Black Ball Porter - To Øl

Bubbles

California

4.75/5  rDev +17%

02-03-2013 20:45:19 | More by Bubbles

CrazyDavros

Australia

4.15/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.25

Pours black with a large tan head.
Nose shows complex roast with roasted coffee notes and a little chocolate, bready and nutty malt. Tempting.
Rich flavours. Heavy roasted malt, liquorice, roasted coffee, smooth booze.
Smooth body and carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2013 05:51:56 | More by CrazyDavros

Poupae

Thailand

4.5/5  rDev +10.8%

04-27-2013 13:40:55 | More by Poupae

TallSaint

United Kingdom (Scotland)

4.25/5  rDev +4.7%

04-06-2013 17:23:05 | More by TallSaint

ldhughes3

Louisiana

4/5  rDev -1.5%

03-26-2013 05:09:23 | More by ldhughes3

Texasfan549

Texas

4.25/5  rDev +4.7%

03-12-2013 03:27:43 | More by Texasfan549

Liquoric3

Germany

4.25/5  rDev +4.7%

03-11-2013 20:40:55 | More by Liquoric3

Nutwood

Kentucky

4.31/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

330 ml bottle into a room temerature shaker pint

A: Black Ball Porter reveals a tar brown-black, or dark shellac color going down the side of the glass. Filled glass is very deep mahogony to black opaque. Head is dense and mocha in color, leaving moderate lacing down to a solid, lasting cap. A light swirl will revive a bit of head.

S: The nose is light, understated waft of roasted malt, coffee, molasses and floral hops at tap temperature, becoming only slightly more intense as it warms.

T: Black Ball Porter presents a robust roasted malt core, surrounded by enhancing notes of chocolate, a hint of coffee, molasses, and floral as well as bitter hops. Well-toasted dark bread is central and assertive, but not overpowering, with the other flavors in balance with each other as supporting characters. As with many porters, there is an ever-so-slight touch of tartness at the finish. All flavors integrate nicely into a smooth , unified beer taste that belies little, if any alcohol.

M: Medium-full with the noticable added smoothness of oats. Soft carbonation compliments the well-blended flavors. A slight dry finish leaves the palate ready for more.

O: I feel this is an outstanding example of the style. The rich, smooth, well-balanced and well integrated flavors, complimented by the perfect body consistency, make me want to savor this beer. There is a refined, solid yet soft character to Black Ball that isn't often found in other porters, that often lean towad a cripsness, or bring a little to much bite on the finish. Spend a little time and let this one develop through the temperature curve and you will be rewarded.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2013 18:53:01 | More by Nutwood

crnipeter

Slovenia

4.25/5  rDev +4.7%

03-09-2013 10:12:30 | More by crnipeter

StJamesGate

New York

4.24/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Pours a viscous jet black with just the barest hint of ruby and creamy piles of cappuccino-colored head that is rock solid and instantly sheets.
Smoke and meat on the nose with maybe some pine tar but otherwise no sign of hops.
Unsweetened licorice in a big way with some fig and black treacle then resin and orange rind hops push their way through.
Herbal green finish and loong bitter linger that can only come from roast plus hops.
Medium, lots of chew, yet dry, slight heat.

Simcoe, Centennial, Cascade

Incredibly dark, with the stickiest black notes like asphalt in summer yet dank US hops still make themselves heard. And yet so not a Black IPA.

3rd outstanding beer in a row from To Ol, these guys are setting the pace.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2013 00:36:49 | More by StJamesGate

beerdrifter

Germany

4.4/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Picked this up at my favorite beer store in Belgium, Dranken Geers. Nearly black pour with a beautiful two finger caramel colored head with great retention and insane lacing. Dark roasty nose with with hints of dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, and just a touch of smoke and hops. The taste is big and rich for a Porter. Tons of cocoa right off the bat along with hints of dark chocolate, smoke, coffee, caramel, and a surprising Black IPA hoppiness you don't typically find in a Porter. The mouthfeel is full bodied, thick and creamy, with a unique subtle hop bite on the finish. This is as close to a perfect 5 mouthfeel as I've ever had. Overall this beer exceeded expectations in every category. I'm not a huge fan of Porters, but this stands out and really has a lot of Stout and Black IPA character to it. Highly recommend!

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2013 17:23:48 | More by beerdrifter

Rickythejeweler

Maryland

4.03/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pitch black, two fingers mocha head, great lacing.

S - Fragrant alcohol hits first giving way to chocolate chip cookies, toasted grains, dark fruits, bitter hops.

T - Burnt brown sugar, tons of bitter hops, dark chocolate, dark fruits, oatmeal, roasty coffee finish.

M - Full bodied, moderate carbonation.

O - Very hoppy porter, a unique take on the style.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2012 23:20:02 | More by Rickythejeweler

samEBC

Belgium

3.75/5  rDev -7.6%

12-14-2012 20:29:34 | More by samEBC

pixieskid

France

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

Had a few sips and thought it was lacking a little something, decided to pair it with a couple of red-velvet cupcakes my lady made yesterday (un frosted, just like I like em').

Pours about as dark as an imperial stout; 2 finger tan head with firm bubbles; dissipating slowly leaving a decent little head throughout.

Nose: milk chocolate, roastiness, hints of coffee and smoked malt.

Taste: roasted malts upfront with a coffee like bitternes, some bakers chocolate and burnt malts; finishes with a touch of smokiness, a slight salinity, and a somewhat chalky/earthy bitterness.

Mouthfeel; pretty full bodied and somewhat slick...pretty much what I would have expected for the "style".

Overall; a little too one dimensional and roasty overall but paired with my dessert it was pretty damn good. Solid night cap to a shift at the beer bar...

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2012 00:56:56 | More by pixieskid

dbrauneis

New Jersey

4.03/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Pours an opaque jet black in color with just the slightest hints of dark reddish brown and light amounts of gentle visible carbonation near the surface. The beer has a finger tall dense dark tan (almost mocha) head that slowly reduces to a small patch of thick large bubbles and a very thin film covering the entire surface of the beer and a thin ring at the edges of the glass. Moderate to significant amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Moderate to strong aromas of dark roasted malts, burnt malts, and chocolate. Very light notes of alcohol in the aroma.

T: Moderate to strong aromas of dark roasted malts and burnt malts with lighter amounts of dark bittersweet chocolate.

M: Medium bodied with moderate to heavy amounts of carbonation. Smooth with some moderate dryness in the finish.

O: This is very enjoyable and easy to drink - nice complex flavors and aromas with a lighter porter body. The beer looks impressive as it looks much heavier than a traditional porter (more like a stout) and the alcohol is pretty well hidden.

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2012 01:44:41 | More by dbrauneis

metter98

New York

4.05/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: The beer is jet black in color and poured with a two finger high dense dark tan colored head. From the initial looks of this beer, I would assume it was stout and not a porter. The head has excellent retention properties and took a long time to died down, consistently leaving a thick coating of bubbles on the surface and down the sides of the glass.
S: There are moderately strong aromas of chocolate and roasted malts in the nose.
T: The taste is similar to the smell and also has some notes of burnt malts.
M: It feels medium-bodied on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation. I found this to be a tough category to judge because if you look at the beer's opaque appearance you would initially think it feels thin for the style, but if you close your eyes it feels like a typical porter. The roasted malts lend dryness to the finish.
O: If you're looking for a beer that's packed with flavors but retains the lighter-bodied nature of a porter, this is a beer for you. It is also quite drinkable because no alcohol is noticeable in the taste.

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2012 04:23:03 | More by metter98

Beerenauslese

California

3.63/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Dark body with a tan head. Poured into a snifter, ample foamy head. Decent retention with some lacing.

Smells of sour fruit, roasted malt and coffee, a little botanical like juniper.

Nice tasting slightly sour porter, lots of coffee, some chocolate and a little juniper.

Body is medium and creamy mouthfeel.

A decent porter, but more in Danish than American style. Good, not remarkable.

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2012 17:27:35 | More by Beerenauslese

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.78/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Recent bottle from Premiere Gourmet. Pours thick black. A Denmark biased porter (which often have a bit of an odd taste but let's go with it), thick very roasty, unfortunately following an imperial porter. Good drinkability, with some bitterness. Roasty aroma.Some chocolate and coffee.

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2012 01:34:47 | More by northyorksammy

kscaldef

Oregon

2.85/5  rDev -29.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

A: Very dark with an excellent head of dense mocha foam. Lots of lacing.

S: Roasted malts with a touch of brightness. Slight banana esters.

T: Dark, nutty, roasty coffee. Moderately high bitterness.

M: Medium carbonation. Full, rich body.

O: Not particularly wowing me. More bitter than I think a porter ought to be, and fairly one-dimensional.

Serving type: bottle

09-13-2012 20:54:42 | More by kscaldef

graz34

4.25/5  rDev +4.7%

09-08-2012 02:38:33 | More by graz34

russpowell

Oklahoma

4.03/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours mahogany with a thumb of mocha colored head. Great lacing & head retention

S: Charred grain & coffee, a touch of baker's chocolate too up front. Cococa dominates as this warms

T: Follows the nose, very dry, some woody hops. Gets very dry as this warms, leafy hops mix with charred grain, some dark fruit buried deep. Finishes drier than the Saharah, with black currants & charred grain & much smokeyness

MF: Medium bodied, very creamy, pretty good balance

A nice porter, but nothing special, took a chance, they can't all be gold. Too dry for me

Serving type: bottle

08-19-2012 04:36:35 | More by russpowell

enelson

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +10.8%

08-11-2012 21:26:21 | More by enelson

kaelingirl

Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev +10.8%

08-06-2012 17:58:32 | More by kaelingirl

GONZALOYANNA

Spain

4.1/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On-tap. Shaker glass. Enjoyed on jul´12. Pure black headed by tan froth. Thick crown is creamy & leaves copious lacing spots & rings. Burnt coffee & roasted malt aromas with herbal/floral touches to the nose. Burnt flavors from a firm malty backbone with intense underlying licorice notes. Velvet palate. Full body, soft carbonation. Long bitter finish & roasted coffee on the aftertaste. Refreshing as a Porter should be no matter how high ABV is.

Serving type: on-tap

07-28-2012 20:31:41 | More by GONZALOYANNA

FreshHawk

Illinois

4/5  rDev -1.5%

07-19-2012 07:05:48 | More by FreshHawk