Midnight Expression - Port Brewing Company / Pizza Port

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

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

jneiswender

Massachusetts

4.33/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured out of a large bottle into a tasting glass. Served cool.

A-dark body, tan head

S-toast

T-bar-be-que, toast, nice hop bite end

M-full

D-I like this beer. Nice and complex. Very different for the style. I would drink this beer again. Probably a great food beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2010 02:34:11 | More by jneiswender

lacqueredmouse

Australia

3.4/5  rDev -12.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Having a Port Brewing session this evening. This seemed to fit both the "Port Brewing" and the "session" bill.

Pours a lovely dark schwarz, with a slight hint of brown at the edges. Head forms quickly when pours, but then dissipates almost as rapidly, leaving just a floating film of light beige. Lacing is a little hit and miss, some suds on one side, and a little of nothing on the other. Not bad.

Lots of roasted malt on the nose, toasted and slightly charred, with a slight astringency. Brown bread comes through as well, which oddly lightens the palate, and there's a whiff of something a little sweeter as well, perhaps a lilt of ripe banana - very faint though. Overall, it's mostly roasted and black, with just a few hints around the edges of something else.

Taste is dark, and a little empty around the edges. The bread notes come through more prominently here, leaving a damp emptiness through the centre of the palate, and a lingering odd burnt sweetness that continues through to the end. Mouthfeel is crisp, but with an oddly numbing effect.

Nope, this feels like something of a miss to me. It has some pleasant characters, but some slightly unpleasant ones as well. Not Port's best offering, that's for sure.

Serving type: bottle

11-01-2010 02:17:20 | More by lacqueredmouse

ejimhof

Pennsylvania

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

A - Pours black with a thin head.

S - Coffee is the dominant smell here.

T - Very dry lager with a coffe taste that reminds me a lot of Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald Porter.

M - Creamy and smooth.

D - A good tasting beer just a little different than most schwarzbier's that I have had.

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2010 01:14:16 | More by ejimhof

flexabull

California

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

Ahh... It's good to finally have a craft beer after drinking euro lagers for about 2 1/2 weeks.

Pours a deep dark brown with a very nice off white head.

Aromas are off cocoa, bakers chocolate, cream and coffee. Almost smells like a stout or a robust porter.

Beer is quite flavorful, but is not a big powerhouse. Starts with cocoa and cream notes, then settles into some toasted nut flavors. Finish is slightly yeasty, with some nice general hoppy bitterness.

Mouthfeel is nice. Full and well carbonated.

This is a quite good offering from Port Brewing. A flavorful Schwarbier that is quite sessionable and pleasant to drink.

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2010 04:40:52 | More by flexabull

russpowell

Oklahoma

4.53/5  rDev +16.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Got this one from EchoCharlieEcho, cheers!

Pours a chestnut tinged mahogany with 4 fingers of mocha colored head. Good head retention & lacing

S: Dark Fruit, brown bread, rye & a touch of licorice when warm

T: Charred grain, a little coffee, brown bread & rye up front along with faint dark cherry. More charred grain & coffee as this warms along with rye bread, dryness & slight grainyness & licorice. Finishes dry, with charred grain & coffee, plus rye crispness

MF: Medium bodied & firm carbonation, smooths out once warm

Drinks so easy, a great example of the style, a tad too much coffee, but still wish I could pick this up on a regular basis

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2010 02:15:11 | More by russpowell

alleykatking

Indiana

4.33/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from 22oz bottle.

A- Pours a black as night color. one finger tan head showed decent retention. Stick lacing on the sides of the glass.

S- Some light toasted grains from the get go along with a roasted malt base. Chocoalte aroma and some coffee come into play in the back. Light smoked aroma as well in the tail end.

T- Toasted grain bill along with a caramel malt lager flavor makes for a good flavored beer. There is a nice chocolate undertone to the entire backend of the beer. A light smokey flavor toward the end of the beer makes this beer greater.

M- Medium mouthfeel. Carbonation is good for the style. Roasted malts and toasted grains left on the palate with a smokey aftertaste. Light drying on the palate from the alcohol. Flavors were well blended overall in the beer making for a fantastic flavorful beer.

D- I know people all the time talk about Port Brewing in a negative light. I have yet to have something terrible from them and to be honest this beer was fantastic. Port please keep doing what you are doing and I will keep trading for you until you decided to come into Indiana (cough cough).

Serving type: bottle

09-09-2010 05:15:44 | More by alleykatking