Hot Rocks Lager - Port Brewing Company / Pizza Port

pkalix

California

4.38/5  rDev +15.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

this was a great brew. actually, it still is... on the 2nd half of the bottle now....
very dark brown with some red in it- kind of like how your hair reddens in the summer.... beautiful foamy head, volume according to the vigor with which it is poured. super nice holding on to the side of the glass as it's tilted. i like that property....
smell is interesting. light, grain-y, nothing special, and smells like a very UN-extraordinary brew of which i was expecting to be disappointed.
taste, however, is very good. not spectacular, but very good. sweet and malty, with traditional bitterness, reminds me of a european commercial style, but with some substance. again, surpassed the expectations formed during the sniff...
it is an interesting note about dropping the glowing 'hot rocks' into the boil, but i wonder how much that contributes overall to the flavor. this is just a great 'standard' beer with some great properties. i like the way it laces on the sides. i like the semi-chocolate-y taste. i like the 6.5 % abv. it's not a super awesome brew, but a great standard which is very easy to drink and with a respectable abv.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2013 22:59:31 | More by pkalix

ocelot2500

Arizona

3.68/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a deep, rich caramel color with a tight, tan head that leaves little bits of lacing.

Smells of toasted malt notes mostly with some nuttiness and caramel.

Tastes of rich toasted malt notes. Malts are a big component with toasted bread and nutty notes coming through. This then leads to a bit of caramel sweetness. Touches of earthy bitterness comes on the end and rounds everything out.

Mouthfeel is medium with a smooth amount of carbonation.

Overall, this is pretty good. It won't knock anybody socks off, but it doesn't do anything wrong.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2013 02:53:18 | More by ocelot2500

BucannonXC5

California

3.69/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Type: Draft
Glass: 16-oz. pint glass
From: Polite Provisions in University Heights (San Diego), Calif.
Price: $6
Purchased: May 8, 2013
Consumed: May 8, 2013
Misc.: N/A

Poured a brownish black color with two fingers of khaki tan frothy head. Lots of sporadic khaki lacing on the sides. Good retention all the way down.

Smelled roasty malts up front. Also chocolate, caramel, toffee and nuts. Reminded me a bit of a Newcastle.

Tasted similar to the nose with roasty malts and nutty malts coming through the most. Also caramel, toffee and chocolate with some bitterness on the tongue after.

Medium body. Creamy-to-sticky texture. Average carbonation. Bitter finish.

I probably gave this beer a bit better rating than I should have. It definitely had its moments.

Serving type: on-tap

05-09-2013 07:27:22 | More by BucannonXC5

Lledd

Massachusetts

4.08/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

A: Dark brown with a tint of red. No visible carbonation. Small head receding over a few minutes.

S: Nice light caramel malt . Mild hops. Im expecting a balanced brew.

T: It is balanced. It's very refreshing as well. Theres a smoky earthiness, maybe from the brewing process? Its a tad sweet too. yum.

M: Refreshing. Clean and crisp (which i great with the malt). Soft, moderate carbonation.

O: Delicious. Refreshing, gulpable, sweet, balanced, earthy, Good price point ($5.15). Ill buy again.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2013 03:25:04 | More by Lledd

dbrauneis

New Jersey

3.69/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Bottled on 04/06/12

A: Pours a clear dark amber in color with some light to moderate amounts of visible carbonation and some moderate garnet red highlights. The beer has a three finger tall dense foamy light tan head that reduces to a large patch of thick film covering about 85% of the surface of the beer and thin ring at the edges of the glass. Light to moderate amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Moderate aromas of toasted and roasted dark malts.

T: Moderate flavors of toasted dark malts with some light amounts of sweetness and just a touch of nuttiness. Lighter notes of dark chocolate and earthy hops. Light amounts of lingering bitterness.

M: Just shy of medium bodied with moderate to heavy amounts of carbonation.

O: Interesting and not exactly what I was expecting when I opened this one - the hot volcanic lava rocks must have made the brewing experience interesting. Very malty but pretty easy to drink. Reminds me a bit of a schwartzbier.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2013 18:35:44 | More by dbrauneis

metter98

New York

3.74/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

A: The beer is jet black in color and has bits of carbonation visible near the edges of the glass. It poured with a two finger high off white head that gradually died down, leaving a thin layer of bubbles around the edge of the glass.
S: There are light aromas of dark and roasted malts in the nose.
T: Like the smell, the taste has flavors of dark and roasted malts in the nose along with notes of chocolate and hints of sweetness.
M: It feels light- to medium-bodied and a little watery and airy on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This beer is easy to drink and seems a little reminiscent of a schwartzbier and a porter.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2013 18:30:26 | More by metter98

Offa

California

3.91/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Almost black, this has a big tan head slowly shrinking to thin foamy top.

Aroma is nice caramelly chocolate, hint of coffee toffee and bread, hint of licorice. It is a nice dark lager quality.

Taste is nice zesty toasty caramelly dark chocolate, dry woody-toasty licorice finish with light bitterness after being sweeter up front. Feel is good. However, it does not pack much character for the abv.

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2013 19:14:40 | More by Offa

Ego

New Jersey

3.55/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

"merry new year"
"it's happy, in our country we say Happy new year pal"

hot rocks ? way #1,000,2000,022323,2302k3203,2 discovered to make beer... I think we need a moondust brew, eh, sam over @ dogfish probably already has booked a flight on space x...

eyes...
dark brown with a ton of geysers of carbonation streaming up the glass, 2 full fingers O fluff, a bit craggy and a bit off white, pretty standard to slightly above average looking

nose...
malty with a euro hop smell, musty and earthy, slight citrus notes hanging around for the party.

taste etc...
much livelier than a typical lager... the carbonation is a bit bright for the style (I happen to like it this snazzy though), this really drinks like a red ale... sort of APA thing.. but subdued... but tasty. I think the carbonation might be a bit much in the long haul but for one glass it is fine. this drinks medium in the mouth and rather smooth. the flavors are pretty mellow, sort of a slightly souped up euro ale, it doesn't have the depth of flavor of those however but it is more "american" which might not be bad based on your personal tastes, there is no sense of the alcohol here (not that 6.5 is huge)

verdict?
an interesting brew that really has some euro flavor with an american slant, that makes it interesting, but not great. Definitely worth a try if you see it on tap, I don't think many will dislike this beer but of course not many may fall head over heals for it either.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2013 06:26:31 | More by Ego

TheSixthRing

California

3.5/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Had on tap at Capitol Beer an Tap Room in Sacramento, CA.

Appearance - Pours a semi-hazy, dark rusty amber. The head is off-white and a finger thick with good retention. Lacing is spotty with almost no stick.

Smell - Hits on bread and a piney hop aroma.

Taste - Hits on a lot of mild piney hop bitterness. Malts are moderate, coming across as bready with faint hints of caramel. Finishes much in the way it starts, with a lot of piney hop bitterness. Very little depth.

Mouthfeel - Light to medium body with fair, lively carbonation. Finish is fairly dry.

Overall - Good, but not impressive. Comes across as fairly generic. Lots of simple hop character, with a basic malt character. Based on the flavor profile, I'd have never guessed this to be a pale ale or a light IPA, not a lager.

Serving type: on-tap

12-08-2012 05:28:49 | More by TheSixthRing

Jemonster

California

4.6/5  rDev +21.7%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

A: This beer "(malt beverage?)" is my first dark lager. Honestly, I didn't even know that this style existed until now. Compared to other offerings, this is a lager in name only. According to the bottle, the wort is boiled by dropping hot granite into it. It has a dark chocolate brown body with a creamy coffee colored head. Opaque.

S: Faint and simple, even when warmer. Straightforward roasted malt smell. I could try to make up a bunch of other stuff, but that would be pushing it here.

T: Very good. Smooth malt flavor, balanced hop bitterness that is more forward that typical lagers. Some coffee notes and moderate acidic tang. Basic and tasty. Less is more.

M: Refreshing and crisp. Thin bodied but fits the flavor very well. Quenching. Perfect mouthfeel for what is presented here.

O: I've gotta get this again. This beer impressed me with its quirky character and refreshing flavor and body. I'll see if my lighter beer drinking friends might like this.

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2012 03:58:27 | More by Jemonster

justintcoons

Pennsylvania

3.58/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a pint glass.

Appearance
Dark Cola-colored brown with red highlights. Has 3 fingers of tan head with great retention.

Nose
Chocolate, caramel drizzle, charcoal, Cola and light floral hop aromas.

Taste
Caramel, Cola, dark candy syrup and notes of semi-sweet chocolates. There is some bitter charcoal flavors assumed to be from the black granite and some light floral hops.

Mouthfeel
Medium bodied, crisp and clean.

Overall
Very easy drinking and packed with flavor. A very nicely done Dark Lager.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2012 18:31:47 | More by justintcoons

CAMRAhardliner

Ontario (Canada)

3.58/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Had this on tap at the Lost Abbey/Port brewery a few days ago. I was really interested to try an actual Steinbier for the first time. This is from notes.

Pours a dark ruddy brown with a foamy, cappuccino colored head. Interestingly this color all comes from the caramelization from the hot rocks added to the boil - no specialty malts are used according to the guy behind the counter. The aroma is light and sweet with some plum notes and some caramel. The taste is very malty with just a bit of herbal hop presence. Plum and cherry notes lead way to some caramel in the background. The mouthfeel is watery with a sparse carbonation for a lager. Mild bitterness and stone fruits in the finish.

This was a good beer, sweeter than I expected, with no roastyness to speak of. Still worth a try.

Serving type: on-tap

10-07-2012 21:14:53 | More by CAMRAhardliner

iD9

California

3.58/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Served in a straight pint at Original Gravity in San Jose, Ca.

Appearance: Chestnut brown, nearly opaque through the very center of the glass. Lacing is minimal and the head quickly thins. That being said, it leaves a very pleasant (and persistent) layer of even, off white, foam.

Smell: Mild malty tone, with roasty-toasty (possibly biscuity) notes on it. Definitely has the the distinct smell of lagered beers: A sort of "lightness" in the aroma, don't know of a great way to smell it. Doesn't smell bad, but not remarkable.

Taste: Definite face-forward on the malt, with a coating of roasty grains on the back. Maybe a hint of malty sweetness with a clean finish. Dunkel lagers always throw me off, they end up tasting like a watered-down porter. Easy drinking, but the roasty profile tends to dominate and I find that detracts from the overall experience.

Mouthfeel: Medium-light bodied, definitely a dunkel. Fairs better than most in this category, I'm pleasantly surprised. Has a bit of viscosity (the malty sweetness seems to stick a bit on the middle of the tongue) without throwing the beer into "sipping" territory.

Overall: Okay by all standards. If you like this style you will most likely enjoy this brew. Port does a good job with their Hot Rocks Lager but it misses the mark for me. The combination of malty sweetness and roasty grains coats the tongue in a manner which I don't much care for. In any event, a solid brew but one I won't be revisiting any time soon.

Serving type: on-tap

09-13-2012 02:11:45 | More by iD9

beerthulhu

New Jersey

3.45/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Brewed with black granite.

A: Burgundy pour shows up a black cherry in the vessel. The head is impressive, a monster standing 3 digits high with a commanding mushrooming structure that was light khaki in color and rounded atop pertruding above the rim. Retention is nothing short of resilent, hardly a budge over an extended amount of time. Gold micro-beads shower up the glass edge building upon the mammouth sized head. Stratified rings of foamy lace adhere well to the vessel walls.

S: Maybe its subliminal but the nose does seems to want to pick up on some dry lava stones influence like that of a dried river bed. Some cola and straw also show up of mid level appeal, fairly decent level per style.

T: Smoky charred caramel malt is my first impression, some lava rock influence, again dry stones, along with some earthy notes of dirt and dried frui skin. Smoky charred wood is there along with some dry smoked grains, burnt vegetation bitterness, smoky caramel and coffee roast.

M: The mouthful is smoky charred and creamy, dry with a lingering earhty dirt fade.

O: Intriquing flavor at the start, interesting but a bomber may overstay its welcome as it loses some mystic by the bottoms end. I would suggest splitting with a friend, the flavor stays fresh, intriquuing and leaving you wanting more this way then like a house guest after 3 days. still an interesting take..

Serving type: bottle

09-06-2012 23:08:32 | More by beerthulhu

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This is a nice dark lager. When I got the initial hits of malt and caramel, I was worried that it was going to be too much. But it ended up being quite balanced and even. Thorough flavor profile. Even delivery. Not overly complex, but it works. I can dig it.

Serving type: bottle

08-30-2012 16:57:36 | More by RblWthACoz

JRed

New Jersey

3.48/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Deep brown-almost black in body with khaki head that stays around. Smells of hazelnut, almost light coffee, and vague pine. Tastes of hazelnut, roasted coffee, slight prune, vague chocolate, and some grassiness. Cola-like in mouthfeel and medium bodied. Sticky on the palate but worth trying.

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2012 01:07:04 | More by JRed

RonfromJersey

New Jersey

3.58/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Huge billowing light beige head sounds like Coca Cola. Body is dark brown with ruby highlights. Spotty lace drops.

Aroma of caramel and earthy hops.

Taste begins with sweet caramel. Hint of burnt sugar, like crime brûlée. Some coffee. Earthy hops.

Smooth well rounded mouthfeel.

Not something I'd buy regularly, but a tasty one off.

Serving type: bottle

07-16-2012 04:15:04 | More by RonfromJersey

barleywinefiend

Washington

3.35/5  rDev -11.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Poured a dark brown with good carbonation, nice big brown cap with a nice amount oflacing

S: Grainy with some chocolate and roasted malt

T: A noticable light roast and cocoa on the palate with some grains, grass and light floral notes

M: Medium bodied, well carbonated

O: Not to bad

Serving type: bottle

06-28-2012 01:44:23 | More by barleywinefiend

UCLABrewN84

California

3.6/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottled on 4/6/12.

Pours an almost opaque super dark brown with a 1 inch foamy dark khaki head that settles to an oily film on top of the beer. Small dots of lace of lace form randomly around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of toasted malt, slight caramel, and some mineral aromas. Taste is of roasted and toasted malt and some burnt caramel and slight mineral flavors. There is a medium roasty and hop bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer but I prefer the way it smells over the way it tastes.

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2012 05:17:18 | More by UCLABrewN84

Drinkerofales

California

4.15/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours dark, opaque brown, with golden highlights on the edges. A huge light mocha head leaves plenty of thick lace.

Smells of toasted malts, caramel, and a hint of smoke.

Tastes of chocolate, a tiny bit of char, fruity grilled pears, with a yeasty tang on the finish.

Medium bodied and smooth, good drinkability. A light carbonation sting hits the tongue, which kind of detracts, but not horribly so.

What a strange beer, I really liked the flavor. Other aspects not so much, but flavor is the king.

DOA

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2012 09:04:32 | More by Drinkerofales

Gavage

New Jersey

3.8/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: pours a dark brown color with a one inch head that falls to a thick surface foam.

Smell: some malt sweetness is all you can detect.

Taste: malt, dark fruit sweetness, some earthiness, and a mild bitterness.

Mouthfeel: medium bodied beer. Lightly crisp to start, a bit smoother towards the finish.

Overall: an easy to drink dark lager but the flavor profile is a bit mild.

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2012 22:09:52 | More by Gavage

DoubleJ

California

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

Why would you brew a beer with granite? What is the granite supposed to do? Anyways, we have here a dark lager, here to test out my newly acquired Eisenbahn Dunbkel glass (YAY!). On to the beer:

Pleasing dark lager look; a ruby brown colored beer with reddish hues, a thick head over two inches, and modest glops of lace. That's a good smell; pleasant raisin and dark malt goodness. I even get the granite, which actually is on the complimentary side.

Nothing to complain about the taste. There is enough malt sweetness, caramel, and unsweetened chocolate to make this tasty, and there's that interesting granite note which balanced out the beer and adds a bitter edge to it. The minerality is especially strong in the aftertaste. It's medium bodied and rather smooth with the carbonation, though it does feel lighter than its listed 6.5% ABV.

A refreshing twist to the dark lager style. At the very least it's a good malt option for those who are bured from hops.

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2012 22:34:59 | More by DoubleJ

Maximusmaximus

Massachusetts

4.18/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I don't understand the packaging here. This beer is made by putting red-hot chunks of granite into the wort. This is how some old-school Germans boiled their wort and it lends the beer a hearty, rich, cooked-sugar complexity that is entirely unique. If the earth were a beer, this is what it would taste like. This deep winter, Euro dark lager, "stein" beer screams of its German ancestry. So why put it in a bottle with little Hawaiian guys dancing around a fire on the label? Beats me. Hand me another.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2012 17:11:33 | More by Maximusmaximus

jtierney89

New Jersey

3.65/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a hazy deep brown color with amber highlights. Creamy off white head. Nose is earthy with toasted malt. Breadth Malta and very faint notes of dark fruit.

Surprisingly chocolaty. But you can definitely taste the granite. A really unique taste. Flavors blend together well. Toasted Malta, touch of caramel, chocolate and a mineral like quality. The granite really adds a unique quality to this dark lager. Somehow makes it taste cleaner and crisper. A strange beer for sure but overall its pretty good.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2012 02:28:38 | More by jtierney89

beergoot

Colorado

3.78/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a very clear, reddish-brown color with a very thick, tan head.

Primarily a malt aroma: lightly roasted grains with a hint of spice. Lightly burnt toast...

Light mouthfeel with soft carbonation on the tongue. Lightly burnt toast flavor. A bit of alcohol warmth shines through and melds with a gentle bitterness at the finish. Finishes cleanly.

A good dark lager. Decently balanced for flavor. Smooth and easy drinking.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2012 20:09:15 | More by beergoot