Anvil Porter - French Broad Brewing Co.

csparace

Illinois

3.73/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Poors a dark dark resin. Starts off with a really friendly smell. You get some sweet (sugary) notes along with the advertised chocolates. Taste is a little better than expected. Roasted malts are present along with the chocolate. Nutty toffee is also present. Its much thinner than you would typically expect, which makes you think that it might be watery or of poorer quality.

This is a pretty decent porter. Like the review I posted for the Wee-heavier, it seems like a good warm up beer or a good starter. Its not bold by any means, but does have some great flavors (particularly the roasted malts and chocolates) going on.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2013 04:09:32 | More by csparace

dbrauneis

New Jersey

3.85/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Pours an opaque very dark amber in color with some amber highlights and moderate amounts of gentle visible carbonation near the surface. The beer has a finger tall tan head that quickly reduces to a very thin film covering the entire surface of the beer with a thin ring at the edges of the glass. Moderate amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Light to moderate aromas of dark roasted malts with some hints of chocolate and coffee.

T: Upfront there is a light to moderate amount of dark roasted malts with some lighter flavors of bittersweet chocolate and coffee. Just a hint of vanilla, licorice, and caramel. Light amounts of bitterness that fades quickly.

M: Medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Smooth. Maybe just a hint on the thin side.

O: Very enjoyable, I like the different complexities to the flavors/aromas that are slightly sweet but do not contribute overall sweetness to the beer. Pretty easy to drink and well balanced. Definitely one I would have again.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2013 02:15:07 | More by dbrauneis

drabmuh

Maryland

4.05/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Growler labeled "porter" served in a shaker pint. Beer is dark brown / black with a nice tan head of small bubbles, decent retention, some lacing, moderate to low carbonation.

Aroma is coffee / roasty, a little sweet.

Beer is medium to light in body and sweet with a mild roast with a nice coffee flavor throughout. It is a very drinkable beer. I'd have it again if this were my local beer.

Serving type: growler

12-03-2012 20:01:06 | More by drabmuh

plaid75

New York

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

On draft at the brewery.

Poured a near black hue with a one finger foamy tan head. There was good retention and lacing.

The smell featured roasted malt, charcoal and dry black coffee.

The taste followed the aroma and finished with a touch of sweetness.

The mouthfeel was typical of the style.

Overall a tasty, easy drinking porter.

Serving type: on-tap

11-10-2012 18:59:20 | More by plaid75

Ryan011235

Ohio

2.6/5  rDev -29.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Poured into an E&J Cask & Cream glass on 7/30/12

Dark brown, especially once in the glass. Faded ruby highlights. The head is sandy brown and just shy of two fingers. Retention is thinner, though lacing is good enough.

Roasted chocolate and burnt coffee dregs fill much of the aroma. Drifting about are caramel notes a la cheap Halloween candy. Faint overtones of earth and roasted twang. The flavor, however, is packed with tangy roast with a bitter coffee finish; not much chocolate in this department. The finish is a fussy, crackly medium-light body. Carbonation is full and very fizzy; it's too much for the beer. Roast lingers on the finish.

Overall impression - This is a pedestrian take on the style. Sure, it's easy to drink, but it lacks anything that would set it out in a crowd. Reasonably priced, at least when purchased at the brewery.

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2012 03:38:09 | More by Ryan011235

Dope

Massachusetts

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

A: A very dark brown pour with just a tinge of red in it. Good sized fizzy tan head. Fades pretty quickly but leaves a nice 1/4" residual head approximately forever.

S: Smells like milk chocolate and roasted malt. Some caramel or perhaps caramelized sugar. Molasses. Touch of coffee and cream. Hint of earthiness? Or perhaps that's just smoke.

T: Lots of creamy milk chocolate, I assume this must have lactose in it, it tastes like a weaker milk stout. Cocoa with a hint of coffee. A bit of caramel and molasses in there too. Bitter roasted malt and coffee lingers in the aftertaste.

M: A bit thin and watery, but it IS only 6%.

O: A tasty porter for sure. Creamy and chocolaty. Only real downside is that it's a touch thin but it didn't detract too much.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2012 03:53:04 | More by Dope

tdm168

North Carolina

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

Pours a dark brownish black with a half inch of loose, creamy, off white head. The nose is musty with notes of roasted malts and coffee. The flavor is primarily coffee with musty undertones and a faint but rich chocolaty finish. This beer is medium bodied but thin at times; there's very little carbonation.

This is a good porter; to style, but simple. The coffee notes definitely dominate the flavor and the mustiness is off putting but not overwhelming. It's also a little thin for my liking. Overall, it was a good one to try, but it's probably not something I'll seek out again.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2011 18:08:48 | More by tdm168

mikesgroove

South Carolina

3.5/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

black with no light shining through at all. Very thick look with a large tan colored head rising up from the bottom and coming to a height of around two inches before finally settling down

good dose of coffee and chocolate was inside here, and that became evident from the very beginning. Lots of roasted malts here with a good bit of sweetness, a bitter dark coffee flavor, mixed in with baker's chocolate. Some nice vanilla maybe in there sweetening it up, but very light. Nice touches of lactose as well in here. Though I have to say I was hoping it would be a little stronger of a flavor, as by the time, it warmed up it started to fade and it all blended together. The finish started as bitter, but faded back to sweet licorice and caramel flavor, odd finish, but still very nice.

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2011 03:00:54 | More by mikesgroove

July2Nov

Hawaii

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

Appearance: Dark brown. Almost black in color, with a tan lacing head.

Smell: Dark chocolate and smoky molasses.

Taste & Mouthfeel: Lighter to medium in mouthfeel. Slight carbonation. Burnt caramel in flavor, along with a semi-sweet chocolate. Thinner in it's tasting.

Overall: Excellent Porter that is done right. Solid.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2011 03:38:47 | More by July2Nov

PorterLambic

Florida

2.83/5  rDev -23.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Pours a deep, dark brown with effectively no light penetration. Small, quickly dissipating tan head leaves no lace behind.
Smell is toasted malts, coffee, light hops and perhaps a burnt sugar note.
Taste is strong on coffee and burnt malt. A somewhat acidic, almost metallic note.
A surprisingly thin body with a sharp, tangy effervescence on the tip of the tongue. Watery. Fortunately this was not an over-hopped West Coast style American porter.. Sadly, it just wasn't that good. The pour was the high point.

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2011 00:58:05 | More by PorterLambic

DavoleBomb

Ohio

3.1/5  rDev -16%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured into a pint glass.

3.0 A: Black color. First pour gave me a huge head and the second pour resulted in two fingers of tan, foamy soda pop-like head. Retention was not good, but the last quarter inch made a good effort to stick around londer. Sparse and irregular lacing.

3.5 S: Dry, cocoa powder chocolate vibe. Roasty with hints of coffee. Minor crystal malt sweetness. Pleasant, but simple and borderline boring.

3.0 T: Taste is like the nose. Calm, simple, and reserved. Cocoa powder again is the frontrunner with roast, coffee, and crystal sweetness to follow. No sign of hops again.

3.0 M: Light body. Carbonation is a good bit higher than what is preferred. Not creamy at all, but smooth.

3.0 D: I'm not pissed that I'm drinking this, but I really doubt I'll ever buy another bottle. There's too many good beers out there to drink a boring one.

Serving type: bottle

08-12-2011 02:44:21 | More by DavoleBomb

alpinebryant

Connecticut

3.68/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle received in trade.
Pours a strong dark coffee bean color with a small cocoa head.

Aroma of roasted malts, some molasses and chocolate.

Taste is on par with what I was expecting. A nice bittersweet chocolate flavor with roasted malts and a light smoke presence. It finishes dry and sweet and was easy to drink. Overall a nice American Porter.

Medium bodied with a medium on the higher side carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

07-23-2011 12:52:13 | More by alpinebryant

avalon07

South Carolina

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

A: Poured from a bottle to a pint glass. Had a dark brown color and a thick consistency. There was an inch and a half of tan-colored, foamy, fairly long-lasting head. Pretty good lacing.

S: A slightly muted aroma of malt, coffee, and a bit of chocolate.

T: Tasted of malt more than anything, with traces of coffee and chocolate. Mainly, this beer was a bit thin and watery. Not nearly bold enough to be interesting.

M: A decent amount of carbonation with a slick, watery finish. Medium-bodied.

O: This is, for the most part an average beer. Hardly the worst I've ever had, but not very good either.

Serving type: bottle

07-01-2011 13:09:55 | More by avalon07

russpowell

Oklahoma

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

Pours a dirty chestnut/mahogany with a poinky of mocha colored head. Good head retention & lacing

S: Smokeyness & & roastyness

T: Follows the nose, some vanilla & herbal hop notes as well up front. Dryness & woody hops as this warms, plus roastyness & some chcolate & minty notes. Finishes with choclatey & smokey notes, dry oakyness as well

MF: Medium bodied, slight carbonation & oilyness

A good porter, that stays true to style. One of the best beers I've had while visiting NC this time!

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2011 03:04:11 | More by russpowell

oberon

North Carolina

4.18/5  rDev +13.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured a deeply roasted chesnut brown with a ceeamy-like beige colored head,a great pour.Roasted nuts and coffee dominate the nose,bittersweet chocolate underneath,the aromas are spectacular!Just a little light in the feel,not anything major but if this was spot this beer to me would be off the charts.Roast and more roast on the palate with sweet caramel malt playing a small role,roasted nuts and deep roast coffee really meld in nicely.This is a great porter,I would love to try this on an engine,its complex and very flavorful.

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2011 21:40:49 | More by oberon

ArrogantB

Colorado

3.38/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

I got this porter in a recent trade but can't remember for the life of me who sent it, thanks to whoever you are. Dark black color, boring smell that only briefly suggested malts. The flavor however was malt heavy, robust, not bad at all but I am a huge sucker for any porter. Overall I would not purchase this beer but I was happy to have had the opportunity to try it.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2011 22:44:48 | More by ArrogantB

AlexanderSelby

North Carolina

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

Color as expected and well done. Nice creamy off-white head. Smells nutty with some caramel notes. The "dark" flavors hit the palate quite briskly. So in other words, this is a bright dark beer. Nutty and slightly tangy, like an old school English porter. A good amount of roasted qualities, though, which take it from average to good. Body doesn't feel muddy or heavy. Because of it's lighter approach, while still showcasing roasty and sweet qualities, this beer would be a great one to pair with foods, may it be hamburgers, rich pastas or deserts.

If you couldn't tell by my ratings, this is a good beer. Good. That's about where its stops, but in truth, good is something I can rely on.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2011 20:27:50 | More by AlexanderSelby

Cyberkedi

Georgia

4.13/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a slightly reddish sable with a decent, if not too persistent, tan head. Aroma is strong and oily with smoky, nutty and semi-sweet chocolate tones - very appealing. Smoky flavor has tones of coffee, unsweet chocolate, nuts and oak. Texture is smooth, fizzy and grainy, not as thick as a stout but still pleasing. Look for it.

Serving type: on-tap

04-24-2011 02:01:03 | More by Cyberkedi

babaracas

Florida

3.7/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a clearish dark brown with thin tan head and a couple blobs of lace along the glass. Smell: moderately roasty, an acidic coffee note, caramel, raisin, herbal and grassy. Taste: a semi-astringent roasted grain, caramelized sugar and a little bakers chocolate, sweet black plum. The mild sweetness is rather fleeting and balanced by herbal and grassy hop flavors. Carbonation is fairly sharp upfront but becomes creamy. Out of the bottle a little overcarbed. Pretty decent.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2011 05:41:51 | More by babaracas

raszputini

North Carolina

3.45/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours dark brown with a thin tan head. Nose includes roasted (burnt) malts, light chocolate and coffee and a hint of darker fruits. Mouth feel is very thin and the taste matches somewhat - its a little weak. The taste, as I mentioned, is a little weaker than I'd prefer, but not horrible. It's decently balanced with notes of chocolate, coffee and roasted malt. Hops are very understated. Its a decent porter, but there are certainly better ones.

Serving type: on-tap

03-28-2011 22:41:07 | More by raszputini

elgiacomo

Georgia

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

22oz bottle, recent release. Served at cellar temperature.

Pours thin dark brown, red under light, with a one finger light brown head that leaves some short-lived lacing and holds a wispy cap.

Aroma is roasted malt, a touch burnt, some chocolate and coffee, hints of dark fruits and a touch of herbal hops, quite nice. Good to very good strength.

Flavor is weaker than the aroma but still good, features chocolate, coffee, roasted malts, some raisins/dark fruit, fairly sweet with a bit of hop bitterness for balance. Starts to develop a cola-like flavor as it goes on.

Mouthfeel is on the thin side, medium to high carbonation.

Solid Porter, pretty drinkable, but not as robust as others on the market.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2011 03:55:49 | More by elgiacomo

mntlover

Tennessee

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

Pours black to look at it deep dark walnut when held to the light with a nice sized tan head that falls slow to cap and laces well.

Aroma is roasted malts, nice dark chocolate hints with some smoky notes and hints of dark fruits.

Taste is like aroma nice malty notes lightly roasted some bakers chocolate notes pop up and linger for a while until finish thats got herbal grassy hops mixed with smoky notes. Very tasty have been enjoying some baltic porters latley and have to remind myself what a real porter is.

Mouthfeel is is smooth solid medium feel just a touch of pep that comes out in the finish.

Drinkability is good an enjoyable solid brew from a local brewery.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2011 01:43:08 | More by mntlover

glid02

Georgia

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

On-tap at Taco Mac Prado in Atlanta.

Pours black with a one-finger tan head. The head recedes into a wispy layer on top leaving decent lacing.

Smells of deep roasted malts with hints of char and unsweetened chocolate.

Tastes similar to how it smells. Mildly harsh roasted malt flavors kick things off and are joined quickly by even deeper dark malt flavors. Midway through the sip moderate amounts of unsweetened chocolate come into play. Finally, mild amounts of char make an appearance before fading out into a solidly bitter ending.

Mouthfeel is good. It's got a nice thickness with smooth carbonation.

Drinkability is OK. I finished my glass without much problem however I would not look forward to another.

Overall, the appearance and mouthfeel were easily about this beer, otherwise the roastiness and lack of balance were too much.

Serving type: on-tap

02-15-2011 02:35:41 | More by glid02

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

4.28/5  rDev +16%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

16 ounce pint - $5.25 at Taco Mac in Woodstock, Georgia.

Appearance: Effectively, a black body, though, as you drink it down, some mahogany shades appear at the edges. Scant, beige head, but they really fill 'er up here at Taco Mac.

Smell: Dark kilned malts, though not overtly roasty or burnt, instead calmly leaning towards sweetish chocolate and caramel.

Taste: Dark maltiness prominently featuring sweet chocolate tones, though a bit Tootsie Roll-esque. Also, some sweet caramel. It's never particularly roasty, at best you're given a hint of sugar sweetened coffee. A few drops of prune juice. Understated hoppiness and a low level of bitterness. Remains chocolaty approaching the finish, picking up a bit of vanilla, and ends with still a bit of residing residual sweetness.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Medium carbonation. Smooth mouthfeel.

Drinkability: Stays on the soft, sweet, malty side of things, making for a pleasing, tasty brew.

Serving type: on-tap

01-27-2011 16:35:56 | More by ChainGangGuy

MTNboy

Missouri

4.05/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I thought this was a nice beer. The little bar I was drinking in as I passed through Asheville had only a few taps and most were local. When I said I wanted to try the beers this one got a few mixed reviews but I enjoyed it. The body was dark it also formed a nice head and lace. The aroma was malty more than anything. The flavor was not overly roasty but just right. The roasty bitterness equaled out the toffee and chocolate tones well. The mouthfeel was just a little bit thinner than most porters. Overall it was a good beer.

Serving type: on-tap

12-26-2010 13:31:07 | More by MTNboy