Old Viscosity - Port Brewing Company / Pizza Port

Murrhey

Montana

3.53/5  rDev -15.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured on-tap at The Lost Abbey in San Marcos, Calif. Reviewed live.

A- Mocha head with a minute long retention. Nice ringed lacing. Black as night.

S- Deep chocolate smells, coffee and sweet cocoa. Smells deep and dark. A bit intimidating.

T- Coffee and dark malts. Chocolate and deep dark flavors.

M- Absolutely thick and sludgey, this beer is crazy.

O- Good beer. Bitter and dark as hell.

Serving type: on-tap

11-16-2012 04:25:38 | More by Murrhey

HopHead84

California

4.2/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

5/13/2012

On tap at Lost Abbey.

A: Near black with a slight reddish tinge near the bottom of the glass. Big frothy light brown head.

S: Earthy and very roasty with expressive dark chocolate notes. Light licorice presence with a touch of blackstrap molasses.

T: Pronounced roasted grain presence with bittersweet dark chocolate. A little licorice with an upper low earthy bitterness. Well hidden alcohol throughout but it rears its head in the finish.

M: Full body with upper moderate carbonation. The mouthfeel is full, silky, and chewy.

Overall: It's unfortunate for Old Viscosity that Older Viscosity is such a phenomenal beer because sometimes this gets overlooked. Old Viscosity is a fantastic beer, though, and one I should enjoy more often.

Serving type: on-tap

05-14-2012 05:10:53 | More by HopHead84

Heavenisbeer

Georgia

4.45/5  rDev +7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Church Key in SF.

A: Plum coloring. No head with beautiful lacing.

S: Toasted malts, dark dark fruits (raisins and plums).

T: Tastes just like a superb BW with some nice chocolate notes. Very interesting and unique.

M: Creamy and coating. Not dry in the least.

Serving type: on-tap

02-02-2012 08:29:19 | More by Heavenisbeer

bnes09

Illinois

3.83/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Dirty oil colored brew. Opaque. Thin head. Minimal retention and no lacing.

Big aroma of coffee, maple and dark fruits. Sweet overall.

Flavor is massive! Most prominent of which is the maple syrup with enough sweetness for two beers of this strength. Prune juice adds to the sweet flavor. Hops attempt to balance but do a horrible job. Roasted malt finally surfaces with a mild coffee and roasted almond bitterness. Black licorice spice adds depth. Complex, rich and sweet.

Dense and syrupy ale. Viscous as hell and definitely lives up to the name. Low carbonation.

Not too bad. They over did the maple a bit in my opinion. Still a complex, desert-like treat.

Serving type: on-tap

11-07-2011 02:03:18 | More by bnes09

chadlebald

California

4.58/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Part of my Sunday brunch in the south bay of LA.

Waitress incorrectly told me they had a porter called 'viscosity' and I ordered. But was all like, "wait, isn't that an imperial? And a stout?" but anyway...

Was poured into a chimay glass, which allowed a ruby-black color to come through.

Aroma was very intense--sweetness and roasted coffee notes. Can clearly tell it's a high abv beer.

Taste is warming--dark malts, smoky and well balanced. Finishes dry.

Packs a punch but you want to keep drinking it.

Serving type: on-tap

09-25-2011 20:26:35 | More by chadlebald

alenonbeeradv

California

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

a - creamy frothy head leaves a cocoa and tan brim. solid brown black hue totally non transparent.

s - chocolate, coffee, sweet, slightly smokey. similar to a stout.

t - dirty and tainted cocoa and chocolate. kinda nutty and bitter. more wood and earthy tones and is warms.

m - medium carbonation and consistancy. smooth and silky. long bitter chocolate coffee bean aftertaste which a pleasant finish.

o - nicer on tap than the bottle. nice one.

Serving type: on-tap

06-13-2011 08:58:32 | More by alenonbeeradv

mactrail

California

3.93/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Inky black in the chalice at Pizza Port in Ocean Beach, Calif.

Modest head, some lacing. Huge flavors, really rich, and full of fruit. Seems hot and spicy. Chocolate and burnt caramel. Big bitterness to match the sweet malt. Vanilla oak rises out of the heavy stew of flavors. Cloys a little after a while. Not so good with food. Make it a small one for after dinner or that half-hour classic TV rerun.

There are several Imperial Stouts that deliver knock-out flavors with a fine smoothness. So it's another one for the list.

06-20-2012 Update - Rich, dark, thick-- everything a RIS should be. Not overly sweet, but full of malt. Not too bitter but nicely hopped with plenty of charred barley and burnt sugar. Some nice smoothness from the barrel aging. And at $6 a pint, a bargain.

Serving type: on-tap

05-19-2011 05:08:29 | More by mactrail

notchucknorris

California

3.88/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Absolutely jet black with the slightest head that disappears pretty quickly. Looks like a glass of tar...in a good way!

S: Really heavy smell with a lot of coffee and a hint of bourbon.

T: Beastly. This is without a doubt the thickest beer I have ever come across. Taste starts with a slight dark fruit sweetness and then dives into the most bitter coffee I've ever tasted. This beer is crazy. I don't think I could take more than a glass of this one.

Serving type: on-tap

02-23-2011 14:16:03 | More by notchucknorris

EricCioe

Montana

3.75/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

On tap at the University of Chicago pub. This poured a really nice black with a one finger tan head and some lacing up at the top. On the nose I got signs of bitterness to come in the taste that were really nice and non-astringent, perhaps some roasted malt and coffee, and cocoa underneath it all. In the mouth the cocoa kind of disappeared for me and it was mostly roasted malt with just a hint of smoke, all with a surprising medium body, tons of carbonation, and a bit of nice alcoholic heat that carried it all down. A strange brew, kind of all over the map. Will revisit later.

Serving type: on-tap

02-15-2011 15:41:08 | More by EricCioe

thedoubler55

New Jersey

4.13/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at the Taco Mac Kenessaw Georgia!

A- Very dark brown in appearance, with a brown head that leaves some nice lacing after each sip.

S- Smell of dark fruits, as well as some dark malts, notes of coffee, vanilla and dark chocolate throughout.

T- Taste is exactly like the nose, strong taste of dark chocolate and vanilla and some slight taste of dark fruits.

M- Medium bodied goes down very smoothly, almost no carbonation at all

D- Definitely an easy drinker and great tasting brew from Port! Would love to have this one again!

Serving type: on-tap

02-03-2011 20:09:53 | More by thedoubler55

jabergess

Georgia

4.25/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Had at Taco Mac Mall of Georgia, where they finally picked up more outstanding California beers.

Minimal head. Does anyone really care? Ok I do because I get more in my glass.

What can I say to make you want to try this beer, because you really should if you care about this style at all. The alcohol is there, I won't lie. But it blends nicely with the chocolatey goodness. It's not an overly sweet chocolate like say Southern Tier's Chokolat which tastes like Hershey's syrup. Nor is it a very dry cocoa, dry taste. It is somewhere in the perfect inbetween.

Did this convince you to give it a go? No?

Serving type: on-tap

01-28-2011 01:14:38 | More by jabergess

glid02

Georgia

4.2/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On-tap at the Brick Store during the LA/Port kick-off.

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

Smells of robust roasted malts, grainy coffee, semi-sweet chocolate, and light molasses, in that order.

Tastes similar to how it smells, though not quite as complex. Big roasted malt flavors kick things off and are joined quickly by moderate amounts of semi-sweet chocolate flavors and smaller amounts of char. Midway through the sip hints of coffee come into play, further drying out the flavor profile. Hints of vanilla come into play near the end of the sip, carrying through to a solidly bitter ending.

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

Drinkability is very good. I finished my glass quickly and could easily have a few more.

Overall I remember being more impressed with this beer from the bottle. I did pick up on coffee notes that I didn't find in the bottle version, though they did fade a bit as the beer warmed. A solid beer for the style and well worth a shot.

Serving type: on-tap

01-22-2011 17:08:46 | More by glid02

GarthDanielson

New Hampshire

4.2/5  rDev +1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured on-tap at the Port/Lost Abbey Brewery. The beer comes out jet black with no head. Slight blend of coffee and malt on the nose. Bitter coffee flavor balanced with a sweet spice (ginger?), and undertones of bittersweet chocolate. The beer has an increased carbonation, making it sharp in mouth and leading to a crisp aftertaste. The aftertaste is somewhat sour, which is surprising with all the sweet and bitter flavors. The bittersweet chocolate is also present in the aftertaste. Crisp, dry finish. Good stout to drink.

Serving type: on-tap

12-29-2010 05:37:23 | More by GarthDanielson

Retsinis

California

4.15/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Served in a Chimay Chalice at Instant Replay.

I wonder if they named this beer after they made it. It pours like motor oil, black sunshine with less than an inch of dark brown head. The head fades quickly to just lacing.

The Aroma is of a roasted espresso, toasty malts, chocolate, some vanilla. It all masks the alcohol well.

On taste, much like the aroma, molasses, coffee, sweet malt, & dark chocolate. Well balanced for the style. The alcohol is there, but not intrusive.

Mouthfeel, again the name. It is quite full, smooth, with just a hint of the abv. Carbonation was not an issue since it was on draft. The roasted malts are the most present on the finish as well.

Overall it's a very solid Imperial Stout, and enjoyable. Pricing was great this time, $4 for this serving. The Bombers in the store are also nicely priced.

Serving type: on-tap

12-28-2010 23:47:25 | More by Retsinis

TheStove

Illinois

4.13/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

WHOA!!! This is a big beer and I have no idea why I was disinclined to try this before.

Had on tap at the Local Option in Chicago. Poured into a snifter, resulting in a nice black orb with a small finger of head.

Exceptionally vinous, almost like having a thick brandy. Nice and boozy but that didn't dominate the drinking experience. The effect of the bourbon aging was very apparent with tastes of cocoa, maple and molasses giving way to some light fruit (raspberry?) notes. Almost vaguely reminiscent of having a port with some sort of fruit enhanced chocolate.

Again a pretty big yet enjoyable beer. I was reminded of Bell's Batch 9000 while sipping this just minus the licorice flavors. Excellent beer, I'd be happy to let this one get me in trouble and will look to have some in my fridge.

Serving type: on-tap

08-21-2010 05:44:24 | More by TheStove

blackc5

Washington

4.13/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Had this on-tap, so it was served with no real head. Just a thin coating of foam that did linger. Nice lacing though, and it was surely the deepest of blacks.

S - Slightly boozy on the nose, but mostly dark roasted malts dominated by molasses, espresso, and dark fruit.

T - Well, this is no Older Viscosity, which I vastly enjoy more, but it is still a quite nice RIS (despite whatever it is classified as on here...). Like the nose, it surely has its boozy quality, but for the most part tastes like a very pleasant mix of espresso and dark fruit (dates and figs) with a bit of bourbon and grains. Molasses sweetness, but not too much. No real hops detected.

M - Quite smooth, thick and chewy. Medium carbonation. Pleasant.

D - For the style, pretty good. it surely tastes great and finishes easy enough. You do feel the ABV and there is a bit of the alcohol burn as you drink. Not enough to take away from it being a great beer however.

Serving type: on-tap

06-25-2010 03:13:27 | More by blackc5

DNICE555

Connecticut

4.22/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a snifter during a wii snowball fight and ski jump tournament with Deisel.

Looks like what you what expect to see in a Porter. Very nice light brown head rises up. Dark body with the viscosity of felsic magma.

Smells like a Russian Imperial Stout. Definitely getting some bourbon as well.

Taste transcends many different styles. To me it's most similar to a stout. Very tasty. This is a strong ale that has definitely spent some time at the gym and done some cycles. Huge body, huge flavor. The 10 percent delivers a slight warming but is barley noticeable. This offering is right up there with some solids stouts I've had.

Serving type: on-tap

04-27-2010 16:13:00 | More by DNICE555

fitzy84

Massachusetts

3.78/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Had at Moan and Dove. Black appearance with chocolate brown head. Little lacing. Chocolate/cocoa aromas and a slight hint of almonds and burnt coffee were the dominant flavor of the drink. Great bitter taste, with a slight burnt hint. Creamy but light body. Overall, an enjoyable drink.

Serving type: on-tap

03-20-2010 01:05:50 | More by fitzy84

tyanow

California

3.53/5  rDev -15.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Drank this side by side with an Old Rasputin, see that review too.

I had heard of Old Viscosity but never tried it. I was very surprised with the beer list read "Old Viscosity Porter" and not strong ale. If Port makes another beer with that name than please disregard this review - but I'm pretty sure that this is the stuff.

It looks like a porter. Almost totally opaque with some burgandy hues on the edges. Very small head.

The smell was almost oily (I hope that wasn't my reaction due to the name).

It tasted good, but it was not porter on my tongue. And not nearly as pleasing as the Rasputin was. Had a little licorice and a very roasty cereal start that ended in more of a toasty/burnt flavor.

It's a strong and heavy beer and that really affects mouthfeel and drinkability. Drinkable yes, eager for another - not so much.

Serving type: on-tap

07-20-2009 03:32:00 | More by tyanow

GRG1313

California

4.88/5  rDev +17.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Old Viscosity ON TAP at STONE BREWERY; Black color with a dark short tan head and lovely in appearance-very inviting.

A sweet assertive and most appealing rich sugared coffee nose-smells like a piece of fresh dark chocolate/coffee candy;

Huge dark bitter chocolate flavor with a creamy chocolate mouth and loads of underlying sweet coffee flavors. A big creamy and wonderful drinking stout.

Bigger, creamier, thicker, sweeter and, candidly, more appealing on tap than from the bottle. Nice! I had this with spicy wild boar ribs at Stone's cafe, but this would drink well with most spicy and big meat or game dishes. Also would do well as a nice accompaniment to drink with dessert.

A nice drink with which to simply relax and sip away after dinner or with a cigar.

This stout, ON TAP, can give any of the "big player, prestigious stouts" a run for their money.

Serving type: on-tap

05-24-2009 19:39:46 | More by GRG1313

barleywinefiend

Washington

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

On tap at Papagos Brewing
Poured a deep black with a thin white head. Nose is of dark fruits, oak, vanilla and chocolate, relatively faint. Taste is cocoa, oakiness, roasted malts and hints of vanilla. Mouthfeel was good but not that creamy. Good brew but I enjoyed the bottle version much better.

Serving type: on-tap

12-29-2008 16:39:26 | More by barleywinefiend

bigbelcher

Arizona

4.28/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Opaque black beer with a small tan head. Not much Belgian lace. Roasted black malt aroma and somewhat sweet smelling. Flavor was that of a warm high alcohol American Imperial Stout should be. Rich, chocolate and coffeelike. Nice hop balance. Very smooth and easy drinking but definently a sipping beer.

Serving type: on-tap

12-20-2008 06:45:45 | More by bigbelcher

magictrokini

California

4.35/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Okay, this is just a phenomenal beer. Black pour, thick short brown head, solid aroma of molasses, roasted malt, chocolate, and some hops. Strong taste of mostly the same, with leather, old wood, soy, and some alcohol in the finish. Very smooth. Love that they bottled this.

Serving type: on-tap
@ Pizza Port Solana Beach, 135 North Highway 101, Solana Beach

12-11-2008 00:23:04 | More by magictrokini

rtepiak

Poland

4.1/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

pour is quite dark. quite thick. black in a poorly lit hopleaf. the head is nice. some lace. as stated on the hopleaf tap menu: porter with 20% from bourbon casks. 10.5abv. the nose is a nice malt, wood, apple, plum, under a heavier cocoa and a neatly blended bourbon vanilla. not boozy at all surprisingly. at taste i thought it was a RIS. the bitter comes like a nail... but just momentarily. goes down a warm chalky cocoa, with an instance of stale grape malt sour porter that quickly fades to warm wood tobacco hop. very old ale like. vanilla sits nicely on the tongue. this is a very nice brew. but it has potential of being fantastic... i would like to feel the porter aspect a bit more. i feel the blended aspect but of a porter in this. i could see where the guys at hopleaf got that but i would like more. i have found myself looking for something between a porter, old ale, RIS. great beer. will have again. would like to cellar though.

had it again in a bottle. the chocolate is more prevalent. a bit overcasting on the rest of the favors. still a fan though. i would recommend letting it breath if that makes any sense.

Serving type: on-tap
@ Pizza Port Solana Beach, 135 North Highway 101, Solana Beach

12-02-2008 03:39:09 | More by rtepiak

tmitch75

Illinois

4.45/5  rDev +7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Found this on tap at the Firkin in Libertyville (IL) yesterday. I heard Port was coming to Chicago, and I saw a few bottles at Sam's, but I was totally psyched to find this one on-tap!

Served in a small snifter, deep opaque black color with slight brown head that drops to a couple of isolated patches and leaves blankets of lace all down the glass.

Full complex nose - oak, roasty chocolate, cherries, and spicy hops. Very promising.

Taste is wonderfully rich with notes of vanilla, chocolate, cherries, earthy hops, coffee, and some booze. This beer is great with dessert (or even instead of it).

Mouthfeel is lighter than the name would indicate, but still medium-bodied with a nice oiliness that works well with the flavor.

This is a damn fine beer but a small snifter was enough for me. A big bottle would be too much to finish alone.

Tasted on 11/22/08.

Serving type: on-tap
@ Pizza Port Solana Beach, 135 North Highway 101, Solana Beach

11-23-2008 22:38:49 | More by tmitch75