Natas - DC Brau Brewing Co.

blackie

Virginia

4.1/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

growler from the brewery

a: growler split into wide snifters, an attractive cloudy pecan brown in color, capping the surface is a dense, khaki head that retains well

s: the nose seems muted at first, but this beer really opens up after some time to warm - roasted malts invoke flashes of light roast coffee and chocolate, the belgian yeast bringing it's own fruity esters and hints of clove to the mix, the two mesh really - surprisingly - well

m: medium body with a light-moderate level of smooth carbonation, almost creamy, nice

t: flavors especially smooth for a porter - earthy chocolate and dry cocoa, light roast coffee, lots of yeasty belgian character - ripe banana and subtle spice blend in seamlessly, some underlying dark sugars at the start disappear after the swallow, leaving a slightly drying, lightly bitterfinish with lingering flavors of roast

o: always skeptical of an application of belgian yeast to a "normal" beer - can be kinda gimmicky, but this one worked out well, my personal fave from dcb thus far

Serving type: growler

04-07-2013 21:52:25 | More by blackie

ao125

Virginia

4.48/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Serving: Growler into a Troegs Mad Elf snifter.

Appearance: Black. Very black.

Smell: Burnt sugar, coffee, chocolate.

Taste: "Velvety". Sweet and rich. All of the things that you can smell come, through in the flavor.

Both Jeff Hancock and Brian Strumke clearly know their trade. It's evident by the way this delightful combination of DC Brau's Penn Quarter Porter and Stillwater's Folklore come together in a rich, unique brew.

The Belgian yeast and candi sugar propel this beer to great heights (or depths, if you're lighting a candle for lord natas). I can only hope this brew comes back again.

Serving type: growler

03-20-2012 12:53:19 | More by ao125

Daniellobo

District of Columbia

4.1/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Nice collaborative take at softly Belgianizing a somewhat sturdy porter.

Presentation: Growler from DC Brau's NE headquarters. Small dry board with general growler offering notes. Served in a tulip glass.

A - Black pour with dark brown edges, good creamy ecru head, good to medium retention with a nice surface ring and good touches of lacing.

S - Malty nose with soft roasted touches, chocolate and coffee, with a nice fruity sweetness…

T - …. that flows nicely to the palate with a touch of sugar in the background as the roasted porter notes take a driving seat. Very soft fruity notes that ride over a nicely balanced tiny and soft hoppy touch.

M - Medium to medium/full body, soft carbonation again with a nice smooth feel, and a nice nuanced finish.

O - Smooth flow with a nice lingering character. I'm about to pour another one…

Notes: Actually the calmed serving from the growler at home feels far more balanced and enticing as it flows than the couple of samples had at the brewery. It is not too Belgium-prone in the palate and rather offers a subtle sense as it finishes… I'd personally file this as a porter, with a soft Belgian twist. But given that BSDA is so open it might work just as well. Worthy collaboration between DC Brau and Stillwater in any case, and very glad to see things like this moving in the District. Besides the backward spelling, "Natas" also would stand for "Creams" in Spanish, and with this flow that works just as well :P

Serving type: growler

11-20-2011 00:21:54 | More by Daniellobo

CuriousMonk

Virginia

2.68/5  rDev -34.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

On tap at Rustico's poured into a sampler glass. Pours a deep mahogany with a thick and creamy mocha head. Chocolate syrup, cocoa, caramel, candied sugar, roasted coffee, lactose, and vanilla beans in the aroma. Medium-bodied and kinda creamy here and there. Sweet caramel, milk chocolate, and candied sugar upfront taste-wise. Some bitter dark chocolate and roasted coffee towards the end. The finish is a tad dry. There is a yeasty/acidic tanginess which was off putting for me. Didn't like this one.

Serving type: on-tap

02-08-2012 22:41:12 | More by CuriousMonk

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.53/5  rDev -13.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On tap at Churchkey. Served in a snifter.

Pours near-black with a bit of a mocha head. Good nose brings forward some roast and a moderate amount of chocolate. Nothing really coming out of the Belgian yeast. Flavor is mostly chocolate with some backing roast. Nothing too complex, but fairly nice. Medium chewy body with good carbonation. Worth a try.

Serving type: on-tap

02-02-2012 01:26:07 | More by Thorpe429

Chaney

District of Columbia

4.05/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I had this on tap at Churchkey.

A: Extremely dark, and with a glisten that made the brew look like Venom from the Spider-Man fame. A respectable 1/2 finger head accompanied this.

S: This was extremely potent, just the way I like the style: Lots of char, mildly burnt caramel, and a touch of high grade coffee.

T: This wasn't too sweet, nor too bitter, nor too burnt. DC Brau played this one right down the middle. I was really drawn to how well the flavors really came together after a few sips. The bitter, sweet, and astringent all played a delectable trio.

M: This was thick, but I thought it could have been more snot-like, much like most of my favs in the porter arena. The lacing was mildly splotchy, and the lingering was "char-coff-a-phonium" one that I'd love to walk around with all day!

O: I'd rank this up there amongst the finest in the style that I've had this year. Do they plan on canning this stuff?

Serving type: on-tap

12-20-2011 12:33:08 | More by Chaney

mdfb79

New York

4.08/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Had on tap tonight at Churchkey in Washington, DC. Tried the normal version and the cask version which was dry hopped with whole cone centennial hops.

a - Pours a dark mahogany brown, almost black color, with two inches of tan head and moderate carbonation evident. No head retention or lacing on the glass.

s - Smells of coffee, roasted malts, sweet chocolate, and some light vanilla. Really nice nose.

t - Tastes of chocolate, coffee, roasted malts, vanilla, bakers chocolate, and burnt malts. Chocolate comes out a lot in the taste which I love. A slight step up from the nose.

m - Medium body and very little carbonation. A little thin for a

o - Overall a really nice porter...I lov the nose and taste with the chocolate and coffee. Could be a little bit thicker and could use a little more carbonation. Will certainly have again.

___
Dry hopped version: Nose and taste had a ton of pine hops to it, which was nice, but I don't think it added anything. I preferred the normal version much more.

Serving type: on-tap

12-07-2011 01:58:56 | More by mdfb79

smakawhat

Maryland

4.03/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured on tap at Pizza Paradiso Dupont into a tumbler. HORNS UP!!!

What a great looking colored brown cocoa head on this. Head is a good finger with lots of statying power and a slow fall, creamy too. Body is just a solid super dark brown/black walnut throughout, but also a slight red tinge just barely. Real nice.

Nose is chewy roast, mixing with fruity estery banana. Yeasty. Interesting.

Taste is a first rush of banana on the mid palate, complimenting with warm roasting coffee. Bitterness mixes on the finish with many angles: hop, char, powedered bitter cocoa, with a real smooth and tight carbonation that comes off just light enough but lets the dense flavors come out.

Real interesting take on a porter, Lots of fun.

Serving type: on-tap

11-30-2011 18:42:53 | More by smakawhat

drabmuh

Maryland

4.22/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

"Yeast: Wyeast 1762 Belgian Abbey II " yet it is an American style of beer? I wonder how many other American beers are made with Belgian yeast.

Beer is dark brown to black, thin, wispy tan head of small bubbles, some lacing, moderate carbonation.

Aroma is yeasty, sweet, bready, with a fudgy roast.

Beer is a little dry on the finish but the yeast comes through in a big way, strong flavors throughout. A nice little Belgian ale, another success from DC Brau and Stillwater. Well done guys.

Serving type: on-tap

11-21-2011 01:23:41 | More by drabmuh

yourefragile

District of Columbia

4.05/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Sampled at the brewery, a collaboratively brewed Belgian Porter with Stillwater.

Dark milk chocolate color with a bubbly dark tan head, That quickly fades to a bubbly crown. Balanced subtle aroma of candi sugar, molasses, biscuit malt and Belgian yeast. Medium thick, smooth chewy body with low carbonation. Moderately sweet and toasty full bodied flavor, with molasses and brown sugar in the finish. Very nice, balanced and drinkable.

Edit: I entered this beer as a Belgian Strong Dark Ale since it seemed distinctly unique from any American Porter I've had and there is no Belgian Porter category but someone has magically changed this to an American Porter already. Good for them.

Serving type: on-tap

11-19-2011 19:03:27 | More by yourefragile