Midnight Expression - Port Brewing Company / Pizza Port

ocelot2500

Arizona

4.03/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a black with a tight, pillowy tan head that leaves chunks of lacing.

Smells of dry roasted notes.

Tastes of the roasted notes. Starts off with some coffee and finished with a molasses and bread character. Slightly sweet, but finishes dry. Has a bit of a sourness to it that I find pleasant.

Mouthfeel is medium-light with a slightly crisp amount of carbonation.

Overall, I find it to be quite good and is another great addition to the Port lineup.

Serving type: bottle

07-09-2011 23:38:54 | More by ocelot2500

ehammond1

California

4.25/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle (2011)

Lost Abbey
San Marcos, CA

Dark black, nearly midnight, pour with a big, stiff brown head. Lots of lacing down the glass. Looks like a thick, creamy stout. Quite impressive!

Dark and roasted malt character in the nose with a touch of coffee and chocolate. If I didn't know better, I'd swear this was an American stout, and certainly not a lager. A lot of complexity and a welcoming, roasty, chocolatey nose for sure.

A delicious, varied, and interesting flavor: this tastes like a great stout. Chocolate, coffee, roasted malt, no alcohol presence--terrific!

Medium bodied, easy to drink. A ton of flavor for a 5% ABV beer!

A world of flavor in such a low ABV package. Really an incredible treat. A delicious black lager.

Serving type: bottle

06-28-2011 03:18:15 | More by ehammond1

MrVonzipper

California

3.48/5  rDev -10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pitch black in the glass with light showing a little brown at the bottom of the glass. Pour carefully, big head. Dense, foamy tan head with good retention and decent lacing.

Very simple nose. Not alot going on. Dark malt and a little smoke.

Flavor is pretty much the same. No depth. Bitter malt, cacao and smoke on the back end.

Medium bodied and high carbonation.

Overall it's a good beer but I was a little disappointed. I just had higher hopes. Was looking for more depth in flavor and there was virtually none. Its seems like a homebrewers first attempt at the style.

Serving type: bottle

06-24-2011 05:27:20 | More by MrVonzipper

jsanford

Georgia

3.58/5  rDev -8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

22oz bottle poured into a Tumbler. Bottled 12/17/10.

A - Pours a dark black with slight brown highlights and a creamy, 1-inch head of mocha-colored foam that settles to a thick cap. Very Stout-like.
S - Dark roasted flavors of malt, coffee, and chocolate with a touch of cream and sugar.
T - Very similar to the nose, lots of dark malt, chocolate, and coffee. Flavors linger for some time on the palate, especially the bitter hops.
M - Slightly watery, with a medium-thin body and fairly sharp carbonation.
O - Moderately drinkable, but not something I'd go out of my way for again.

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2011 23:44:30 | More by jsanford

OWSLEY069

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours deep amber to black in color with a tan head. In the aroma, malty and hints of caramel. In the taste, caramel, chocolate notes, and a hint of coffee, quite porter like. A small bite and medium to lighter bodied mouthfeel, with a small dry coffee and chocolate aftertaste. More of a porter than lager and/ or schwartzbier with the big coffee/ chocolate roast, but nice nonetheless.

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2011 19:00:57 | More by OWSLEY069

FosterJM

California

3.55/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

545th Review on BA
Bottle to pilsner
22 oz

App-  Big dark pour with a one finger head.  A bit of a frothy light brown.  Nice lines of lace.  

Smell-  Roasty notes and a bit of fresh ground coffee.  Hoppy kick on a big whiff.

Taste-  Where did the spice come from?  This is a little bitter as well.  Pretty tasty with some off balance moments

Mouth-  Medium bodied and medium carbonated.  This is pretty wet drinking with some nice hop flavors

Drink-  A little bit different than I thought. Tasty, malty and a little dark hops.  Unexpected flavors but probably not coming back.

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2011 23:36:38 | More by FosterJM

chugalug06

Colorado

3.55/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A - Nice, but nothing special. Head is nice chocolate color. No lacing or tiering on this one...

S - Very roasty with some slight funk going on... Smells super chocolaty. There's also a slight hop bite in this one.

T - Very nice and delivered. Chocolaty and roasty with some slight smokey tones. Smell throws off the taste.

M - Very light and smooth. Slightly bitter and uneven. Heavy bodied for the style.

O - Quite a good brew for the style. A bit all over the place, but still a good brew. Thanks for the great trade ShogoKawada

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2011 00:55:51 | More by chugalug06

Chaney

District of Columbia

3.95/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Currently #7 in the Schwarzbier category on BA.

A: Pitch black, with a greater than massive peppery brown head, that was only a shade or two lighter than the liquid below it. Great retention!

S: Fresh toasty toast, with malt spread on top! Mildly sweet, but with a refreshing quality.

T: I swear I almost tasted cocoa, but not any sort of caramel-like agent (to make this taste like a porter or stout). Somewhat bitter on the finish, but I could I tell it was lagered, mainly because of the...

M: This is what separated this one from a porter. Not thick, and definitely went down with the greatest of ease. However, the lingering bitterness is what kept it from become a true, summer day brew.

O: I picked this one up on a whim and it didn't disappoint. I plan on trying this style a lot more throughout the summer.

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2011 21:20:41 | More by Chaney

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

3.85/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

First had: on tap at Hop Angel Brauhaus, Philly, PA

Tasty black lager. Pours a nice opaque black with a finger of tan head. Nice roasty aroma, nutty, with some coffee bitterness. Similar taste, big roasty malts, coffee and cocoa, and a touch of raisin. Smooth, medium mouthfeel, and highly drinkable.

Serving type: on-tap

06-01-2011 02:04:06 | More by Rifugium

emmasdad

Colorado

3.63/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from the bomber a jet black color, with a creamy light brown head on top. Aromas of roasted malt, dark chocolate and smoke. On the palate, this one was medium bodied and fairly crisp, with flavors of roasted malt, bitter chocolate, nuts and smoke.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2011 20:28:45 | More by emmasdad

soze47

Massachusetts

3.95/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

This 22 oz. bomber is over a year old, but it was on sale for $4 at one of my regular shops. I used to enjoy getting a Leinies Creamy Dark when I lived in WI, so I was intrigued to see what Port (makers of some of my favorite hop-forward styles) would do with it.

Appearance: Black and brown, depending on how much light is behind it. Very tight, creamy head that is thick on the pour, but dissipates into a nice loose creamy looking swirls.

Aroma: Roasty and toasty. Only hints of sweetness that creates an almost grilled/charred sweet potatoes, in a good way.

Taste: You get almost almost porter and brown ale qualities in the malt. Simultaneously toasted, roasted, nutty, tones of creamy coffee, some char, and a hint of cocoa. However, there is a good amount of a dry bit that you'd expect in a lager. I think it has a little to due with the hops, but there is almost a perfect pleasant bite that helps cut the malt bill.

Mouthfeel/Drinkability: The carbonation stay below the surface here, but it does its job. While you can't really see it, the bubbles help keep a potentially unpleasant burned taste from sitting down to hard. It gives the beer a nice creamy quality that helps make the flavors soften and meld. That being said, it is very drinkable and not at all filling.

Overall: I like this beer. Good for the style. Can't say that I'm a Schwarsbier enthusiast, but if I'm in the mood I'll look for this guy again.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2011 20:04:52 | More by soze47

armock

New York

4/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle from BevMo in San Francisco

A - Poured a black color with a brown head that leaves lacing behind

S - Is mostly of dark roasted malts with only the slightest bit of hops quite the opposite of what I'm used to from Port

T - Like the smell lots of roasted malt upfront with some mild hops in the finish

M - This beer has a medium body with medium carbonation to it

O - Generally Black Lagers don't do too much for me but I'm really enjoying this one I like the flavor profile and the abv point makes this a very good beer one that's worth getting if you seeit around

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2011 00:51:37 | More by armock

mjyoung

California

3.9/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Drank 4/25/11. Split w/ bbb099

A: A rich, dark color that isn't quite opaque, but still gives the impression of heft. A thick, beige head that dissipates fairly quickly.

S: Intriguingly simple. Strong notes of roasted malt and the slightest hint of hops. It's not overpowering, but I wasn't expecting it to be.

T: Similar to the nose, but the hops come through a bit more. As it warms it gets a bit sweeter, with almost a hint of butterscotch. Tasty.

M: Good carb, and very smooth. Pretty nondescript though.

O: Very smooth and easy drinking. I wish I hadn't shared the bottle, as I could have done the whole thing! Precisely what I was looking for tonight.

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2011 02:55:17 | More by mjyoung

billshmeinke

California

4.47/5  rDev +14.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a nonic. Slow pour yeilds two-three fingers worth of frothy beige head the hangs around forever. Superb retention and huge chunks of lacing left behind on the glass. Beer looks pitch black with only the slightest hues of rudy brown at the outermost edges. A fantastic looking brew.

Smells of light cocoa, dark roast, and hints of coffee. A touch of earthy hoppiness is buried in there as well.

Chocolate, a great subtle (not overpowering) roast characteristic, light notes of dark fruits, subtle earthy hops, then light notes of espresso. Earthy and fruity finish.

Mouthfeel is superb, cream smooth, light, and refreshing. Spot on.

My favorite dark lager that I have tried. Supremely session-able, and refreshing. I'm kinda bummed I never gave this a try before, because I think it's gonna be a new staple in my regular line up.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2011 22:45:57 | More by billshmeinke

SkeeterHawk

Texas

3.68/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I picked this beer up at Greens Liquor on Ponce De Leon in Atlanta.

Appearance: Pours a very dark black color with a tan head, which is a bit dark for a Schwarzbier. The head was a solid 1/2" after a reserved pour. It was around for a good minute and then faded back to end up as a pretty solid film across the top of the whole beer.

Aroma: The aroma is really malty, but has a bit more chocolate and caramel than a typical Schwarzbier. There is some pretty evident hops in this beer too which also is a bit unusual for the style. There is a solid amount of roast present, and is becoming more evident as it warms.

Taste: The flavor is not quite as balanced toward the dark malts as I thought they would be. There is a lot of chocolate in here, and it is coming across as both bitter cocoa and as sweet chocolate. The hops are a big player in the flavor of this beer, but let up for the finish. Overall the body is medium with ample carbonation.

Opinion: Overall this is a pretty good drinking beer. I am VERY hard-pressed to call this a Schwarzbier. It is a mostly malty beer with some toasty notes and other components that make up a Schwarz, but there isn't enough toasty notes to push it over to a Schwarzbier. It is really rich, so is more like a mild Porter fermented with a Lager yeast or something. Again, it is a good beer, but don't go looking for a Schwarzbier with this one.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2011 02:13:03 | More by SkeeterHawk

Monkeyknife

Missouri

4/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from the bottle a deep, dark brown with light cola-colored highlights and a two fingers of rich mocha head.

Aroma of roasted caramel malts, dark ripe fruit, molasses and coffee.

Dark ripe fruit upfront followed bitter dark chocolate, roasted malts and smokey grains. The smokey bitterness lingers through the finish.

Light-to-medium bodied, smooth and moderately carbonated.

I really enjoyed this one from Port.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2011 22:19:41 | More by Monkeyknife

jbertsch

Massachusetts

4.68/5  rDev +20.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Appears black with a big, rocky tan head. Nice lacing.

Its primary aroma is of roasted pumpernickel bread and grains. There are also faint notes of chocolate and coffee.

On the palate, roasted dark grain is at the forefront. Very representative of a black lager/schwarzbier. Malts are prominent but not super powerful. Hops are not that present, as expected. Taste is short and a faint bitterness lingers just enough to make you want another sip fast.

Well carbonated aids a great mouthfeel. And the drinkability on this puppy is sky high.

This brews taste is confident and solid, yet delicate and restrained. A great schwarzbier that definitely respects the style's heritage. I'd buy it again for sure.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2011 14:11:36 | More by jbertsch

Cyberkedi

Georgia

3.85/5  rDev -1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Aroma is rich and smoky with undertones of malt, molasses, yeast and coffee - very like a good stout or porter. It pours a near-opaque sable with a thick, fluffy, fairly persistent light tan head. Flavor is mainly malty with an undertone of roast coffee and hints of molasses. Texture is fizzy as cola, dancing on the tongue and all the way down.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2011 00:34:54 | More by Cyberkedi

PhillyStyle

Georgia

3.63/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

1 pint 6 oz, bottled 12/17/10:

The beer appeared midnight black which produced a thick brown head that was not particularly well retained, but did provide for some lacing and a spotty cap remained.

The beer gave off a nice malt aroma. Not much else.

The beer followed the nose and had a nice malty taste with no real noticeable hop presence. The beer was pretty simple and straight forward.

The beer had a Lighter feel to it and perhaps the carbonation was a bit light. The beer was smooth, clean and very easy to drink. Overall, this is the second beer for this style and I am quickly determining that it is not one of my favorites. Not a bad style, just not for me, but I can appreciate it and will probably try to give some of the higher rated ones a try.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2011 18:20:08 | More by PhillyStyle

beertunes

Washington

4/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into 10oz glass. Poured a just slightly translucent black with over an inch of fluffy brown head that had good retention and minimal lacing.

The aroma is roasty upfront with a nice grain scent in the background. The story is pretty similar on the tongue nice, crisp roast supported by solid grains.

The body is very good, solid but not heavy, and crisp. Drinkability is very good, a 22 went down very easily. Overall, I found this to the best beer I've yet tried from this brewery. Worth seeking out.

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2011 03:25:53 | More by beertunes

brotherloco

California

3.8/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

My bottle is labeled "Midnight Sessions" so I guess it's not the latest release. No date to be found.

Definitely poured darker than I was expecting. Roasted malts with some caramel sweetness on the nose. Tastes of roasted malt and coffee, hints of hops in the background. Overall flavor is a bit thin, but somewhat expected for a 5% lager.

There's a decent mouthfeel, but the sweet malt stick around a bit too long to make this a session beer for me. I'd more likely turn to a Full Sail Session Black.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2011 00:11:47 | More by brotherloco

whatthehull

California

3.58/5  rDev -8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a New Belgium snifter

A - Black opaque, with a huge 3 finger head that was milky caramel in color

S - A bright floral hop up front, maybe some citrus with toasted malt and grain

T - A light citrus crisp stout flavor up front. Hoppy, toasted malt backbone

M - Crisp, almost bubbly. It lingers for quite a while

D - Could drink this all day during the spring while Qing

Final thought - One of the best lagers I have had in a very long time

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2011 07:13:41 | More by whatthehull

elgiacomo

Georgia

4.05/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

22oz bottle labeled as "Midnight Expression". Bottled Dec 17, 2010.

Pours dark brown to black with a large brown head that leaves a foamy ring and some clumps of lacing while holding a small cap.

Aroma features a surprising amount of coffee and coffee beans, roasted malts, dark bread/rye. Great to excellent strength.

Flavor doesn't quite stand up to the aroma but it still quite good and features more dark roasted/burnt malts, coffee, some chocolate, bread, a bit of pine and citrus hops underneath. Lightly sweet with some bitterness from the heavy roast.

Mouthfeel is thin, high carbonation.

Damned good Schwarzbier, right there with Duck Rabbit's excellent interpretation of the style.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2011 02:23:48 | More by elgiacomo

airheadmtrcycle

Georgia

4.03/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Huge tan head over a black lager in a Duvel tulip. The head slowly recedes leaving lots of thick, sticky lacing.

The aroma is dominated by roasted malts, coffee, smoke and chocolate. The taste is similar but there are some hops on the finish. This is a very porter-like beer, especially on the mouth feel. Not as refreshing as Chatoe Rogue First Growth Dirtoir Black Lager I reviewed yesterday, but still delicious in its own way.

Mouth feel is lush and decadent. Quite drinkable, as well.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2011 04:52:11 | More by airheadmtrcycle

DovaliHops

California

4.08/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Decided to pick one of these bottles up before they changed the name of it. Pours black with an extremely tiny tan head that disappears in the blink of an eye. Scent is burnt toast, chocolate cocoa, sweet malts, and coffee. This taste is not what I was expecting at all! When I saw this was a lager, I was not expecting it to pour black, nor was I expecting it to smell and taste like a porter. I get tons of chocolate cocoa flavors with light hoppiness. The burnt malts flavors complement the coffee and chocolate flavors quite well. Flavors all blend together great! Mouthfeel is very light and refreshing. I find the mouthfeel the most distinguishable thing between this beer and a porter (ale). Drinkability is high.

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2010 08:43:29 | More by DovaliHops