Summit Great Northern Porter - Summit Brewing Company

metter98

New York

3.9/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

On-tap at Barcade, Jersey City, NJ

A: The beer is jet black in color and poured with a thin creamy tan head that gradually faded away and left a ring of bubbles around the edge of the glass.
S: There are light to moderate aromas of burnt malts, espresso and bittersweet chocolate in the nose.
T: The taste is very similar to the smell (but stronger in strength) and has flavors of espresso and roasted malts.
M: It feels light- to medium-bodied, smooth and a bit watery on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: The beer goes down rather easily and is quite flavorful despite its thin body.

Serving type: on-tap

07-24-2011 21:42:06 | More by metter98

MisterTiat

Minnesota

3.9/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Black and opaque. Cream brow colored head with nice lace. Aptly named based on looks

S: roasted grains hit the nose, can smell a little hops behind it

T: This beer tastes like roasted coffee, followed by malty sweetness, hop bitterness at the end with lingering coffe grounds taste, very pleasant to drink on cold MN days.

M: The beer sloshes around the mouth and sticks well to the tounge and cheeks. Leaves a nice roasty coat on the mouth

D: Good to warm you up, but its not like you can syphon this stuff, and after 1 or 2 you have your fill.

Serving type: on-tap

11-18-2009 21:09:23 | More by MisterTiat

NJpadreFan

New Jersey

4.33/5  rDev +13.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Summit- Porter

A- Deep brown/black with a thick heavy lacing head Good messy lacing.
S- Deep roasted coffee beans, oatmeal, and caramel.
T- Good medium roast coffee, oatmeal, and caramel malt with a nice creamy touch of vanilla.
M- very smooth creamy malt gives way to a foamy milk chocolate bitter slight bitter finish.

Overall- Delicious! Huge flavors and very smooth. Highly recommended.

Serving type: on-tap

12-27-2008 23:55:40 | More by NJpadreFan

tempest

Pennsylvania

3.78/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

In this age of barrel-aged imperial rye porters, this is just a classic American porter. It looks good with a dark brown body and tan head. The aroma is of dark, dry roasted grains. And the flavor adds a touch of chocolate to the mix. The balance is spot on, dry and drinkable, yet still a bit sweet. This is a good session beer, a simple one, but tasty and it won't knock you off your stool.

Serving type: on-tap

04-04-2008 05:13:37 | More by tempest

ajhod

Nova Scotia (Canada)

4.13/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Just tapped a home draught system with this and the Summit ESB. The Porter has a good strong espresso coffee taste to it, nice fresh grains coming thru. Hops in the back end, but not agressive. Not overly sweet either. A good cool weather beer, suitable for drinking fairly large amounts of as it has a moderate alcohol content.

As it warms up, the roast malts come out more and carry with them a caramel/molassas flavour on the back of the tounge. Opened to the air for about 10 min, it gets a roundness to it which is very pleasant.

Good beer for smoking a pipe of nice british style tobacco with. Sit back and let this one open for a while.

Good to go with a good lamb stew.

Serving type: on-tap

01-29-2008 03:43:55 | More by ajhod

BigBry

Alberta (Canada)

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

While in St. Paul, wanted to try something local. Summit Pale Ale is by far the most popular, but was lucky enough to find the porter on tap.
Deep, dark brown (almost black) color with a nice light tan foam. Thin head that shrinks to a floating cap, and left some thin lacing.
Smells of roasted malt, chocolate and a touch of smokiness. Good flavors with some chocolate malt sweetness, also could taste some coffee, and dried fruits. Enough bitterness in the finish to balance. Medium bodied mouthfeel with decent carbonation. A very well put together porter, now that I have had it, will probably search out again.

Serving type: on-tap

04-04-2007 13:43:02 | More by BigBry

zjungleist

Illinois

3.48/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

On tap at the Summit Brewing Company. Deep brown, yeilding a little ruby to the light, with a short tan head. Smell was a little lacking in intensity, but some malty chocolate and a touch of hops came through. The taste was mainly cocoa, and a high cabonation taste, with some hops in the aftertaste. Mouthfeel was thin and bubbly, at least for the style, I thought. Almost lager-like. Drinkability was decent, becuase the beer did display a lack of any real flaws, and was light enough to put several away.

Serving type: on-tap

09-12-2006 03:17:26 | More by zjungleist

teg8612

Texas

4.25/5  rDev +11%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Never fresher than when you get to try it at the Brewery.

A- Deep brown, chocolate and chestnut tones. Brown head that settles to a thin layer and hangs around.

S- Roasted coffee beans, rich chocolate and toasty malts

T&M- Very rich, cocoa flavor gives way to roast coffee beans. Finish is thick and rich with toasted malts and slightly bitter like they where overcooked or left brewing in the pot too long. Hop bitterness is is strong and leaves a clean, balanced finish. A porter can't be light and this isn't. Very substantial, not too creamy. The taste doesn't really build to a level where I want to stop drinking this though.

D- Not a really strong porter, it makes a good choice for having multiples. A little too heavy for the summer months but still a good choice for the cooler evenings. One of my favorites from Summit.

Serving type: on-tap

09-06-2006 15:16:03 | More by teg8612

BeerIsland

Pennsylvania

4.33/5  rDev +13.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I had a pint on tap at The Drafting Room in Spring House PA and was very impressed. It came out a beautiful deep brown/black color, capped with a nice head that gave way to some pretty lacing as it went down. The Great Northern gave off some nice malt and coffee notes as I brought it up to taste. The flavor was wonderfully balanced and nicely hopped with more coffee coming through. Smooth all the way with very nice finish. A great beer.

Serving type: on-tap

02-11-2006 16:50:04 | More by BeerIsland

Hhawk06

Massachusetts

3.9/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had this one at the end of a very educational and well organized tour of the plant in St. Paul. It looked very good off of the tap with a mostly black-to-very-deep-brown body and a smallish bubbly tan head. The nose is pale and hoppy, a little different than what I anticipated. The mouthfeel can best be described as prickly bitter. There are a couple of intermingling flavors involved here; chocolate to spruce to a citrus kick. Innovative. The finish has a puckering lemon surge. Overall, a good brew and different (always good for bonus points).

Serving type: on-tap

02-01-2005 01:37:35 | More by Hhawk06

Bierguy5

Ohio

3.8/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a dark brown, almost black. No highlights. Tan, foamy head. Pretty good head retention. Nice lace on the glass. Roasty smells, and slightly nutty. Deep roasted malt combined with a good amount of hops. Nice amount of bitterness. Hopped prety good. Almost comes close to a stout. Medium body, low carbonation. Dry-ish cocoa powder finish. I enjoyed this one, a good porter.

Serving type: on-tap

01-09-2005 05:38:57 | More by Bierguy5

MikeAAL

Wisconsin

4.45/5  rDev +16.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This is a very good Porter. Rich and full bodied.

It pours very dark with a thick tan head. Really impressive lacing.

Smells like coffee and roasted malts.

Tasted like coffee, roasted malts and with some bitter chocolate.

Thick, nice body and creamy with a clean, dry finish.

Definately a good Porter.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2013 23:09:13 | More by MikeAAL

wac9

Pennsylvania

2.73/5  rDev -28.7%
look: 5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

i want to like this beer it looks great in a glass but that hint of hoppiness that turns me off those of you like hoppiness its good for you but the just the hint of hoppiness leaving a bitter aftertaste in my mouth just turns me off can do hoppiness so i can like this beer go find another but leave this for those hop heads

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2013 02:09:48 | More by wac9

JWU

Pennsylvania

3.74/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

12oz. bottle poured into a porter glass

A- deep, dark brown, barely any light gets through except on the very edges. Nice light tan head, decent lacing

S- Heavy on the roasty malts, and very coffee forward. No real sweet smells to speak of.

T- Coffee. Tons of it. A touch of cocoa, but big roasty, coffee flavors abound. No real sweetness.

M- A touch thin, and a bit dry.

O- A pretty straightforward porter. Not quite up to snuff with the top tier like Founders, but it's pretty tasty.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2013 00:42:08 | More by JWU

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.98/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Served in a Lagunitas mason jar.

Sounds like the name of a large ship... Anyway, this stuff pours a dark blackish-brown topped by a finger of sandstone foam. The nose comprises roasted malts, very light hickory smoke in the background, and a solid amount of cocoa powder. The taste brings in more of the same, with a drier (though still quite light) smoke contingent. The body is a light medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a fairly dry finish. Overall, though a tad thin, this is a pretty tasty porter. Good times.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2013 20:02:43 | More by TMoney2591

scot_chale

Minnesota

4.31/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

A- Beautiful beer. Very dark brown, almost black. A 1/4" head that hangs out.

S- Sweet malt and nutty- not very pronounced though. You really have to jam your nose in to get the aroma.

T- I could hang out with this beer. It's got great flavor- coffee, chocolate, coffee, malty, and a very faint hoppiness, but it's balanced and easy drinking. It's on the "session" side of American Porters, but it is far from watery or thin. I would give it a 5 if the hop bitterness dried up a little sooner, but that's the only improvement I'd like to see.

M- Medium carbonation, medium body, and leaves a silky sort of texture. it's not dry, and the flavor that hangs out is very delightful.

O- Best american porter that I've had so far. Simply delicious, sessionable, and traditional all at the same time. I really love this beer. I would buy a case and pick through it all winter.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2013 21:21:35 | More by scot_chale

SerialHiker

Illinois

3/5  rDev -21.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Appearance: Pours a deep, dark brown…Khaki colored head is about an inch thick…(3/5)

Smell: Chocolate, sweet dark fruits, roasted malts…(3/5)

Taste: Roasted malts with some sweetness...a touch of chocolate…earthy hops bitterness comes midway…a bit creamy and smoky at the same time…(3/5)

Mouthfeel: Medium feel and carbonation…there is a bit of fluff there that does present mild bitterness, creaminess and chocolatiness…toasted after taste…(3/5)

Overall: It’s good, but not great…the roasted malts are nice but go too far and leaves all other flavors behind…it looks and smells fantastic…I will say, it does taste better after a spell out of the fridge...the chocolate flavor strengthens and does more to balance out the malts…it’s a much better beer 20 minutes into the experience…(2.75/5)

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2013 23:36:17 | More by SerialHiker

wiscokid920

Wisconsin

4.14/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

12oz Bottle poured into pint glass

A- Dark, cola colored with a 1 finer tan fluffy head with excellent retention and lacing.

S- Coffee, chocolate, and Roasted Malts. Smells delicious!

T- Light sweetness with mild bitterness. Coffee, roasted malts, and dark chocolate.
Absolutely delicious!

M- Medium bodied, nice carbonation, creamy smooth finish.

O- I really enjoyed this one. Excellent all around. A superb offering!

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2012 04:59:45 | More by wiscokid920

RickS95

Indiana

3.25/5  rDev -15.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

The beer is a looker. Fills the glass with an extremely dark brown color. Around the edge, there are some lighter shades of red. The head is a couple fingers of fluffy off-brown bubbles. Good retention, minutes worth, and a killer lace left behind.

Lots of malt greets the nose, caramel mostly. A bit of smoke and the slightest hit of coffee round out the scents.

Malt and hops greet the tongue with that bit of coffee making an impression.

It lacks the sweetness I was looking for in a porter, tasting a bit more like a stout. More bitter that I was hoping for and none of it was offset by the malts. The bitterness coats the tongue and continues well into the swallow.

Looks and smells better than it tastes. I don't want a lot of bitter in darker beers, especially from a porter. Could use more heat and bite from the alcohol.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2012 04:22:32 | More by RickS95

SolipsismalCat

Pennsylvania

4.03/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a pint glass.

A: Dark red-brown with giant three-finger, tan, creamy head that lasted a long time. Great lacing.

S: Coffee and chocolate. Roasted malt.

T: Light to moderate sweetness and light bitterness. Chocolate and coffee and roasted malt matches the nose.

M: Medium bodied with fizzy carbonation. Smooth.

O: Nice porter. The look and smell were especially appealing.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2012 01:50:55 | More by SolipsismalCat

JuicesFlowing

Kansas

3.83/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a balloon glass.

The beer is a dark cola black with brown only coming through on the edges. A cream colored head recedes quickly to a film and random bubbles. Light webbed lacing sticks to the glass.

The nose has something spicy about it with some black licorice coming through. Also barley and dark roasted malts are detected.

The taste starts out with some syrupy sweetness. Right through the middle there's again a little bit of a spicy component, but mostly roasted malts and bitter chocolate presents itself. The finish is rich and dry with some biter hops finally coming through.

The mouthfeel is carbonated and dry.

Overall, this porter has a not of spice in it, not unlike cinnamon. Spicier and sweeter than most porters, yet still has the biter coffee and chocolate components as well.

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2012 10:05:39 | More by JuicesFlowing

Mora2000

Texas

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

The beer pours a dark brown color with a tan head. The aroma is full of chocolate and roasted malt, with a hint of sweetness. The flavor is very nice. I get some bitter chocolate notes, as well as a hint of chocolate and some roasted malt. The beer is fairly sweet, with some brown sugar notes coming through in the flavor. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation. A very nice porter.

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2012 04:09:12 | More by Mora2000

JamesMN

Minnesota

3.85/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: Opaque black with just a hint of dark brown hue on the edges. Light brown one finger head.

Aroma: Roasted coffee and chocolate. Definitely malt forward.

Taste: The roasted coffee from the nose comes through as bitter black coffee. A nice roasty presence on the edge of the palate. Ends with the coffee bitterness.

Mouthfeel: A little on the thin side and easily drinkable.

Final Thoughts: This beer has everything going for it in the appearance and aroma departments but falls a little short on taste. Still a very solid porter!

Serving type: bottle

08-04-2012 23:28:44 | More by JamesMN

RoamingGnome

Wisconsin

3.93/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from 12 oz bottle into pint glass. Served slightly chilled.

A) Nice looking Porter brown. A gentle pour still yielded a nearly 3 finger head over the top of the pint. A nice rocky head remained for the duration, looked like a root beer float. Nice lacing too.

S) Pretty mild aroma, but there was some roasted malt, along with a slightly sweet scent of caramel, perhaps maple syrup. It was a little oaky/earthy.

T) Near the nose but more flavor than indicated above. There is a nice coffee presence, and a earthy hop bitterness. The finish and aftertaste are a slightly charred/roasted.

M) Medium body, about the same for carbonation. Really quite smooth and creamy.

O) Quite a nice porter. A very easy drinker, and a solid option if you are in the mood for this style. Glad to recommend.

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2012 20:22:38 | More by RoamingGnome

frankiepop

Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

This is a nice dark sweet and smooth porter. This is not an over do it type of porter. This is well balanced for smoothness. So what goes with this dark smoothie? I would listen to either Miles Davis Bitches Brew recording or Queen Latifah's Dana Owen cd.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2012 05:35:22 | More by frankiepop