Moor Porter - Cisco Brewers Inc.

Bierman9

New Hampshire

4.1/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Was in the mood for something porterish today, so I swung by Jaspers. No Smuttynose Baltic Porter... bah! Spotted this from Cisco, and their description took me in. Snagged a 22oz bottle for $4.99. Hope it's worth it; here goes...

Came out of the bottle into my nonic pint looking opaque and dense, a murky brown sliding into the glass like oil into an engine. Head a a rich tan hue, creamy and fine, lasting well with decent lacing. The aroma is lovely! Chocolate and cocoa waft forth, as if I were taking in a brownie dipped in hot fudge sauce. Body is a sliver above medium, though I was hoping it would be nice and chewy. It has an airyness about it which keeps things light on the tongue, though without getting prickly.

Taste follows the aromas lead, hitting you up with milk chocolate notes, some cocoa powder, a smidge of bitter, dark choco, a little mocha, and even a hint of smokiness. Dry from start to finish, the choco malts are ever-present and quite enjoyable. An ever-so-subtle suggestion of floral hops can be detected near the conclusion of things as well. Though nothing that the tickerati would beat the doors down for, this one is solid, fairly-priced, and satisfying. Prosit!!

4.1
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | drink: 4

1314

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2011 22:22:06 | More by Bierman9

Bouleboubier

Pennsylvania

3.65/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 2 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Eyed a thick pad of crumpy sediment at the bottom of the bottle. No bottling/best-by date. Approached with caution. Left at least a good inch of lees in the package.

Hit with the scent of olive and mocha immediately. No roast, no bitter. Not unappealing. Warming tipped the balance in favor of mocha.

Despite what the bottle's label touted, I didn't get nuff head. In fact, almost none. Aggressive enough pour. Just lame. Super black til you hold to the light to reveal deep purple-red.

But it tasted quite good. Cocoa (like they said) and coffee, but no licorice sorry. Barely bitter. Moderate malt concentration/body. Pinch of that olive in the finish. Bordering on watery smooth due to that absence of the bubbles. Good enough to drink real quick though.

I really like their Whale's Tale Pale. This was alright too. Rather do it on tap on location.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2011 05:02:00 | More by Bouleboubier

BurpingtonDC

Maryland

3.43/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Very nice dark brown, almost black. Not much head on it.

S - Not very prominent smell, but notes of coffee, chocolate malt, licorice.

T - Chocolate, coffee, chicory, and sweet toasted malt.

M - full-bodied, low carbonation, taste lingers on the tongue.

D - Not overwhelming or unforgettable, but a very nice, very drinkable Porter of considerable flavor.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2011 01:13:22 | More by BurpingtonDC

ArrogantB

Colorado

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

I was surprised to see this on the shelf since I've barely heard of Cisco. Dark black with a fluffy head, looks like a rootbeer float. Smells roasty, delcious. The flavor had chocolate, roast, malts, pretty good. I was surprised how much I liked this but I'm a sucker for a good porter.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2011 01:05:46 | More by ArrogantB

Satchboogie

New Hampshire

3.78/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz bottle poured into a pint glass

A: Pours black with a 2 finger mocha brown foamy/bubbly head that dissipates over the course of a couple minutes. Has some red tones around the edges when held to the light. Leaves a little lacing.

S: lot of slightly charred and smokey malts, chocolate, coffee, licorice/molasses, a little prune/dark fruit.

T: As with the nose, smoke and a little char seem to dominate the flavor profile. Milk chocolate, dark roasted coffee, there's a little bit of licorice and molasses sweetness, especially towards the finish. Smokiness lends almost to a peat like flavor. Floral hops are barely noticeable in the background. Alcohol is nearly invisible, has a fairly lengthy finish of sweet, smokey, lightly charred malt.

M: Medium to low carbonation. The body seems about an average gravity, just a little bit of viscosity. Fairly smooth and creamy. It's maybe a little on the light side, but other than that it's got a good mouthfeel.

D: While 7%ABV certainly makes this one of the higher gravity porters, the alcohol is nearly invisible to the nose/palate and this goes down fairly easily and smooth, thought the smoke/peat flavors can be a bit too much.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2011 06:46:56 | More by Satchboogie

cooch69

Pennsylvania

3.35/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3

This 22 ounce bomber did exactly what it stated on the label. As soon as I cracked the cap foam spewed out and I had to pour quickly. I almost overfilled the glass and began to suck the suds of the top.

Appearance is wonderful. Dark brown/black colored with an amazingly lush and bountiful foamy tan head. Almost three fingers high.

Nose on this is Like warm pumpernickel bread. Also a nice bit of cocoa in it. It is however distracted by a mineraly and mettalic overtone.

Taste is as stated above pretty metallic. Brown bread, cocoa, and roasted dark malts. Biterness is played through all along, but is not strong. Enough to be noticed without showing off. It seems like more of a grain biterness than a hop presence however they are definetly in there as well.

This beer turned out O.K. for me. I've had better Porter's but this is a well crafted ale.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2011 04:44:59 | More by cooch69

gillis

Massachusetts

4.05/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 22oz bottle into a pint glass.

Dark, dark, dark. Absolutely opaque. No head to speak of, just a few wispy bubbles around the edges and in the center of the top.

The smell is malty, and very chocolatey. Sweet, and there's a little bit of a coffee aroma in there too.

The taste is a roasted and malty, with some chocolate. The bitterness creeps in a few seconds after each sip is taken, but it's more of a roasted coffee bitterness than a hops taste.

Not much carbonation. The mouthfeel is nice and smooth, just short of what i'd call creamy.

This is a nice, drinkable beer for a cold winter night (which is what it is outside...yuck!) It probably isn't my favorite porter, but it is really quite good, and local!

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2011 00:13:58 | More by gillis

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

3.65/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On nitro-tap 1/2/2011 at Doherty's East Ave Irish Pub in Pawtucket, RI, served in a tulip glass.

A: The beer is a deep dark brown color, with a thin dense beige head that fades very slowly and leaves a very thick lace on the glass.

S: The aroma contains coffee, roasted malts and touches of dark fruit and hops.

T: The taste starts out creamy with flavors of coffee, lactose and dark fruit. Then a hearty roasted malt character comes in. The hops presence is very mild but is on-target for this type of beer and provides a decent balance.

M: Smooth and a little crisp but watery, medium body, medium carbonation, finish is slightly sticky.

D: A little tasty, goes down easily, not too filling, decent kick, good representation of style, not the best porter out there but still a decent beer.

Serving type: nitro-tap

01-04-2011 17:09:24 | More by TheManiacalOne

woosterbill

Connecticut

4.03/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 3.5

Nitro-tap at Prime 16 into a shaker pint.

A: Looks like Guinness, but maybe a bit darker both in the body and head. Classic nitro retention and lacing - i.e., ridiculous. I love it.

S: Pure, smooth mixture of roasted and chocolate malt. Maybe a hint of coffee. Simultaneously mellow and rich. Very nice, but a little lacking in complexity - just pure dark maltiness.

T: Follows the nose precisely - lots of sweet milk chocolate backed up with mildly bitter roast + coffee notes. Solid.

M: Silk. Maybe a nitro pour is cheating, but this is just luxurious.

D: Goes down very easily, but not as easily as it would if there were a slightly more noticeable hop presence to balance the malt sweetness. The 7% never makes itself felt at all, though, which is nice.

Notes: What a treat to get a truly flavorful beer out of a nitro tap. Cheers to Prime for giving us a break from Guinness.

Cheers!

Serving type: nitro-tap

11-20-2010 00:23:28 | More by woosterbill

Mora2000

Texas

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

Thanks to Exiled for sharing this bottle.

The beer pours a dark brown to black color with a tan head. The aroma is chocolate with some roasted malt. Pretty basic porter.

The flavor is chocolate, coffee and roasted malt. Nothing fancy, but very well done and easy to drink.

Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2010 04:22:26 | More by Mora2000

biglite351

Pennsylvania

3.1/5  rDev -17.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

A - darker than most porters with just a half inch of red arould the edges. Quick falling medium tan head.

S - rich deep scent. Malts, chocolate, undertone of coffee. BUT, it seems to get bitter after just a minute of breathing.

T - smokey lite licorice, malts, chocolate. Shot of bitterness in the after taste; but more like from dark chocolate or coffee. The bitterness actually lingers too long.

M - okay coating, but no real tingle.

D - I could have one, but would want to switch to something a bit less bitter in scent and taste.

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2010 01:46:01 | More by biglite351

Kinsman

New Hampshire

3.48/5  rDev -7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A dark brown chestnut colored body with reddish light coming through. Capped by a mediocre tan colored head.

Aroma is well hidden it seems, but hints of cocoa and coffee come through. Really subtle on the nose.

Flavor is a little bit of everything you'd expect in a porter. A slight bitterness is offset by a chocolaty sweetness and a slight hint of burnt coffee. Not much of a roasted barley note so its hard to tell whether or not it was included.

Mouthfeel has a medium-light body with a rather smooth feel. Overall a drinkable porter but there are better options at this price point.

Serving type: bottle

09-16-2010 23:23:46 | More by Kinsman

Viggo

Ontario (Canada)

3.88/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22 oz bottle, thanks to grub for sharing!

Pours a hazy and opaque dark reddish brown, a bit muddy, thin tan head forms and settles down to a thin ring around the glass, leaves some lace spots on its way down.

Smell is nice, very sweet and malty, caramel, molasses, some brown sugar, light chocolate, oats, a touch of wood and some vanilla, dark fruit, grapes and raisins, light roast, not bad.

Taste is similar, very toasty up front, raisins, biscuit, caramel, lots of malty sweetness. grapes, lightly woody, some nuttiness, fruity, kind of jammy, nice finish.

Mouthfeel is light to medium bodied with medium carbonation. A pretty neat porter, hides ABV well. Thanks Russ!

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2010 17:44:07 | More by Viggo

Durge

Connecticut

3.63/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3

Found at the Brotherhood of Thieves in Nantucket, this porter shows a thick black brown color with an equally thick creamy tan head that does not fade, Guiness-like at least. Lacing is reasonable. The aroma is a sour charcoal blend with a kiss of sweet malt and cream and mild licorice. Very nice. The flavor is dominantly sour cherry with a malt charcoal mix that mellows as you go. I'm not sure that it's suppose to be quite this sour but it's likable enough. There's a biscuit rhubarb idea here with maple-brown sugar notes, not your typical porter. It's medium bodied with modest carbonation. The nitro surely makes for a creamy smooth feel. The tartness minimizes the drinkability in my book. Generally good stuff, just a bit unusual. Judging by the other review, I think we might have a poor tap here, but the bartender insists not.

Serving type: nitro-tap

08-25-2010 19:46:32 | More by Durge

msubulldog25

Oregon

4.1/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22 oz. of 'new beer' goodness, my first from this brewery. Poured to a pint glass, sent by my East Coast beermonger-ing bud, Metalmonk, a few weeks back.

Simple and attractive label, a somewhat Colonial/Native American woodcut-styling. 'Good fresh beer' - Bottle-Conditioned

A: The requisite ebony/charcoal darkness every porter should aspire to. Topped with a surprisingly fizzy light tan head (cola-like), crests at less than a finger then dwindles rather quickly; the label describes 'a thick and creamy head [that] floats above a black brew', but I don't see a head as advertised. Oh well... What does remain holds as a rim-hugging ring with a spindly film. Scant lacing.

S: Out of the bottle, good chocolate/cocoa powder notes and a deeper woodiness. Dark grain husks and simpler sweet notes later; a good aroma although not too strong nor lasting.

T: OK so good but barely brow-raising in the first scores, but a game-changer here. Taste is as complex as I've found in a porter in a long, long time: burly dark chocolate, an infused coffee roast, ample spices and a trace of smoked wood. Volleys back and forth between gentle sweetness and savory roast, with the measliest hint of sharp tang. Each sip is worth looking forward to: what subtleties will lie within?

M: Crisp and rippling carbonation up front (a little of the 'cola' presence that showed early on), then mellowing to something shy of 'creamy' but certainly mouth-filling. It blankets without a heaviness, a lively prickle renewed at each sip. Mouth-watering, medium body.

D: A pleasure to drink and a beer I'd be happy to serve again and again. A 7% strength (not listed on the label) barely limits drinkability; the bottle was dispatched without incident. Reminds me of a local favorite of mine, Deschutes' Black Butte Porter...kinda think I prefer the Moor just a little over BBP, taste-wise at least. Nice job, Cisco, and thanks again, Jeff!

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2010 22:35:16 | More by msubulldog25

grub

Ontario (Canada)

3.68/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz bottle. sampled aug 2/2010.

pours dark brown, not quite black, and with good clarity. a small dense light brown head forms, dropping slowly with a bit of spotty lace.

aroma is nice. bit of alcohol. dark and milk chocolate. lightly toasted whole wheat bread. bit of biscuit and cracker. big caramel. bit of molasses. touch of coffee.

taste is nice. light alcohol. bittersweet and dark chocolate. caramel. bit of toffee. toasted whole wheat bread. bit of biscuit and cracker. bit of molasses. anise. light roast. just under medium bitterness level.

mouthfeel is good. just over medium body. slightly below medium carbonation level.

drinkability is good. nice balance. good depth. it leans far more toward a stout than a porter, but still a pretty nice brew.

Serving type: bottle

08-02-2010 21:01:52 | More by grub

argock

Virginia

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

Poured from a 22oz brown bomber into a Duvel tulip. No freshness date. Purchased at Wine Warehouse (Charlottesville, VA) for $5.49.

A: Classic dark brown with substantial 3-finger beige big-bubbled, creamy head with good retention and a thin but respectable crust of lace at the top of the glass.

S: Great aroma of chocolate, strong coffee, licorice, and equal parts roasted and toasted malts with a slight bite of char. Hops are earthy and herbal with a bit of a tobacco leaf in there.

T: Great classic aggressive porter flavor with chocolate most prominent but backed by toasted malt, coffee, obvious licorice, and a sharp herbal hops snap. A well-rounded, unassuming porter that really acquits itself nicely in comparison to the best of the bunch.

M: Good porter mouthfeel with active carbonation, medium body, and a very malty, licorice aftertaste.

D: A very good all-around porter. I wish it were priced more competitively to battle Smuttynose's and Founders' porters, but I'll still pick it up occasionally because it's really good classic porter with no one feature out of proportion but all of them done well.

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2010 02:19:31 | More by argock

BeerNinja007

New Hampshire

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

22oz bomber from the Lebanon Co-op grocery. Pored cold into a chilled pint glass.

A: Nearly black brew yields 1" of dirty brown head. Settles to a creamy thick layer that leaves thick lacing.

S: Nice fresh round smoke note up front, some bitter dark chocolate and robust dark roast coffee, maybe a little skunky yeast.

T: Smoke and minerals. Then some chocolate/ coffee notes, a pinch of green grassy hops.

M/D: Medium-heavy body, creamy and a bit carbonated. Good example of the style, though the minerals are an interesting twist.

Reminds me a lot of Harpoon's 100-barrel oyster stout, though a bit less skuny and minerally. I could drink this stuff all night. Well-rounded, solid 4s.

Serving type: bottle

07-20-2010 03:15:01 | More by BeerNinja007

beertunes

Washington

4.33/5  rDev +15.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Received in a trade (I don't remember from who, probably GoGriz, but maybe Vermonthiker), thanks to whoever sent this to me.

Poured into 10oz glass. Poured very lively, a tall lively head that had long lasting retention and no lacing. The beer was black, no translucence.

The aroma was very smoky and peaty, with a nice malt base. On the tongue, the beer was very effervescent, bubbly all the way across the tongue. There were strong peat and smoke flavors.

As far as body, the beer was a bit thin for the style, but that didn't hurt this beer at all. Drinkability was very good, for a peaty beer, this is an easy drinker.

Overall, this is a fantastic beer. I want more. This is a must try if you get the chance.

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2010 21:42:00 | More by beertunes

Metalmonk

North Carolina

3.53/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a good-looking two-finger light tan head, creamy and fluffy. Lasts a long while before leaving some lace as it minimizes. Color is as black as a porter can get, totally opaque and just a hint of dark red highlights when held to light.

Aroma is a very forward thing of smoke, cocoa and mineral. Dry, earthy and to-the-point.

Smokiness and bitter burnt chocolate dominate on the tongue, with some flaked cocoa and nutty coffee roast coming in. I don't detect the licorice character noted on the label. Mineral stoniness to the flavor as well, right into the finish (what little finish there is -- the smoke flavor hangs around long after the rest of the finish fades). A ghost of tartness/sourness lingers way in the background, wanting to be like those ancient traditional porters, but not quite getting there. A minuscule hint of milk sweetness flashes by, but I wonder if that's just wishful thinking, because this could use a little sweetness or juiciness or something.

Pretty dry stuff, with good balance of carbonation and a fuller, milkier feel. Glides down easily with a decent degree of slickness. No stickiness.

Fairly one-dimensional, but certainly well made, delivering all the heartier aspects of the porter style. I could live without it, but would never turn it away. Worth a shot if you're a porter fan.

Serving type: bottle

07-01-2010 23:10:19 | More by Metalmonk

clayrock81

Virginia

3.53/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured an almost blackish body with 2-finger offwhite head that is foamy and dies slowly. A real faint dry malt smell of some cocoa and coffee but not much happenin' in the nose. Real smooth due to a light body and slightly sticky and prickly thanks to carbonation. A light chocolate malt sweetness along with some bready/coffee malts for a dry finish. Light and subdued and easy to drink but I expected more.

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2010 10:16:40 | More by clayrock81

afausser

Virginia

4.2/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

I'll admit that I had to try this one just cause it was from the Cape...hehe

Appearance: Pours an extremely dark brown, sort of the color of root beer, with a thin mocha head that disappears rather quickly like soda carbonation. It's actually darker than root beer though and only shows that color near the edges--otherwise, it's pretty pitch black and almost terrifying, obliterating the text on the side of the glass. Once the head disappears, it looks flat save for tiny carbonation bubbles rising to the top here and there on one side, and a mocha foam on the other (extremely odd). On the one side it looks somewhat normal for a porter that's been sitting out a few minutes. On the other side, it looks flat and kind of scary. There's a sheet of fine, pretty lacing, but it doesn't stick one bit.

Smell: I can smell this one from a couple feet away as I write this, and the smell wafting from afar is extremely excellent. Coffee and cocoa are the heavy and dominant notes here, with dark fruits such as cherries and raisins wafting up in the nose. Slight caramel notes are mixed in, as well as some bitter burnt toast and smoke notes--maybe even a hint of bacon cooking, though as a vegetarian I am pretty sensitive to that smell. Slight peppermint.

Taste: The taste is superb as well. Chocolate, Peppermint, Coffee, Licorice, and burnt toast blend together extremely well. Typical porter notes blend in with some sour cherries. The hops are understated on this one, and it is smooth, creamy, and malty. Light and simple, but with just enough complexity to keep this one interesting.

Mouthfeel: The mouthfeel, as somewhat evident from the slightly off-putting experience, is not great. Extremely low carbonation means this one is pretty flat. There are some little bubbles, but it feels like it's been sitting out open for a few hours. I don't know if this is typical or a bad bottle. I can see what this one would be like if the carbonation were bumped up a bit, and it's got a lot of promise.

Drinkability: Easily drinkable. Despite the mouthfeel, this one goes down easily, with great smell and taste. Now if the carbonation were bumped up, it would be a perfect porter to session (can you session a 7%?).

Serving type: bottle

05-31-2010 02:57:02 | More by afausser

oregonskibum

Oregon

3.85/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 22oz bottle into a tulip glass.

A: Color is really dark brown, bordering on pitch black. Pours with a one inch tan head that dies off pretty quickly, leaving a thin ring and some lacing on the glass.

S: Coffee dominates the smell, although it's borderline burnt coffee. Some faint chocolate and piney hop notes. The smell overall is pretty mellow though.

T: Light roasted malts and chocolate up front followed by a return of the burnt coffee flavors. Finish has some faint hoppy bitterness, although the coffee is really the primary flavor on the finish.

M: Medium to heavy body, although not out of style. Medium-low carbonation.

D: I thought the burnt coffee flavors were a little much up front, but overall, this was an enjoyable porter and something I would have no problem drinking again.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2010 02:42:05 | More by oregonskibum

Pencible

Virginia

3.75/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This poured a nearly opaque black mahogany with moderate tan head. It smelled like fresh roasted coffee with earthy dark chocolate and a bit of lemon. It tasted like burnt coffee with earthy dark chocolate, and some rusty copper hops. It was slightly thick with moderate carbonation, and had a bitter aftertaste. Overall this had a decent scent and taste, but had some lingering dirtiness. The body was good but not great. This was generally easy to drink, but ended up only being a mediocre beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2010 18:54:16 | More by Pencible

lordofthewiens

Maine

3.93/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This beer was a very dark brown color with a small tan head. The head faded quickly but left a little lacing. It had an aroma of coffee and chocolate. The coffee smelled a little on the burned side. Tasted mostly of chocolate. Some coffee too, but I was expecting more after the stronger coffee aroma. It was a little on the thinner side, but still quite nice.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2010 11:58:35 | More by lordofthewiens