Porter - Southern Tier Brewing Company

flyingpig

United Kingdom (Scotland)

3.83/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Dark brownish black colour with a light brown to white coloured head that is about a centimetre tall and bubbly before fading to a thin lacing.

Roasted malts and chocolate to begin with, a dark rich chocolate at that. There is a rich and dark fruity aroma, possibly some figs and a sugary, caramel sweetness to it.

Dark roasted malts and some sweet fruits. There is some sugar and touches of vanilla along with rich chocolate and lighter caramel flavours. A nice tasting and very drinkable porter.

Medium bodied with moderate carbonation and a rich, smooth taste that strikes me as a well balanced beer with a roasted malt, bitter finish that rounds things off nicely.

A good example of a porter and one of the nicer beers I have tried of late. This one was a very well balanced beer with good strong flavours in the taste and it made for easy drinking. There is a nice lingering aftertaste.

1001 Beers Blog:
http://abarwithnoname.wordpress.com

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2012 11:14:39 | More by flyingpig

omokoro

New York

4/5  rDev +9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottled stamped DOB: 3/26/2012.

Pours a dark brown with copper highlights. A one finger, light tan head that dissipated into lacing The most prominent aromas earthy, piney hops, chocolate and malt. This beer starts bitter and ends with a hint of smoke. There is a nice malt backbone. Overall this is a very pleasant porter, a style that I am still becoming familiar.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2012 22:29:41 | More by omokoro

Louski

Pennsylvania

4.05/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from bottle into standard pint glass.

Pours a dark black-brown with a very thin layer of tan head. Smells of coffee, chocolate and spice that's typical of a dark porter. Taste and smell go hand-in-hand with a good robust coffee flavor followed by a bitter dark chocolate taste and smooth malty finish. if it lacked anything, it's that extra punch of perhaps alcohol and some mild sweetness. Overall a good beer that i would certainly have again.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2012 17:08:00 | More by Louski

farrago

New Jersey

3.68/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Weak head, maybe half a finger tops of light brown foam, no real lacing to speak of. Immaculate and unblemished black liquid, the rims form a broad orange circle with yellow at the furthermost parts, transparent thereabouts. The nose presents an attractive spine of hops, herbal matter and pressed flowers before yielding the floor to café au lait, milk chocolate, scones, orange peel and cola notes, so much roast and toast, maybe an undercurrent of dark fruits, steady presence and without rough patches. Medium-bodied, the carbonation is soft and downy which adds to the smooth, creamy texture, effortlessly fills in every crevice of your palate. Sweet yet not sugary, hard to imagine more malty roast, all chocolate, cocoa, mocha, coffee, nuts and breakfast baked goods. The orange citrus, pine and pinch of pepper add moderate contrast. Plum and black cherry fruit make a swift appearance. There’s not a lot of nuance nor subtlety here but there’s consistency and richness in spades. Waves of it, in fact.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2012 03:02:26 | More by farrago

LuckyCavendish

2.88/5  rDev -21.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Porters make great winter drinking, but I couldn't decide if I liked this one cold or room temperature. I decided I didn't like it that much either way. The flavor was hollow - it starts with a nice mouth filling roasted coffee blast, but ends empty and stale. Not the worst beer, but a very average beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2012 11:47:34 | More by LuckyCavendish

stewart124

Ohio

4/5  rDev +9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Deep brown to black with some reddish hues. Tan head that didn't last long. Cocoa and some mint in the nose.

Dark caramel with some dark candied fruits up front. Medium bodied with plenty of roasted malts without the astringent bite. Lightly roasted coffee and more cocoa. Some vanilla and toasted notes that blend well with a healthy dose of noble hops.

Really a malt forward porter that comes of very well. Approachable and easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2012 01:58:59 | More by stewart124

jlindros

Massachusetts

3.78/5  rDev +3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Tap at portsmouth brewery

Light fizzy head, slight lacing, dark molasses brown color, hints of brown ruby light.

Nose has a bit of chocolate, milk choc, creamy porter, caramel, hints of earthy hops, a light toasty dry baltic porter like, hint of roast.

Taste is similar, semi sweet chocolate malt, milk choc, toasty malts, caramel, malty flavors, nice earthy decent bittering hops, fluffy, light nougat, soft brown malts. Finish gets a bit spicier hop, light earthy hop, bit more choc, little sticky, almost chalky, light caramel all lingering.

Mouth is fuller bodied, rich and slightly creamy, decent carb

Overall pretty nice, good malts, not too sweet like I've come to expect from ST. Drinkable but doesn't blow my socks off.

Serving type: on-tap

03-07-2012 14:33:21 | More by jlindros

GarthDanielson

New Hampshire

3.58/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a bottle and served in a mug, the beer pours a thin, very dark brown coloring that is black in the depths and has a pencil thin, light brown head that disappears rapidly on the surface of the brew. Aromas of coffee bitterness and roast are highlighted with nutty sweetness and a touch of smoke. On the palate, the beer is crisp, with light, bitter, roasted coffee and earthy undertones blended together on a thin, crisp body. The aftertaste is rich and slick, with a coffee grounds flavor to it. Slick and quick finish, with a slightly bitter feel left behind. Solid brew.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2012 23:51:49 | More by GarthDanielson

thain709

Pennsylvania

3.48/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Pours a lighter brown...almost transparent...with ruby highlights...one finger, off white head disappears in a minute...no lacing left behind

S - Rather light...some roasted malt, chocolate, smoke

T - Again not a lot of flavors jumping out...the roast is nice and it plays through the entire beer...towards the middle it becomes a bit smokey but it's not overpowering...the chocolate is dark and bitter especially towards the finish...the finish also brings out some coffee and light hops

M - Medium bodied...a little light sometimes...the roasty finish could be longer

O - This is a big difference from the other "dark" Southern Tier beers...I understand this a porter and it's brewed year round, but I found myself wanting more after having their big beers

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2012 15:35:22 | More by thain709

UDbeernut

New York

3.53/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

on tap at Miss Lucy's Kitchen in Saugerties, Ny. poured into a cheater pint

Pours a deep dark amber color with ruby on the edges, foamy 1/2" tan head with good retnetion, educes to a small cap. Nose is kind of bland, light roast and chocolate. This is a well balanced porter, roastiness is the main influence mixed with faint chocolate, flower, slight toast. Medium body, tends to feel a bit flat and thick on the toungue. Finishes dry, I wish it had a tad more carbonation to help.

Serving type: on-tap

02-14-2012 22:51:48 | More by UDbeernut

MarcatGSB

Michigan

2.7/5  rDev -26.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Poured from bottle in New Holland tulip. Bottled on date was 06/24/2011.

A: Pours a deep cola color with a lively, prickly, half finger cream head. Nice lacing, clings to the side of the glass, persistently and even.

N: Roasted barley syrup. Very mild, some soft vanilla.

T: Fairly one dimensional. Light initial waves of roasted barley, but not a whole lot more.

M: Dry mouthfeel, with little aftertaste. A good level of carbonation, but no lasting impression.

D and O: Kind of dull and not exciting. Lack of overall character really gives me a bad impression.

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2012 01:50:30 | More by MarcatGSB

sniper061

New York

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

I had this porter at the brewery pulled from the tap. It poured nice and dark like you would expect it too. There was little to no lacing after about 45 seconds. The taste on the front gives you that dark chocolate and subtle fruit feel, on the back of your mouth it gives you just a little bit of hops to enjoy. As usual most of the beers that I drink I drink while eating something. I believe that pairing beers, especially craft beers is something that is very fun to do. Southern Tier Brewery only has a soup du jour and a pulled pork sandwich on its menu. I had the pulled pork sandwich with the Porter and found it to balance the sweetness of the bbq sauce as well as the acidity of the coleslaw. I enjoyed it and brought home a 1/6 keg of it for my home.

Serving type: on-tap

02-12-2012 15:07:51 | More by sniper061

elNopalero

Texas

4.45/5  rDev +21.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I’ve been looking forward to cracking this one open for a while. I don’t get too many Southern Tier brews but they’ve all been delicious.

My bottle was different than the one pictured. Not unusual, but worth noting. No age statement.

This one pours a ruby charcoal with a bit of a foamy top. There’s a distinctive roast aroma on this, with just a hint of dark roast espresso underneath. It’s not bad at all. Tastes roasty up front with a sharp peak and a hint of bitterness on the finish. It’s an easy drinker and one that I’d enjoy again.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2012 22:43:43 | More by elNopalero

mrasskicktastic

New Jersey

3.53/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - A fairly dark brown brew with a small head and no lacing.

S - Coffee, cola, char and hazelnuts.

T - Sweet, black patent, a bit of hazelnuts, hint of both coffee and cola. Aftertaste is pretty flat, only a touch of the foretaste, no real bitterness.

M - Slightly waxy, thin, a little smooth, pretty refreshing.

D - A nice porter - nothing too great, but it is enjoyable. I probably won't buy it again, but I'd drink it if offered.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2012 04:41:14 | More by mrasskicktastic

metter98

New York

3.83/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: The beer is clear but very dark amber in color and has a light amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a thin tan head that quickly died down, leaving a thin film covering the surface and a thick ring of bubbles around the edge of the glass.
S: There are aromas of dark chocolate and coffee beans in the nose.
T: The taste is rather similar to the smell and has flavors of dark bittersweet chocolate, coffee beans and roasted malts. There are some slight hints of bitterness in the finish.
M: It feels light- to medium-bodied on the palate with a low amount of carbonation.
O: This beer is a very easy drinking porter that is also quite flavorful. It’s session so I would have no problem drinking several of these in one sitting.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2012 04:56:16 | More by metter98

SolipsismalCat

Pennsylvania

3.63/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a pint glass. Reviewed alongside Breckenridge Vanilla Porter.

A: Clear dark brown with a half-finger, off-white head that diminished in 30 seconds. Not much lacing.

S: Dark fruit, coffee, and a bit of chocolate.

T: Moderate sweetness and light bitterness. Toasted bready malt. Not as much dark fruit as in the nose. But, the roasted coffee and chocolate flavors are there.

M: Medium bodied with fizzy carbonation. Relatively smooth.

O: Not a bad porter. The head was disappointing, but the nose and flavor weren't bad. I did prefer the Breckenridge Vanilla porter though.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2012 02:52:54 | More by SolipsismalCat

micromaniac129

Pennsylvania

3.85/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a deep chestnut brown with some ruby high lights. Couldn't produce much head, basically just some surface smuge. Carbonation is light at best.
Aromatics are quite nice with a hardy dose of roasted malts. Hints of coffee and black chocolate.
A good tasting porter with a big roasted malt bite.
Coffee and bittersweet chocolate intermingle with the malts quite well. The finish has a light hop bite, not much, just enough to know it's there.
It balances the malts well or should I'd say accents the malts well.
Smooth flowing on the palette and medium weight. This beer finishes slightly bitter and semi dry.
A good example of a porter. Love to have this on cask.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2012 12:24:31 | More by micromaniac129

Dope

Massachusetts

3.63/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: A very dark brown pour with a decent very light brown head. Decent lacing.

S: Fairly light smell. A bit of roasted malt and maybe a little earthy breadiness. Touch of smoke.

T: Roasted malt and a little coffee. Hint of chocolate and smoke in the aftertaste. Simple but effective.

M: Fairly thin and watery, but not overly so. What you would expect from a 5% beer.

O: Not a bad porter. Not big or complex, just a nice drinkable take on the style.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2012 04:08:54 | More by Dope

Dave128

Kentucky

3.65/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a pretty plain looking 12 oz bottle into a pint glass. Brewed with 2 varieties of hops and 5 malts.

A - black in body with ruby highlights. The head was reddish brown but there wasn't much of it. There isn't much that sticks around either. Lacing is non-existent. Not looking very "robust" so far.

S - Smells slightly smoky. Brings out the original roasted grain smell very well but there really isn't much there.

T - Similar to smell. It's smoky and bitter. It's not too bad but there is not enough malt sweetness to back them up.

M - Suprisingly overcarbonated considering there was like no head. Very light in body. Also lacking in the robust adjective.

O - As I've said several times, this porter isn't very robust in several categories. It is pretty average in all of them besides the smell of the malts I can pick out and its pretty clean.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2012 23:46:59 | More by Dave128

bearsxco

Massachusetts

3.58/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured semi opaque dark brown with a slight tan head that dissipates quickly. Slight smell of roasted coffee and chocolate. Semi burnt kind of smell. Bland taste. As with smell, burnt chocolate coffee taste, slight malt flavor. Moderate carbonation. Overall had expected more from Southern Tier, their stouts are excellent.

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2012 00:39:00 | More by bearsxco

tlazaroff

Virginia

3.25/5  rDev -11.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A: Pours out a beautiful dark brown with ruby highlights. The liquor is quite clear. The head is a nice light mocha tan, but thin - no lacing to speak of.

S: Coffee and espresso is what dominate the nose. Big roast followed by a little bittersweet chocolate.

T: Big roast on the taste, It actually tastes like I am chewing on black patent malt, but without the gritty texture of the malt. No chocolate, that seems to reserve itself to the aroma.

M: Moderately carbonation supports the medium body. As I said, it FEELS as if I am chewing black patent malt, and I even though there is no powdery/gritty malt texture, I can still FEEL it. Weird, right?

D: Drinks nicely, I would imagine this would pair well with some sort of tiramisu or some other coffee desert.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2011 06:49:10 | More by tlazaroff

StonedTrippin

Colorado

4/5  rDev +9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

dark and roasty this is a great porter. looks a little red in the glass behind a black chocolate cloak and a moderate thin head. smells like the grill when its going hot, but with some tangy fruiy undertone too. taste is really rich but not sweet, more malty than a lot of porters, and with a definitey dried cranberry type of fruit essence. not sure i fully understand this one, but i absolutely enjoy it. will go for the sixpack not the single next go around

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2011 04:35:06 | More by StonedTrippin

peensteen

Ontario (Canada)

3.6/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Deep brown with ruby highlights, one finger of tan head, minimal lacing left behind. Smell is of bittersweet chocolate, subtle coffee and roasted malts present, mild hop presence leaving a piney scent under the malt. Taste is chocolatey, nice hop bill that is most present in the finish, roast malts, almost berry like aftertaste, moderate bitterness throughout. Medium carbonation, creamy and medium bodied. Not a bad porter despite it being a little one dimensional, serves its purpose and is quite drinkable, would be a nice fall beer as the weather starts to get cooler.

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2011 22:30:40 | More by peensteen

tdm168

North Carolina

3.63/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a deep, dark brown with 1/4" of brown head that fades to a thin lacing. The nose has faint notes of roasted and chocolate malts. The taste has notes of roasted malts and faint coffee, but the flavor is fleeting and doesn't spend much time on the palate. The mouthfeel is medium bodied, smooth, but a little heavily carbonated and dry.

This isn't a bad beer. The flavor could be a little more robust, but overall it's worth checking out.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2011 19:21:57 | More by tdm168

atr2605

New York

3.75/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A-pours extremely dark brown with a tan head with ok retention. Less than I would have expected
S-roasted malt, unsweetened cocoa
T-more of the same with more chocolate flavor in the finish, along with a decent amount of sweetness
M-medium bodied
O-Flavors are can be subtle at times, but overall well crafted. Would have liked to see a little more roasted character in the aroma and flavor.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2011 04:33:38 | More by atr2605