Palmetto Porter - Palmetto Brewing Company

planetscott

Georgia

4.13/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap at a pub in Hilton Head. Always excited to try new beers by local brewers. Porter is my favorite style, so I tend to be extremely critical. By style, this one is spot on. The aroma was ruined by the detergent smell of the glass. Otherwise this is an exceptional porter. I love the toasty, roasty flavor. The mouthfeel was just right and the drink-ability...Well, I found myself almost finished with this beer before my meal had arrived. I hope to find some in a store and bring it back home.

Great job Palmetto!

Serving type: on-tap

05-13-2010 13:34:14 | More by planetscott

swhudson3

South Carolina

4/5  rDev +3.9%

04-30-2013 23:04:51 | More by swhudson3

ferrettman687

Massachusetts

5/5  rDev +29.9%

12-26-2012 23:49:09 | More by ferrettman687

Stinger80OH

Ohio

4.25/5  rDev +10.4%

07-10-2012 04:25:44 | More by Stinger80OH

RoryOMoore

New Jersey

3.5/5  rDev -9.1%

01-23-2012 04:09:03 | More by RoryOMoore

whitekiboko

South Carolina

3/5  rDev -22.1%

12-27-2011 00:48:12 | More by whitekiboko

EastCoastHawkeye

Virginia

3/5  rDev -22.1%

11-26-2011 11:45:59 | More by EastCoastHawkeye

Adamostella

Washington

4/5  rDev +3.9%

11-14-2011 23:25:10 | More by Adamostella

maximum12

Minnesota

3.98/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to md655321 for this promising extra. Tasty porters are, IMHO, in short supply & the world could use more of them. And I'd never heard of Palmetto Brewing, so another brewery in the old ticker notebook.

Very dark brown or a slightly light black, depending on how you tilt the glass. The smell coming out of my snifter is more coffee-like than expected, roasted, nutty.

Palmetto Porter is right up that good porter alley. If this were a coffee, I'd describe it as an extremely thick coffee, with a bit of nutty sweetener mixed in, & perhaps a dollop of milk. And sugar. The roasted overtones are clearly the focal point, with the rest added to the mix for interest & effect. Only non-coffee taste is a country twang of hops at the end, quick & gone, but enough to be noticed. And despite the fact that it's thick & black, this is disappearing a lot faster than it should.

Very good beer. Drinkable, & more like a good coffee than perhaps any brew I've had to date. Nice!

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2010 02:52:49 | More by maximum12

dirtylou

Washington

4.33/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz single - never a shortage of porters when blackie is shipping (sarcastic/eye roll)

appearance: nice palmetto tree label - poured into a great dane imperial pint, robust dark body, creamy mocha cap and nice lacing

smell: a big punch of roasted coffee, chocolate, roasted malt. quite nice

taste: underrated porter - great roasty body, lots of coffee and chocolate, hazelnut, caramel, espresso, oatmeal, toffee. this is a good one

mouthfeel: good - smooth, a little bit creamier and its a 4.5

drinkability: good

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2010 01:15:44 | More by dirtylou

indiapaleale

Massachusetts

3.75/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pour - hey, its dark! Well, its dark and cola colored with a pretty thin looking wispy head and not a while lot of carbonation visibly present. No real surprises in appearance.

Aroma - quite a bit of dark roasted coffee in the first whiff along with the predictable amount of dark roasted malt sweetness. I am kind of surprised by just how much the smell of this reminds me of a really good cup of dark roast coffee.

Taste - dark roasted malt, some graininess, some slight subtle jabs at floral hop flavor along with some caramel and brown sugar sweetness. Tasty stuff with plenty of malt flavor to keep you interested. I wish the hops were a bit more apparent but oh well...

Overall - not a bad porter, nothing too exciting but its an enjoyable beer. As far as porters go this one does the job without too many complaints.

Would I buy more of it? - I can't so I probably won't but if I could I still probably wouldn't as its not anything overly amazing and worth going back to.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2010 03:49:40 | More by indiapaleale

wagenvolks

Texas

3.9/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle courtesy of Ryan's Ghetto Fab BIF. Thanks rnorgart!

Pours into the Corsendonk tulip an opaque, seal brown body with a hefty inch of cookie-dough-colored foam. Great retention, although the initial subsidence fails to produce much lacing. Very nice-smelling porter here, with a roasted chocolate aroma that brings hints of foresty dankness from the hops. Espresso coffee and sweet vanilla add a superb balance to the chocolate.

The flavor isn't at all bad, but it doesn't quite live up to what the aroma promised. Initially light in body with some sweetness from chocolate malts and a hint of lactose. Quickly, the roast takes hold, adding a sharp bitterness to the back of the tongue that's enhanced by some earthy hops. Mouthfeel is well-carbonated and somewhat creamy, with a medium-full body and a slight stickiness to the finish. Overall, Palmetto Porter is an impressive interpretation of the style that I would gladly revisit. Too bad the rest of the brewery's lineup falls well short of this great beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2009 03:04:43 | More by wagenvolks

Arbitrator

California

3.48/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Well-chilled 12oz bottle into a glass. An extra from funkydelic. Thanks Cameron!

A: Pours a pitch black body in my tulip, with just the slightest light penetration at the base of the glass. A finger of cream-colored head retains for a minute or so, before lapsing into a thin line of bubbles on top of the brew. Leaves some spots of lacing down the sides.

S: Sweet chocolate, caramel, and a ton of coffee.

T: Roasted malt and coffee bitterness up front. Some chocolate makes a play throughout the swig, and there appears to be a hop bitterness in the finish -- some kind of earthy or herbal variety that I can't quite place.

M: Medium-bodied. Slightly high, tingly carbonation -- but it prevents the bitterness from building up.

D: I was impressed. I'm not a huge fan of coffee flavors in beers, but this pulls off a coffee-forward profile without going nuts with it.

Serving type: bottle

08-31-2009 07:51:47 | More by Arbitrator

corby112

Pennsylvania

4.43/5  rDev +15.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a deep very dark chestnut brown almosr black color with dark mahognay edges when held to a light source and a 1.5 finger foamy beige head thar quickly dissipates into a lasting ring and cap leaving minimal lacing.

Smokey roasted malt aroma with chocolate, caramel, hazelnut, oatmeal, toffee, coffee bean and burnt toast notes.

Medium body with a huge smoked/roasty malt presence. Chocolate malt, oatmeal, toffee, espresso beans are all very prominent in the flavor with subtle hops and a nice hazelnut and lactic caramel taste. This is a pretty complex beer for the style and is very well balanced. Roasty and sweet with a nice bitter dry finish. Extremely quaffable.

Serving type: bottle

08-29-2009 04:15:21 | More by corby112

Onenote81

North Carolina

3.55/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Nice extra received from funkydelic in a recent trade. Thanks!

Poured into my pint glass a deep charcoal black with a thin tan head on top. This doesn't stick around very long, but it leaves some sticky lace rings in its wake. Smells very roasty, with a big presence of chocolate and hints of coffee. This smells warming and pleasant.

The mouth is little too carbonated than my liking for the style, but it's decent enough. There's a subtle twang at the first sip. Slightly acrid and, some might say, sour. This washes away though and is replaced by a big black coffee-like bitterness that hits the spot. Finishes with a nice toasted flavor on the mouth. This is a pretty good porter. I'm glad I had the opportunity to try it!

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2009 19:09:11 | More by Onenote81

craytonic

District of Columbia

3.48/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Nice to see a beer out of SC!

Appearance: Almost opaque with amber-ruby-mahogany edges.

Smell: nutty Coffee (chicory?), hops, chocolate, roast/acid, caramelized sugar

Taste: Burt coffee, some peat/smokiness, hops, bitter chocolate, caramelized sugar, roast/acid

Mouthfeel: Good, carbonation was a tad light for the style.

Drinkability: Decent porter, good showing, nothing to seek out again. Bitterness/acidity is more prominent than I like in a porter.

Serving type: bottle

08-25-2009 14:04:18 | More by craytonic

Reagan1984

Massachusetts

3.68/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Picked up this bottle at the Charleston Beer Exchange.

Pours with an aggressive creamy light tan head. Lots of structure and fairly nice retention. Clumps of lacing remain. Beer looks like Root Beer. Dark brown, but some maroon highlights along the edges.

Aroma is lightly sweet, light chocolate and caramel malts.

Wow, this tastes like a coffee porter. Amazing how the aroma is more like chocolate and the flavor is all coffee. Perhaps mocha at best. Slight roasty bitterness and then a smooth coffee flavor. The bitterness returns right at the finish and seems to be a combination of roasted malt and some hop notes. Slightest tone of burnt toast and or charcoal at first. As it warms the charcoal takes over a bit. Wish there was a bit more sweetness.

Medium bodied, almost creamy. Very slight carbonation.

I really like this porter and it has the larger flavor and presence that I enjoy. Very drinkable. Glad I picked this one up..

Serving type: bottle

07-29-2009 23:05:39 | More by Reagan1984

srandycarter

California

3.85/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours dark brown with a small tan head that leaves to a ring quickly. Slick, broad uniform lacing and cascading bubbles as the glass is tilted.

S- Shazam. Gigante aroma, mostly coffee. So much coffee. Malt is barely visible under the coffee. Alludes to a powerful brew.

T - Allusion is an illusion. While nice, def. on the thin watery side, especially after the smell. Coffee is restrained, chocolate milk is added. Cocoa powder too. Finishes dry.

M - Wish it was an Imperial. I like the flavors, but it is thin for me. Good carb nicely balanced, though.

D - Wouldn't get tired too easy and ABV is on ligher side.

Nice beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-28-2009 04:25:39 | More by srandycarter

charlesw

New York

3.05/5  rDev -20.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Deep reddish brown. Nice head that lasts of tiny off-color bubbles. Make the color darker and you're perfect.
Smells like coffee malts. A little caramel. Sugar. Reduced heavy cream. I'd back off on the coffee.
Lots of coffee. Dark chocolate. Ashes. Little sweetness. It's a lot like an imperial stout, frankly. It's too much like an imperial stout, frankly. For a porter you need to up the body, back off on the coffee and burn. In an imperial version this might be OK - but you'd have to watch how you ramp things up.

Serving type: bottle

07-05-2009 23:44:32 | More by charlesw

DousedInStout

Washington

4/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured near black with a two finger, tan head. Head retention is great, and lacing lasts all the way to the last drop. The aroma is exceptional - incredibly roasted, heavy on the espresso. A bit of dark chocolate as well. The taste is very smooth and drinkable - coffee and chocolate up front and nicely balanced with earthy hops. This is a pretty robust porter, and medium to full in body. A great example of the style, and a very pleasant surprise.

Serving type: bottle

07-05-2009 18:00:18 | More by DousedInStout

grayburn

South Carolina

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

This beer really surprised nem I haven't had anything from Palmetto other than this, so I might just have to try the others.

A nice black pour with a bubbly crown that doesn't want to fade. Lacing is pretty nice.

The smell and taste are both full of dark chocolate, coffee, roasted grains, and some nice fruitiness. Very nice.

All the flavors are brought together quite well by the medium bodied mouth. Carbonation is spot on as well.

Very good example of the style, easy drinking.

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2009 16:20:18 | More by grayburn

gford217

Georgia

3.93/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle courtesy of fatboyjim1 poured into a tulip.

Pours dark chestnut brown out of the bottle and settles in almost completely black in the glass. An aggressive pour produces a huge creamy tan head that lasts for a long, long time and leaves great lacing.

The aroma is dominated by a dry, roasted malt smell with hints of espresso and dark chocolate. There honestly isn't much in the way of sweetness in the aroma.

The taste is all about the dry roasted espresso with hints of dark malt sweetness in the background. There is a bit more chocolaty sweetness than in the aroma, but the coffee is still the major player here.

The mouthfeel is highly carbonated and tingly on the palate.

This beer surprised me and is a top notch porter. Having read some of the previous reviews, it is fairly evident that Palmetto decided to dial up the coffee presence and this coffee lover certainly enjoyed that decision.

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2009 03:36:30 | More by gford217

raverjames

Virginia

4.58/5  rDev +19%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I don't usually rate lower alcohol beers mainly because I find most of them to be bland. However, after trying this porter I felt that I needed to give Palmetto brewery some credit. Michael, the assistant brewmaster at Palmetto, brought this beer over to a party and told me that in the latest batch they added a healthy batch of local coffee. I took one sip and automatically changed my opinion on Palmetto Brewery. This generally unexciting brewery that caters to the bud light crowd has actually made something good. Not just good, but great. This beer is dark with a medium body. I know some people are disappointed with the body, but it actually fits the style. It has a wonderful smell of roasted coffee when you pour it into your glass. After tasting it, you can tell this is no ordinary porter. Loads of medium roast coffee, light chocolate, and crystal malts hit the tongue. It is light enough to drink quickly, yet strong and thick enough to remind you that you are drinking a porter. I could drink this as a normal session beer anytime.

My suggestion to the owners of Palmetto: brew more beers like this. The beer exchange and coast have proven that good beer will sell in the south. Please start brewing beers with the creativity and skill used in this porter.

FYI, the batch I am drinking can be identified by a notch on the right side of the label. It is on the surgeon general warning side a little over half the way up.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2009 05:40:31 | More by raverjames

Ragingbull

California

2.68/5  rDev -30.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Black or cola colored. Strong malty smell. Syrupy mouthfeel but not sweet to the taste. Smoky flavor. A could see "porter fans" being split on this one. I think its possible for fans of malty porters to love it, while fans of the dryer or sharper porters might hate it. This beer was alright to drink, but not my style. I guess I fall more into the dry/smoky/bitter porter camp.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2009 17:08:32 | More by Ragingbull

nocheinsbitte

North Carolina

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

Had this bier for the first time today.

A: Practically opaque, a decent foam head with good lacing. A good looking bier.
S: Mild coffee, chocolate smell; mildly sweet. Nothing bad.
T: Not as thick and robust as some other porters, but that is OK in this case. Made for a mild southern winter, it is not too heavy and made to enjoy a few of these. Taste follows the smell, nothing pungent about this bier.
M: Rich.
D: I could have a few of these without thinking twice. A good bier, but not a great one. One that I will surely recommend to my frends.

Do yourself a favor and try one of these, worth your time. Prosit!

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2009 02:13:30 | More by nocheinsbitte