Hot Rocks Lager - Port Brewing Company / Pizza Port

KrautAficionado

Pennsylvania

2.63/5  rDev -30.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a dark nearly opaque brown, a bit reddish on the edges with decent offqhite head that dies to a decent film, laces ok enough. Aromas are a bit of a sweet maltiness, a touch of brown sugar and light caramel candies. Bit of toast and nuts, coupled with faint vanilla sweetness and chocolate, more on the softer side than bitter. Initial is decent bodied, toasty and smoothed out with a nice creaminess. Vanilla, chocolate, caramel, and a good nuttiness round out the base flavors, moving to a light brown sugar, touch of roast and decent bitterness on the backend. The roast and bitterness stay on the palate well, as this beer should be a bit lighter than expected, but still packs pretty good flavor for just a dunkel. The sweetness isn’t cloying, as roast and toast with pretty good hoppiness come in to balance. I liked this beer for what it was, and only qualm may have been that the bitterness and roast on the finish, although enjoyable, could have been smoothed out a bit for a more sessionable experience.

Serving type: bottle

07-18-2011 04:29:50 | More by KrautAficionado

kingcrowing

Vermont

2.83/5  rDev -24.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

On tap poured into a pint glass.

Pours a very dark black with a small brown head. Nose is very light but malty and a tinge of coffee but not much...

Taste is fairly bitter and sharp. There's a lot of coffee and almost tart flavors from the toasty roasty flavors. Unique but good!

Serving type: on-tap

05-18-2011 03:35:19 | More by kingcrowing

kojevergas

California

2.93/5  rDev -22.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

This is my second time trying to upload this review, so it'll be more brief than most of my reviews as I'm pissed off at the website for screwing up. Bottle into stemware. Cost was $4.29 USD.

A: One finger of decent thickness, okay retention, and no real cream. Caramel-black colour; murky and nontransparent.

Sm: Light chocolate, some vanilla bean, and dominant dark malts. A mild strength aroma.

T: Vanilla, chocolate, cream, and awkward cola notes are present on the climax - where the majority of the flavour is located, throwing off the structural balance. Dark malts comprise the foundation and body. The cola feels awkward. It's imbalanced but still generally enjoyable.

Mf: Smooth and wet. Too sharp from overcarbonation. Too thick for the lack of complex flavours.

Dr: Drinkable but merely average for the style. I wouldn't have it again. A relative disappointment from this brewery. The cola notes throw the whole beer off substantially.

C

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2012 23:15:43 | More by kojevergas

JBogan

Nevada

2.95/5  rDev -21.8%
look: 2 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Pours a dark cola color with a very small off white head. Very little lacing is left on the glass. Pretty boring looking actually.

The smell was an interesting mix of sweet malt, cocoa and even some fruits.

Taste was also somewhat sweet and malty, along with the cocoa and a bit of raisin. Not quite as enjoyable as the aroma.

The mouthfeel left a lot to be desired. Thin and very flat, with almost no carbonation.

Overall this was a rather uninteresting beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2010 00:43:08 | More by JBogan

treyrab

Pennsylvania

3.1/5  rDev -17.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Grabbed this brew at a local bottle shop a month ago. Kept in the fridge until I cracked it and split it last night. Poured into two pint glasses.

A: Pours a clear, mahogany red with an off-white, almost tan, one finger head. Looks dangerously close to Dr. Pepper; very cola-like. Looks spritzy.

S: Smell is very dry with smoke, ash, chocolate, coffee, and roast. While all of those scents are there, they are all muted and neither really sticks out. Smells very dry and smoky.

T: Taste, again, is dry smoke. Very similar to a rauchbier with the amount of smoke. Not so much peat, or earthy tones, but just smoke and ash. Chocolate also comes through, but it is very dry and not at all sweet chocolate.

Overall, an interesting lager. Glad I tried it, but not my style.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2011 11:25:33 | More by treyrab

AWolfAtTheDoor

California

3.13/5  rDev -17%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Spied a bottle of this on one of my weekly beer runs, decided to give it a try. Bottle is relatively fresh; usually bottles sit in my "cellar" for a while before I get around to tasting them. Not this one.

It poured a dark maple syrup color. Small headed that has since reduced to a tiny ring. Lazy lacing as I like to call it, its there but it resembles an old broken spiderweb.

All malts on the nose; hints of chocolate and fruits. I've never been great at detecting smells from lagers.

Taste is of roasted malts and mild smoking. It's like a very watered down (authentic) Rauchbier. The

Not including Bamberg, Germany I'm not much of a lager fan. If forced to drink one I would probably choose this, but there just isn't a whole lot going on. I'm glad I tried it, but I'm sorry to say I won't be having an other anytime soon.

Serving type: bottle

06-22-2009 00:49:57 | More by AWolfAtTheDoor

Wetpaperbag

Washington

3.2/5  rDev -15.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A- Dark brick red with a thin half finger width of head.

S- Malty with some coffee, and the alcohol is quite present. I'm also getting a metallic smell.

T- The taste is like a light shot of malty espresso. That metallic smell is here in the taste. They must have used hot iron rocks to brew this beer or something. I'm also getting that traditional lager yeast taste too. It really can be picked out in lager beers.

M- Thin at times, with a thick after taste that leaves my mouth slimy.

D- Easy to drink. Great darker lager, but it doesn't seem to have much direction

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2009 04:33:32 | More by Wetpaperbag

Mebuzzard

Colorado

3.23/5  rDev -14.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

This one borders on being a schwarzbier in my mind, but it's not quite as dark and the hop tones just aren't there. The way it's brewed is interesting; dropping hot rocks into the wort to produce a boil. The old method....

Pours a dark ruby/chestnut color with a small layer of off-white foamy head. A bit sticky in the lacing as it drank.

Aroma is sweet, a bit smoky, and anise-like. Caramel seems to provide a the backbone, slightly smoked. Anise and/or almond comes and goes.

Flavor isn't bad, just not very noticeable. I think if I had paired this with some Mexican dishes, slightly spiced, the flavor may have popped more. As it is, it's soft. Caramel, anise or root beer-like center...soft. Smoke comes in a bit and the caramel finishes it off. Slight earthy spice.

Thin mouthfeel. Or perhaps it's just so smooth. Again, should have paired it. Makes it quite drinkable. Nothing bad here.

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2010 19:52:50 | More by Mebuzzard

callmescraps

Massachusetts

3.25/5  rDev -13.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Always interested in a Port brew. Let's see how she does.

Appearance - Quite dark. Almost black. It's actually a very, very dark brown. There's a nice off-white head. Laces well.

Smell - Lots of malt, a little sweet. There's a hint of grapefruit. Not a terribly strong smell, but nice.

Taste - Some of that sweet malt again. A little roast comes in as well. Almost a corn adjuncty taste. A hint of caramel sugars as well.

Mouthfeel - Nice carbonation, but a tad light.

Drinkability - Not bad. The bitter roast on the finish is off-putting.

This is a fine beer, but not really doing it for me. More roast and malt than I was expecting. Eh.

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2009 04:56:24 | More by callmescraps

illidurit

California

3.25/5  rDev -13.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Bomber poured into a pint glass. Dark copper color with a tan head. Aroma is full of caramel and dark fruits, specifically the dank odor of prunes and the sweetness of figs. Flavor is very similar, pungent dark fruits and a light toffee finish. This is a full-flavored lager that can hold my attention, but unfortunately the sweet + prune combo is a little much to deal with over the course of 22 ounces.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2012 04:43:11 | More by illidurit

beerman21

California

3.28/5  rDev -13%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a deep burnt Magonhey color, with a massive fluffy almost creamy off white slight cinnamon hue color head. Its massive maybe 3 1/2 fingers so pour this beer gently. No need for a aggressive pour.

S- Sweet bready malts, picking up some dark fruits as well, for sure malty. Absent aroma of hops, has kind of a sour funk but in a good way, subtle on the sourness note though.

T/M/O- Really nice sweet bready malt flavor, melded nicely with hints of raisins and plum. Sourness is not there at all, I'd be concerned of sour flavor of this beer being bad, but really was only present in the aroma. Mouthful was slightly chewy; flavor lingered nicely and dissipated just in time to want to take another sip. Has a slight warming effect ABV at 6.5, just low enough I believe to be sessionable, but on the low end. Usually I find any lager to be very filling, but this one wasn’t to bad. This isn’t your typical strait forward lager either, it definiently has character. I'd recommend it for sure, although I'd probably go for there IPA that’s just my style preference.

Serving type: bottle

08-09-2011 23:13:08 | More by beerman21

mithrascruor

California

3.3/5  rDev -12.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

22 oz. bottle poured into a mug.

Appearance: Pours a very dark reddish-brown color. Tan head turns to a nice thin film.

Smell: Slightly sweet aroma of roasted malts: chocolate and maybe dates or cherries.

Taste: Big malty flavor with the bittersweet taste of herbs and berries. Finish and aftertaste is a sort of bitter herbal chocolate taste, that I'm not too keen on.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied with light carbonation. Quite smooth as well.

Drinkability: The finish and aftertaste really skews the drinkability of this one.

A fun beer to try, with a (these days) rather unique brewing process, but it is not that great a beer to really enjoy (at least not for me). The flavor is very strange and a bit too bitter and herbal for me in a dark lager like this.

Serving type: bottle

08-01-2009 17:06:23 | More by mithrascruor

yemenmocha

Arizona

3.33/5  rDev -11.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Disappointing.

Pours cola colored brown with small head that disappears completely within moments. Nose is weak to nonexistent, with a suggestion of musty caramel. Palate has an earthy quality that is probably the rock influence, but beyond that it's just a light roasty malt flavor profile. It's watery, with not much exciting going on.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2009 03:27:53 | More by yemenmocha

rhoadsrage

Illinois

3.33/5  rDev -11.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

(Served in a pint glass)
A- This beer has a dense brown body with a garnet glow to it.  There is a thick lumpy light tan head that last for a bit.  It is a bit to dense to see much carbonation.
  S-  The dry roasted malt is by itself in an otherwise clean aroma.  There is a very perfumy quality to the malt that grows as the beer warms up.
  T-  The dry pure toasted malt note finishes with a bitter hop bite.  There is a melanoidin flavor to the darker toasted malt and coffee roast that come through when the beer warms.  The bitterness of the dark malt and hops linger a bit after each sip.  M-  This beer ha a light mouthfeel with no alcohol heat and a tight fizz finish.
   D-  This beer is very dry with the melanoidin/nougat flavor grown and just the hop bitterness to follow.  It would be nice if there was more caramel flavors form the lava rocks to add some depth and flavor. 

Serving type: bottle
@ Pizza Port Carlsbad, 571 Carlsbad Village Dr., Carlsbad

09-01-2010 02:18:36 | More by rhoadsrage

crossovert

Wisconsin

3.35/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 3.5

THanks to jdubfl for the extra.

Pours into my large dimpled mug a decently dark brown with orangeish hues on the edges. The head is large and off-white.

The smell is medicinally hoppy with some nice malt character.

The mouthfeel is noticeably watery, which is a downer. The beer tastes alright though, not much like a Euro Dark lager though. It is almost like a porter meets bock. The chocolate malt is pretty evident as is the caramel.

It is ok, not true to style at all but not bad.

Serving type: bottle
@ Pizza Port Carlsbad, 571 Carlsbad Village Dr., Carlsbad

01-24-2010 01:58:02 | More by crossovert

barleywinefiend

Washington

3.35/5  rDev -11.1%
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
@ Pizza Port Carlsbad, 571 Carlsbad Village Dr., Carlsbad

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

belgbeerdrinker

Colorado

3.38/5  rDev -10.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

a: dark brown color, good head finishes to a ring, little lacing
s: sweet and roasted malts dominate this one
t: sweet and roasted malts as expected to start, eventually comes out as a german-style brew once it warms, finishes with lingering malts
m: medium body, good carbonation
d: an easy to drink brew, just nothing that really stands out for me

Serving type: bottle
@ Pizza Port Carlsbad, 571 Carlsbad Village Dr., Carlsbad

06-17-2009 01:36:33 | More by belgbeerdrinker

pokesbeerdude

Colorado

3.38/5  rDev -10.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

22oz single from Wilbur's in Ft. Collins, on sale, $5.

A: Dark brown with a cream colored head that is a good inch thick, opaque, really a lot darker in color than I expected. Head is quite dense and has great retention, fairly sticky lacing.

S: Has some nice chocolatey smells to it, also has some big time minerally/metallic smells that I'm not really too excited about. Definite lager strain of yeast. Not really that aromatic.

T: Tastes a lot like chocolate, with few hints of grapefruit, and a definite herbal quality. Really tastes a lot more like a brown ale or even a stout, except there is a definite lager presence here. Kind of fruity, hard to place, definitely sweet. Finishes somewhat bitter, but not quite all there. The aftertaste reminds me of what my first homebrew tasted like. Can't quite put my finger on it. Not really distracting or taking away from the beer, but doesn't add much either.

M: Fairly thick, I actually thought I was drinking a stout or a porter based on some of the flavors, definitely dry.

D: Easy to drink, but not that impressive, and in all reality tastes a lot more like a porter or a stout than a lager. Really not that impressed with this beer, just doesn't really do anything for me. Some nice flavors, but has some off, maybe a little green flavors. Very cool collaboration, but the end product just didn't do it for me.

Serving type: bottle
@ Pizza Port Carlsbad, 571 Carlsbad Village Dr., Carlsbad

09-14-2009 02:40:43 | More by pokesbeerdude

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.4/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

$20 bottle at Fallen Rock club, Denver. Shared with JMSHB. Darkish body, almost nohead though lace. Sweeet with spices and pepper, root beerish.Chocolate, caramel, nuts. A brown ale more than anything. Average mouthfeel.Understated carbonation.Needed something very American, smoke or whatever.

Serving type: bottle
@ Pizza Port Carlsbad, 571 Carlsbad Village Dr., Carlsbad

02-13-2011 06:25:13 | More by northyorksammy

SRossman

Washington

3.43/5  rDev -9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Slightly darker than I expected but after thinking about it I'm not sure why I had much expectation for appearance in the first place. It's a dark brown color that I can only see through when held to the light. Very nice ruby color on the edges, Almost looks like cola. Very little head and it dies down quick.

S: Offers a lot of caramel malt. Almost no hops to speak of which, even though it is from Port Brewing, is expected for this beer.

T: Surprisingly, through the rich maltiness of this beer I do get a bit of hop bitterness, didn't catch that in the nose. Still mostly focused on rich malt with notes of caramel and chocolate.

MF/D: Has a fullness to the body that I really like. Although it's not a very complex brew, I'm finding it highly drinkable.

Serving type: bottle
@ Pizza Port Carlsbad, 571 Carlsbad Village Dr., Carlsbad

06-02-2009 07:00:59 | More by SRossman

hopheadjuice

Massachusetts

3.43/5  rDev -9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

22 ox bottle. no freshness date..

Pours a murky cola color with a 1.5 finger tan head leaving some spotty lacing. Nasty amount of booger looking stringy yeast.

Aromas of chocolate and sweet roasted malts, smallest presence of hops. a little bit of funk in the nose.

Bitter dark roasted malts followed by a sweeter presence of mocha chocolate.

Mouthfeel is creamy yet crisp and has a medium body. good carbonation.

I thought this beer was okay, nothing extraordinary being brewed with hot rocks in the process. I wouldn't pass it down if offered.

Serving type: bottle
@ Pizza Port Carlsbad, 571 Carlsbad Village Dr., Carlsbad

10-11-2010 16:41:53 | More by hopheadjuice

mactrail

California

3.43/5  rDev -9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Very dark with a chestnut in the pint glass. Nice roasty aroma. Hint of sourness, like black patent malt adding a little burnt flavor. Sweet with malt. A thick mouthfeel, and it seems to coat the tongue. Hops give a decent bitter burr. Richer than a Schwartzbier or other lagers, but not enough of the burnt caramel taste to make it a stout. Hint of cocoa and something fruity, like canned peaches.

Not a bad rich flavor, but not much for drinking a pint.

Serving type: on-tap
@ Pizza Port Carlsbad, 571 Carlsbad Village Dr., Carlsbad

04-27-2011 05:08:16 | More by mactrail

beerthulhu

New Jersey

3.45/5  rDev -8.5%
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
@ Pizza Port Carlsbad, 571 Carlsbad Village Dr., Carlsbad

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

prototypic

Ohio

3.48/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Hot Rocks pours a darker, almost mahogany brown color. It's clear and a little backlighting reveals nice burgundy highlights. A vanilla cap tops it off. It reaches about two fingers deep. It recedes to a surface covering rather quickly, but took a while to completely disappear. Light, sticky strands of lace clung to the glass.

The nose is straight forward enough. It's malty, but isn't the least bit sweet smelling. It's a little yeasty and features some grain at the secondary level. There's a hint of a spicy aroma, but I can't quite put my finger on it. There's really not all that much to talk about here. It's a little on the weak side and doesn't have any real standout qualities. Pretty average if you ask me.

The flavor profile is easily better than the nose. It is indeed rather malty. It's not sweet at all. It tastes mostly like chocolate malt. It has a strong cocoa-like quality. There's a yeasty flavor that permeates throughout. There's a light spice flavor present that I can't identify. It's somewhat earthy, herbal, and grainy. It's somewhat reminiscent of a black lager, but not entirely. There's a light hop presence noted that gives it a slight bitter buzz. I like that. Alcohol is not noticeable. It finishes earthy and a little dry. It's alright. Above average.

Hot Rocks has a medium body that's nice and smooth. Actually, I think it might be my favorite thing about this beer. Carbonation is light and restrained. It goes down really easy. Drinkability is above average. It's easy drinking, but is lacking a little in flavor. This bomber is enough.

I had high hopes for Hot Rocks. Perhaps too high. I like collaboration beers and this effort by Port and Bend Brewing has an interesting story. Read the label if you're interested. I won't rehash it here. The results are alright, but aren't spectacular. It just doesn't have any standout qualities that make it shine. It's alright and is definitely worth a try, but go for the single bomber. You can thank me later.

Serving type: bottle
@ Pizza Port Carlsbad, 571 Carlsbad Village Dr., Carlsbad

10-30-2009 00:51:47 | More by prototypic

bulletrain76

California

3.48/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

22oz bottle picked up down in OC. This was an interesting beer. I went into this not really knowing what to expect from it. Very malty overall, with a rich sweetness that makes it drink like a bigger bock beer than it is. I would almost call it a doppelbock in the malt department, but the steinbier thing has given it a malt profile that is truly unique and intriguing. Dark red-brown in color with a thick light beige head that leaves a lasting slick after a few minutes. The aroma is sweet and malty with a smooth lager character, caramel, burnt sugars, licorice, and light smoke. The flavor is squarely malt driven and sweet with caramel, some chocolate, burnt marshmallows, dried fruit, light smoke, and a light spicy hop bitterness. Medium-full bodied with medium-low carbonation. I liked this beer because of the cool malty flavors, but couldn't help but with it was a little drier or hoppier for balance. By the end of the bomber the sweetness became a little too intense.

Serving type: bottle
@ Pizza Port Carlsbad, 571 Carlsbad Village Dr., Carlsbad

11-12-2009 05:43:58 | More by bulletrain76