa powder. Some smoke. I like the profile a lot, but there isn't much intensity.

Taste: A lot of caramel malt comes into play here, which wasn't in the aroma. The roasted malt, cocoa, and hint of smoke are still there as well. Definitely more depth than in the smell. No alcohol apparent.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied. Finishes quite dry. Medium carbonation. Very smooth going down.

Overall: Very solid porter. That being said, it falls a bit short of the upper echelon due to a lack of overall intensity. It just doesn;t have the smell/flavor punch of a Founders porter or Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald.

Serving type: can

04-05-2013 02:21:22 | More by emyers

Vonerichs

Illinois

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

Dark brown, borderline black body. There's a generous tan head.

Heavy roasted barley scent with a touch if smoke. Chocolate and light roast coffee, too, with some earthy hop notes.

Bakers chocolate, coffee, roast, and a piney finish.

Smooth mouthfeel with moderate carbonation.

It's a really solid porter all around. It has a respectable abv and is a smooth, easy drinker.

Serving type: can

04-04-2013 02:28:57 | More by Vonerichs

WoodBrew

Illinois

3.96/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

The Eugene Porter is good. The beer pours an opaque black with thin slightly off white head that is leaving a lace. The smell has hints of chocolate, coffee and peat. The taste is much of the same as the smeel but there is a definite caramel presence. The sweeter flavors start the beer and the coffee and earth linger on the pallet at the end. The mouthfeel is a medium body with smooth carbonation. Overall this is a good porter and I really thick the body....much better than watery.

Serving type: can

03-26-2013 02:08:38 | More by WoodBrew

nataku00

California

3.91/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Can poured into a tulip glass. Beer pours opaque dark brown with three fingers of tan colored creamy head. Head sticks around for a few minutes before slowly dissipating, leaving some nice lacing.

Nose is pretty classic porter, roasted malt with ale yeast esters, light floral and citrus hops, dark bread. A little bit of chocolate as it warms.

Mainly roasted malt on the flavor, a bit of char and smoked flavor, mellowing into yeast esters. Finish is dry, with light lingering roasted malt.

Lighter side of medium body, good amount of fine carbonation contributing to a fairly creamy sensation on the tongue. A decent porter.

Serving type: can

03-22-2013 02:38:16 | More by nataku00

Onenote81

North Carolina

4.3/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Big thanks to wyatt13 for this can tossed in as an extra in our recent trade. I've never had anything from these guys, and I'm always up for trying new brew. Can poured into a chalice.

Pours a thick deep black, with just a sheet of lace on the top after what I thought was an aggressive pour. Bits of lace cling to the glass. The nose is full of roasted goodness: ground coffee, chocolate malt, toasted bread, and a kiss of sweet vanilla on the finish.

Good hefty body. Chewy but easy to drink. Good bubble play on the palate. Big milk chocolate flavors all over this beer. Some mild roastedness rounds it out a bit. I've had far too many Porters that are heavy on the roasted aspect and it just wears on you, but this one is perfectly balanced, even erring on the side of a little more sweet. Some vanilla and almond noted as well.

Really a stand out beer here. Were this available to me locally, I think I'd have regular stock of this in my fridge as my go-to dark beer. Thanks again, Wyatt!

Serving type: can

03-19-2013 13:54:13 | More by Onenote81

raznug

Ohio

4.11/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: This porter pours a black color and is topped with 3/8” of tan colored head that leaves rather quickly.
Smell: The aroma of this beer is a nice balance of malt and roasted malt aroma that blends nicely in the nose.
Taste: The flavor of this beer is rather creamy for a porter but it has a delicious roasted flavor that blends tastefully with the rest of the beer.
Mouthfeel: This is a rather tasty porter that goes down easy but leaves enough of a taste that I can enjoy it for the style that it is.

Serving type: can

03-16-2013 17:50:48 | More by raznug

mttaylor1066

Connecticut

4.46/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A - Classic porter, dark and just a little carbonation. I admire its limpid yet alive appearance.

S - This has more aroma than most non-Breakfast style porters. A little chocolate, a little malt, some coffee notes.

T -- Eminently drinkable, the malt character gives it a strong backbone, just the kind of porter to spend the next hour with. Good stuff.

M - A filling dextrinous/malt mix. Satisfying. This ain't no black lager!

O -- A winner of a porter.

Serving type: on-tap

03-12-2013 18:28:23 | More by mttaylor1066

kojevergas

California

3.11/5  rDev -23.2%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

Can acquired from Duff27 in a trade. Thanks again, buddy. I dig the label art; this is some of the finest can art I've seen. 6.8% ABV confirmed. 12 fl oz aluminum can served into a conical Samuel Smith's pint glass in me gaff in low altitude Los Angeles, California. Reviewed live. Expectations are above average; I've only had this brewery's IPA and I found that to be above average so I'm expecting this'll be in the same ballpark.

Served straight from the fridge and allowed to warm over the course of consumption. Side-poured with standard vigor as no carbonation issues are anticipated.

A: Pours a 1.5 finger tan colour head of nice cream and thickness, and average (~ 2 minute retention). Strangely, the head bubbles and pops for about 30 seconds, creating a foamy sort of show - but it's not the traditional bubble show you'd see in something like Guinness; the head itself is the only part affected. Curious but interesting. Body colour is a solid nontransparent opaque dark black. No yeast particles are visible. It's not a jet black, but it's rather dark. I wouldn't call it vibrant, but it's appealing. No lacing as the head recedes. Typical of the style, though spot-on. It's what I'd expect to see in a good porter. I'm excited to try it.

Sm: Cacao/chocolate, chocolate malt, cola-esque malts, and light vanilla/vanillicin. I search for coffee and I think I find traces of it; it's not horribly evocative if it is present. I do get buried roast - which is a good sign of a quality porter; so few porters neglect roasty character but I find it key to a good example of the style. Light bready notes. Maybe some cinnamon. I also get some kind of weird cola-esque spice; perhaps sassafrass? Caramel character rounds out the aroma. A moderate strength aroma that is generally appealing - though the cola notes do have me worried; I always associate that flavour with a bad schwarzbier. I get no yeast or alcohol from the aroma. Any hopping is very light; I can't detect even any floral character - and that's a good thing for the style.

T/Mf: Rounded smooth chocolate character with some cream on the open. The texture's quite smooth and wet all around in classic porter fashion. Carbonation is good but not ideal. Thickness is good, and palate presence is nice. Maybe a weak hint of coffee. The roast, unfortunately, is so buried by the chocolate as to be almost irrelevant. Caramel. Traces of vanilla - a highlight here, but it also lends more sweetness to the body, which I'm not sure it needs. Light cola notes are present, which weaken the body and lighten the mouthfeel - to its detriment. The feel is a bit smacky and slick, which I can't make up my mind about. In any case, the mouthfeel is generally well suited to the flavour profile. While it's decently balanced, I do want more complexity and subtlety from it. It's not a special or unique example of the style, but it is a solid by-the-numbers porter. I do like it.

Dr: Drinkable and enjoyable, with the ABV pretty well hidden. It's not without its flaws, and I'd definitely try the Eugene variants, but I doubt I'd get this again unless it was the best option at a bar while I was out. Many porter fans will love this, and it's definitely above average - but I found it somewhat wanting. Still, it's an enjoyable little porter and I've glad to have tried it. Thanks again, Duff27.

C+

Serving type: can

03-04-2013 02:13:10 | More by kojevergas

Mavigo

Michigan

4.36/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Got this on tap from the brewpub in Chicago, nice place. Was served in a pint.

A: Was a nice deep brown black color, almost opaque with a short, dark toffee color head with good amounts of lacing.

S: Smells of malts, barley, oats, chocolate, brown sugars

T: Tastes delicious, very sweet, like milk chocolate, malts, brown sugars, toffee, caramel

M: Rich, full bodied, lower levels of carbonation, giving it a richer, thicker texture

O: Overall, I though this was incredible, after wandering around Chicago in freezing weather, one of the most delicious porters I've had in a while, maybe one of the best. Recommended by me for sure.

Serving type: on-tap

03-04-2013 01:00:42 | More by Mavigo

brentk56

North Carolina

4.14/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Appearance: Arrives chocolate brown at the ber with a very impressive head that leaves sheets of lacing behind

Smell: Black bread and chocolate

Taste: Black bread and chocolate, up front, with nuts, vanilla and cinnamon tones developing in the middle; very chocolatey, after the swallow and into the finish

Mouthfeel: Medium to full body with moderate carbonation

Overall: A very nice porter for those who like chocolate, like me

Serving type: on-tap

03-01-2013 03:13:24 | More by brentk56

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

4.05/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75

Wow what an exceptional porter, color is very pitch black not surprising for 6.8% ABV. Has a mild 1/2 inch of opaque head with great lacing. Smell is very mild if anything I get some chocolate malt and a bit of coffee. Taste is excellent with chocolate malts leading giving me a sort of dark chocolate coffee roast, some lactic sweetness and very little chalky yeast. Mouth feel is somewhat creamy with a medium body. Overall quite an exceptional porter very easy to drink. I wish I could get it again as I picked this up in Vintage Estate in Ohio.

Serving type: can

02-27-2013 06:48:03 | More by DrDemento456

AgentMunky

Alabama

3.95/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A: Looks like a stout. Thick, creamy, tan head. Jet black.

S: Neutral and nice. Milk chocolate.

T: Perfectly composed. Slightly sour, sweet (chocolate), nutty, and roasted. Of all these, nutty tartness is probably the biggest component.

M: Smooth and delectable.

O: Incredibly drinkable. Fantastic porter. Highly recommended. Would have again.

Serving type: can

02-20-2013 02:48:30 | More by AgentMunky

macrosmatic

Florida

3.76/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Picked this can up at the Root Cellar. Reviewed from notes. Poured from 12 oz. can into a CCB pint glass.

A: Very dark brown, fairly opaque, with low visible carbonation. A 1 1/2 finger tan head that fades pretty quickly.

S: Sweet roasted malts, notes of caramel and vanilla over some mocha and a bit of pine hop bitterness. There is a bit of tinny aroma here as well.

T: A richer coffee flavor than I got on the nose, with toffee, caramel and some vanilla. There is some hop bitterness over what seems like a tiny bit of acerbic off-flavor.

M: Med body for a porter. Average carbonation, and the alcohol is well-hidden.

O: Not a bad effort. Just doesn't stand up to the host of better porters out there.

Serving type: can

02-11-2013 02:56:42 | More by macrosmatic

brewtus

Ohio

3.45/5  rDev -14.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours very dark brown, sits black in the glass with a light tan head. Smells is tons of smoke, some chocolate, pepper. Taste is a lot like the smell very smokey, peppery, small amount of dark cocoa, oaky. Mouthfeel is right on for a porter. This is really good, and worth trying, not too complex but great for a cold day and very drinkable.

Serving type: can

02-06-2013 02:35:35 | More by brewtus

hosehead83

Ohio

4.04/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Poured from a 12oz. can into a wine goblet.
Black/dark brown in color, with a nice-looking cap of cafe mocha foam.
Aroma-Subtle coffee note
Taste-Dark roasted malt, coffee, chocolate. A bit of a dry finish. Creamy mouthfeel. A very tasty offering. Recommended.

Serving type: can

01-28-2013 18:58:46 | More by hosehead83

mdfb79

New York

3.79/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

From 01/20/12 notes. Had on tap at some sports bar in Chicago while watching the Ravens_pats game. Served in a pint glass.

a - Pours a dark brown color with a reddish tint, one inch of light tan head and moderate carbonation evident.

s - Smells of caramel malts, roasted malts, bitter chocolate, toasted malts, and some light coffee. Nice, nothing too crazy going on, but they all mix together nicely.

t - Tastes of bitter chocolate, roasted malts, toasted malts, burnt malts, coffee, light oak, light caramel malts. Less caramel and more bitter chocolate in the taste.

m - Medium body and low carbonation. Pretty smooth and easy to drink; could definitely have a few of these.

o - Overall a pretty solid porter. Nothing too crazy going on her ebut lots of nice chocolate and roasted malts throughout, and easy to drink. Worth checking out and probably the best beer the sports bar had on tap that night.

Serving type: on-tap

01-24-2013 21:16:21 | More by mdfb79

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

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

Poured out on the Pershing County disc golf front 9 at the round courthouse. Comes out strong and robust brown, ample carbonation, nice looking. Aroma is great, chocolate malt, hoppy presence, brown malt, vibrant, just a strong malt roast nose going, and its quite enjoyable and getting my expectations up.

Taste had a good mix of that heavily roasted brown and chocolate malt character, ample cascade hops it seems, a body that really isn't all that heavy, this was kind of like getting Black Butte porter in a can, hoppy, but not a huge viscous body, but still plenty robust. It has a slick sweetness that is still balanced, but helped along in drinkability by apparently molasses and caramel type of inputs.

Another can consumed while throwing some disc golf. Man I haven't thrown disc for almost 2 months, damn winter, giveth awesome skiing weather, taketh away disc golf. This was my first Revolution brew, and its a good one, I'm impressed and will look for more of them, hopefully I come across generous traders like CanisMajor again.

Serving type: can

01-20-2013 16:42:45 | More by Beerandraiderfan

nlmartin

Ohio

3.28/5  rDev -19%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

I drank one can and now kicking back a second can. The beer was chilled and served in a Imperial Pint.

A- The body of the beer is dark brown with ruby chestnut brown highlights. The head is thick and frothy tan color. Major league stickyness to the side of my glass. Looks tasty!

S- The aroma of the beer has a nice roasted malt notes, a bit of mollassis, cocoa, a bit of acidic coffee,

T- The flavor of the beer has very nicely balanced roasted malted notes, faint cocoa, and very mild coffee notes, molasis sweetness, a flash of smokeyness, a nice bitterness finishes and dries out the beers sweetness.

M- The body of the beer is medium and the carbonation is moderate. Nicely balanced between the roasted tones and beers sweetness.

O- This beer is not bad, I wish that Revolution had gone a bit bigger with the roasted notes. Frankly I wont buy this one again as I can easily get Edmund Fitz.

Serving type: can

01-19-2013 04:00:06 | More by nlmartin