Old Viscosity - Port Brewing Company / Pizza Port

denver10

Colorado

4.48/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours black with a three thumbs width thick, foamy mocha head and great lacing. A wonderful aroma of chocolate, vanilla, wood, roasted barley, and a shot of alcohol. Flavor starts off sweet with some chocolate cocoa, and liquorice alongside some oak, the roasted barley comes in strong mid stream, vanilla and some coffee closes things out. The alchohol does show itself, especially as it warms, leaving you feeling nice and warm after each sip. A wonderfully layered flavor. At best, a medium bodied to this. Feels more like a porter than a stout in consistency. Overall, a wonderful beer and worthy of the hype. Kinda feels like a tweener in style, a cross between a porter and stout and I say that in the most positive way. The high abv certainly makes it a sipper but the wonderful flavor followed by the inner warmth that follows makes for a ridiculously pleasant experience.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2012 00:04:17 | More by denver10

GlassHalfFull

3.98/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Solid beer. Nice pour, a little on the carbonated side. Porter-esque appearance with nice lacing and mocha color. Very oaky nose with hints of caramel and a bit of booziness. The mouthfeel was a little thin, but very nice, bold espresso tones. Clean, vanilla finish. Very drinkable, but I think the ratings are a wee bit high. Would love to try Older Viscosity.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2012 01:54:18 | More by GlassHalfFull

ncfranklin

Alabama

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

22oz bottle into a small snifter.

A: Wow. Heavy beer.Thick, guggling out of the bottle with a massive tan head. Good 3 fingers here. Huge.

S: Notes of woody oak, chocolate, burnt malt, slight sugary quality. Not overly potent.

T: Far more aggressive than I was expecting. Up front very quickly with dark roasted malts. Notes of coffee, a very dark chocolate to coco powder flavor. Even as it warms, has quite a roasty bite.

M: Lighter than I expected, with a crispness I wouldn't have thought. It bites the tongue quite well with that burnt flavor, and finishes slightly dry.

O: A pretty incredible beer. It's a bit of a style bender, but an incredibly well done beer. The blending is genius, at it lends the lightest oak to the taste.

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2012 01:48:59 | More by ncfranklin

yamar68

Minnesota

4.03/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to alefish for this one. Poured from 22oz bomber to brandy snifter:

Pours without hardly any clarity and a massive, swelling mocha head. Great lacing.

Nose features cocoa nibs, charred wood, molasses, chocolate syrup, alcohol, distant hops.

The taste is pretty heavy on the wood. Dark chocolate, bitter hops, some barrel bits. Pretty well balanced out, a worthy candidate for your beer cellar, I would imagine.

The feel is pretty oily and thick. Give its genre, though, its rather drinkable.

Overall, glad to have had the opportunity to try this and look forward to testing the other bottle after its had some time maturing downstairs.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2012 02:15:20 | More by yamar68

draheim

Washington

4.43/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

22oz bottle (ca. 2010) into a snifter. Pours pitch black w/ a crackly tan head that dissipates quickly. Pretty vigorous carbonation sustains a 1/2 finger ring around the glass; head gradually builds & settles as a soft creamy layer, much more refined than from the initial pour.

Aroma is dark roasted malt, rich chocolate, black licorice. A nice nutty earthiness and some dark fruits come through as it warms.

Taste is dark, roasted, bitter. Chocolate and oak. Just tastes good and rich.

Mouthfeel is pretty thick, sticky, yet dry from the oak.

Overall a dense, thick, dark oily stout, a real sipper. Well done.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2012 06:42:50 | More by draheim

DARIVA

Netherlands

3.5/5  rDev -15.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: This is a nice black beer with a minimal head.

S: This bee has a delicious sweet smell of caramel.

T: This beer has a good taste of coffee and dark chocolate.

M: Substantial carbonation and good foam feel.

O: Bitter and a delicious aftertaste.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2012 17:35:01 | More by DARIVA

FickleBeast

New Jersey

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

22 oz bottle poured into a Delerium Tremens snifter. Bottled 1/24/12.

Pours pitch black with two fingers of foam that burst out of the glass. Nice lacing and legs on the beer as I swirl. Aroma is full of rich, dark, roasted malts. Coffee and cocoa in the nose as well.

First sip is... very chewy, thick, with not a ton of sweetness on the end. Roasted flavors dominate, contributing some astringency. Decent about of booziness / alcohol burn as well.

This probably needs a year or two of age to be its best. It doesn't have the sweetness to stand against the roasty and boozy flavors, although it does have tremendous mouthfeel. The oak doesn't come through too strongly here... would prefer a little more vanilla/oaky flavors to give this a bit more complexity.

All in all, a pretty good beer, but falls short of being great. Good value at ~$7 a bomber.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2012 01:22:27 | More by FickleBeast

mdaschaf

Washington

3.7/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to angelmonster for this one!

A: Pours black, no light penetrates. A large two finger tan/brown head forms upon pouring, great retention, reducing to about a 1/2 fingers worth of foam for the remainder. Thin/sticky lacing forms around the entire glass.

S: Some dark chocolate, a little roasty malt, and some dark fruits, some cherries and plums.

T: Lots of chocolate, a little bitter and some dark mixed with a little bit of cherries. It is slightly sweet as well, with a touch of oak and a hint of vanilla.

M: Full bodied with moderate carbonation. Slightly dry finish. Abv well hidden.

O: Pretty good beer, but a little boring.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2012 02:57:27 | More by mdaschaf

deadonhisfeet

Kentucky

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

Got this 22oz bottle in a trade last year and thought I'd crack it open. Served in a Unibroue Maudite snifter. Pours very dark brown (nearly black) and quite opaque. There is a HUGE brown head that retains very well. The nose is big with sweet chocolate, molasses, some char, and cookies. Also some oak. Very nice.

Full-bodied beer with a syrupy mouthfeel that complements the rich, strong flavors well. In the front of my mouth, I get huge roasted malt notes, coffee, and bittersweet chocolate. At mid-palate I get some rummy burnt dark fruit notes and a slightly bitter finish that lingers nicely. I cannot detect the 10% alcohol much at all. Definitely a sipper.

Fans of Imperial Stouts should try to find this beer. If you can't buy it, trade for it. From what I hear, it's not too hard to find and not terribly expensive. It's big, roasty, and complex. I'd buy this beer occasionally if it was available here. I also have a bottle of Older Viscosity. I look forward to the comparison.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2012 00:32:02 | More by deadonhisfeet

jwhancher

Pennsylvania

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

Bought a 22-oz bottle from the brewery on a trip to San Diego last September. Poured into a snifter for review.

A: Pours black as night with nice off-white head that looks a little soapy. Pretty opaque, even after holding my glass directly to a light bulb.

S: Lots of roast & cocoa going on. Some chocolate notes with what appears to be scents of dry powdered chocolate mix - think Hershey's do-it-yourself dry chocolate mix. A tinge of hops in the rear - likely your typical American pine & citrus hops. Smells like RIS to me - almost like Ten Fidy. Also, has a nice wood-aged oak character.

T: Lots of dark chocolate & roasted malts. Makes me think of dark fruit and figs. Also reminds me of a brownie of even chocolate cake perhaps. A nice amount of hops present to give this one some added character. I do get some wood-aged notes but only after it warms. A nice subtle oak quality adds another added dimension: some vanilla, almost a bourbon-esque quality. Very nice!

M: Surprisingly, feels medium bodied to medium full. Would have thought this one to be heavier as it is billed. Alcohol well hidden, although some warming ethanol notes do heat up the back of the throat.

O: Seems like a well made RIS to me. Up there with the upper echelon of the RIS's that I've tried. A very well made beer and worthy of all the high praise I've heard of it.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2012 23:31:04 | More by jwhancher

sukwonee

Washington

3.9/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottle - poured into a snifter, served at around 50-55 degrees

I bought this thinking it was an imperial stout... and not sure why it's listed on here as such, but I am not sure if I would call this a stout.

A: dark-reddish brown. not as dark as your typical stout. Huge head, nice lacing

S: Coffee, booze, roasted malt, vanilla

T: Bitterness from the hops, coffee, boozy...

M: Smooth, good thickness and carbonation

Overall - I liked it. The closest beer I can think of Fremont's bourbon barrel abominable ale (which is way better than this, but also costs 3 times more). I wish the alcohol was more hidden... too boozy for my liking.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2012 03:38:50 | More by sukwonee

SHODriver

California

4.23/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: pours midnight black with an ample tan head and solid retention after a semi vigorous pour into the glass. Head is dense and rocky
S: subtle chocolate and roastiness and a little bitter hop aroma
T: roast malt presence up front with some chocolate and coffee flavors. a little bit of vanilla like sweetness as well but it is there and gone. roasty aftertaste with a little bit of bitter hops lingers for some time
M: adequate carbonation and a full bodied beer without being overly chewy.
O: this is a top notch stout and one that is sure to please.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2012 05:19:18 | More by SHODriver

ngeunit1

California

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

A - Pours a dark black-brown color with a finger of frothy chocolate colored head. The head fades down super slowly leaving behind some thick lacing.

S - Aroma is a mix of strong roasted chocolate malts with some oak, coffee, and a nice kick of earthy hops.

T - Starts out with some strong roasted chocolate malts with a bit of coffee and some oak with a touch of sweetness. Through the middle, some earthy hops come through with some bitterness and some more oak with a bit of caramel. The finish is a mix of coffee and chocolate with some earthy hop flavor and a bit of booze coming through.

M - Full bodied with moderate carbonation. Feels smooth and a bit thick and viscous and almost a bit chewy with a warming finish.

D - Very drinkable. Really big and bold but well balanced and it has great complexity to it.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2012 04:31:40 | More by ngeunit1

kennylopez

New Jersey

4.3/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured a 22oz that was bottled on 1/24/12 into a mini snifter.

Appearance: a jet black color with a fine bubbly tan head that leaves little spots of lacing.

Smells: a heavy roasted malt with a slight oak earth nose with a significant hop note and coffee backbone.

Tastes: there is a coffee front with this brew but it has a nice roasted bread malt that has a little charred taste from the oak barrel and has a great bitter hop character.

Mouthfeel: the 10% is a bit noticeable but the lasting carbonation and sweet roasted coffee aftertaste is delicious.

Overall: I scored a bottle of this and I was happy I did, I want to hunt some more out and lay them down for some time. this is one of the first few brews I tried from port and I have to say I am very impressed.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2012 22:23:04 | More by kennylopez

inlimbo77

Delaware

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

22oz bottle dated 10/18/11. Poured into a Deschutes tulip. Review #350.

A: Pretty much pitch black color. Nice bottle carbonation. Finger of dark tan head. Tons of lacing sheets.

S: Definitely get tons of roast. Chocolate. Lots of dark malts.

T: The bitterness hits you right in the tip of the tongue. It's a deep dark roast coffee flavor. Then in the middle of the mouth I get creamy milk chocolate which is weird. Adds a nice sweetness, that is needed.

M: Full bodied. Good mouth coat but nicely carbonated.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2012 23:02:17 | More by inlimbo77

flagmantho

Washington

4.18/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from 22oz bomber into a tulip.

Appearance: entirely black body, letting through no light at all. Head pours two thick fingers of frothy dark-tan foam which is tenacious and leaves a nice lace. Beautiful, even for an imperial stout.

Smell: rich, roasty aroma with predominantly coffee notes, the oak also comes through nicely and is complemented by the sweet malt. Quite good indeed.

Taste: rich and flavorful. We start off with a melange of coffee and chocolate, which is informed by the sweet, fruity notes of the big alcohol content. These slowly fade into a rich, burnt note of the roasted malts. The finish includes rather vegetal hop flavors and an appropriate bitterness. Very tasty, although I think the finish could be cleaner.

Mouthfeel: huge body with a big, silky creaminess. The carbonation is well-integrated and results in a smooth mouthfeel which is simply excellent.

Overall: this is an excellent beer, even for the style. To me, most imperial stouts are flavorful but not highly drinkable, but this beer is both tasty and eminently approachable. Wonderful.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2012 17:42:42 | More by flagmantho

OWSLEY069

Pennsylvania

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

Pours jet black with a light tan head. In the aroma, a mellow oak presence. In the taste, chocolate, whiskey, oak, and a peat like end.. A small bite and a medium bodied mouthfeel, with a small dry, small peat and oaky aftertaste. Oaky, peat, and quite super.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2012 20:06:54 | More by OWSLEY069

jtierney89

New Jersey

3.65/5  rDev -12.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Deep deep brown color with a massive deep tan head. Nose is a lot more subtle than expected. Subtle notes of oak with touches of coffee, charcoal and chocolate. Lacing is pretty stellar. A bit of licorice stings the nostrils as the beer airs out.

AS far as i can tell clarity is good (but this beers pretty dark)

Chewy and certainly viscous. Notable bitterness still. Creamy and roasty with a slight caramel sweetness. Finishes with oak and coffee rounding everything out. A certain sort of unnameable sweetness comes about up front.

This brew is incredibly complex and the flavors are all so incredibly well blended together. The touch of oak really does some good to this beer. An interesting and lovely brew.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2012 04:21:02 | More by jtierney89

cagocubs

Illinois

4.7/5  rDev +13%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I was able to age this bad boy for about two years before enjoying it the other night. I have had it once before this, but man, I didn't remember it being this good.

Poured from a bomber into glass.

A: Pours syrupy black with a bulging two finger ivory head that retains nicely and laces slightly.

S: Full scent of chocolate, roasted malt, sweet dark fruit and caramel, and some toasted oak.

T: This beer brings it all, sweet caramel and dark fruits mixed with a powerful roasted malt/oak taste. Some bitterness from coffee and chocolate. Great taste.

M - Full bodied and creamy all the way through. Great warming and mouth coating with a tasty/chewy aftertaste.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2012 03:18:45 | More by cagocubs

DaftCaskBC

British Columbia (Canada)

4.3/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: 1/2" brown coloured head over black-as-night liquid.

S: Powerful smell of oak with roasted malt, coffee, chocolate and some toffee as well.

T: Oak, roasted malt, coffee, yeast, and a hint of chocolate. Quite bitter from the burnt grains.

M: Thick doesn't even begin to describe the viscosity. You almost need to chew your way through this beer. A medium level of fine carbonation is present as well.

O: A definite sipper, this bitter roasted treat is one of the thickest beers I have ever tried. The soft yeast that is used is quite nice and rounds out the mouthfeel.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2012 01:17:55 | More by DaftCaskBC

warnerry

Michigan

4.23/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottled on date is smeared, but this was purchased August 2010.

A - Pours black with two fingers of brown head. Head has decent retention, but doesn't leave much lacing.

S - Aroma is chocolate, oak, nuts, some dark dried fruits and a faint sweetness.

T - Rich chocolate cake, nice oak presence with a faint amount of char, some dark dried fruits (maybe fig), faint hops presence, coffee and a bit of alcohol. Very nice overall.

M - Mouthfeel is on the fuller end of medium, not as think as I thought it would be. Has some creaminess too it, and finishes with a tannin dryness.

O - A very enjoyable beer. The medium mouthfeel works well here, showing that big flavored beers don't need to be heavy.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2012 02:52:51 | More by warnerry

Vonerichs

Illinois

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

The black body gives a glipse of brown around the edges only if held right up to the light. I poured this into a snifter and it resulted in an aggressive inch of cinnamon colored head.

The smell has multiple variations of chocolate... brownies, artificial syrup, molasses. It has a light licorice smell as found in blackstrap molasses.

The taste has the same qualities of fudge brownies, molasses, and has an earthy (almost dirty) taste to it.

Mouthfeel is heavy on the body but with moderate carbonation for the style that cuts the sweetness a bit.

It's a solid stout, as evidenced by my solid 4's across the board. Good in all aspects without particularly excelling in any. I'm glad I finally got around to trying this one that I've passed on so many times because of it's accessability.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2012 03:12:01 | More by Vonerichs

SgunnarW

California

4.4/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 22oz bomber into my 12oz snifter.

A: Pours a thick, deep black with a 2 finger khaki head. Great retention with beautifully sticky lacing. After settling, it leaves a small ring of dark reddish hued trim, reminiscent of cola. I definitely didn't have the carbonation issues like the reviewer below me.

Sm: Lots of coffee and a sweetness from the roasted malts. A bit of toffee and burnt sugar, with some smokiness towards the end. The alcohol definitely comes through.

T: The first thing to hit me is the bitterness from the coffee, followed by a sweetness from hints of dark chocolate and vanilla. The smoky/ash flavor from the bourbon aging comes through towards the end, as the alcohol asserts itself at the finish.

Mf: Medium to full bodied. More carbonation than I expected. I didn't think it was as thick and "sludgy" as claimed, but definitely one of my favorite stouts.

O: I'm really glad this is so readily available to me in Santa Cruz. Can't beat it for the $6.50 price tag.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2012 04:58:04 | More by SgunnarW

DevilsCups

New York

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

Served into a DFH Chalice, from a bottle dated 8/8/11, reviewed on 2/15/12.

A - Even the hardest pour ends up with a dead-head. Slight mocha colored ring around the edges. If I didn't know better I'd say she's flat, but there is some fine carbonation. Black, very black, and thick. Slight cola-colored edges. Would be prettier if it were better carbonated.

Photo of the pour - http://bit.ly/yIVI6u

S - Smells like a slightly younger brother of BCBS. Very similar notes. Tiny bit of soy, toffee, and burnt malt.

T - Here's where it get's really simple, yet complicated, to describe. Imagine a Stone IRS, BCBS and a TenFidy has a love-child. It would be this beer. Notes taken from each. I get the toffee from the Stone IRS, the slight bourbon from the BCBS and the rest of the notes are all from the thick roasty TenFidy. Great notes on this one.

M - Needs more carbonation. I don't know if mine lost it's jump from being on the shelf for 6 months, but a little more fizz would do this brew well (especially with a great aroma).

O - Wish I had these available to me in my area. Very solid stout with an interesting blend. Definitely give it a try.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2012 03:43:40 | More by DevilsCups

alk3kenny

Georgia

4.85/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Poured out of a 22oz bomber into a 22oz glass. Head came up over the rim of the glass and held like a thick creamy foam. Great start! Roasty flavor slightly bitter little boozy bet this will be even more amazing as it warms up. I have to lean towards it fitting more into the RIS category. Great beer for a pretty good price point at Sherlocks in Marietta. Gonna have to try more stuff from Port Brewing.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2012 22:29:01 | More by alk3kenny