Palmetto Espresso Porter - Palmetto Brewing Company

brentk56

North Carolina

4.43/5  rDev +14.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Dark brown color with a nice mocha cap that delivers some lace

Smell: Fresh brewed coffee galore

Taste: Loads of coffee flavor both up front and after the swallow; roasty malt flavors underneath

Mouthfeel: Medium body with moderate carbonation

Drinkability: This is one of those coffee beers that tastes like coffee rather than a beer with coffee influences; nice job!

Serving type: on-tap

02-28-2010 23:51:02 | More by brentk56

csbinva

Virginia

4.43/5  rDev +14.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Recieved this bottle from a friend that visited Charleston a few weekends back. Poured from the bottle into a draft glass. Dark appearance, almost looks like a coke with a minimal frothy head. Definitely smell the coffee as well as something that almost smells like licorice. Tastes just like it smells, coffee with a hint of licorice. Very drinkable for a porter, this is one beer from Palmetto that is on the buy list next time I head down to Charleston. Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

07-05-2011 23:37:37 | More by csbinva

GossageBrewery

Missouri

4.38/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Poured this American style Porter from a 12 oz bottle into a pint glass. Poured a dark brown color, produced an average tan head, average retention and left some lacing on the glass. The aroma of this porter was very nice, a complex melody of freshly ground espresso beans, milk chocolate and roasted malt. Medium bodied, there was a foundation of roasted malted grain, espresso beans and milk chocolate. Semi sweet throughout, this is a very well made, strong coffee/espresso flavor throughout the session- One of the best coffee flavored beers that I have sampled thus far- Great session beer- great brew for any Porter/Coffee lover. Prost!

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2013 19:09:11 | More by GossageBrewery

aasher

Indiana

4.2/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This is the Palmetto Espresso Porter, poured from a 12oz bottle into a pint glass

Appearance: midnight black with laced head that disappeared quickly

Smell: great roasted coffee aromas, smells rich and fresh

Taste: great espresso flavor, like fresh coffee, very slight chocolate flavor, resonating aftertaste

Mouthfeel: I thought this would be a little watery but I was mistaken, good medium body to it, good consistency, very appealing

Drinkability: a great espresso porter, very drinkable with excellent flavors and good mouthfeel, I don't see why you couldn't have several of these at a sitting

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2010 14:06:21 | More by aasher

metter98

New York

4.15/5  rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

A: The beer is very dark amber in color and poured with a thin tan head that quickly faded away and left a ring of bubbles around the edge of the glass.
S: There are moderate aromas of dark, roasted coffee beans in the nose.
T: Like the smell, the coffee flavor takes center stage and is moderately strong but only has a hint of associated bitterness.
M: It feels medium-bodied but slightly watery on the palate and has a light to moderate amount of carbonation. The finish has a bit of dryness.
D: It's very easy to drink a few of these because the beer is neither very filling nor has an overpowering coffee taste. I could easily have a few of these in one night.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2010 14:20:14 | More by metter98

DCon

Missouri

4.13/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bought a 12fl oz bottle of this @ The QuarterDeck in Sea Pines Resort (Hilton Head Island, SC) for $5. Poured from the Red/Orange/Yellow Labeled bottle w/ a Palmetto tree on the front into a 12oz Tulip Glass. Has no sign of a freshness date on the bottle.

Aroma- Very roasty and has a very unfamiliar coffee aroma. Must be their local roaster blended into the brew.

Appearance- Pours a .5 finger head that dies almost immediately. Has a deep, opaque brown body and leaves a few suds behind on the glass.

Flavor- Very malty and coffee roast apparent as well. Has a sweet beginning to end taste and a light bitterness level.

Mouthfeel- Light-Medium Bodied, Medium Carbonation, Roasty, and has one of the highest Coffee/Roast endings of any porter I've had to this day! Very nice!

Overall Impression- Wow! For not ever hearing about this Porter, the coffee ending was huge! Highly recommend for those porter fans and looks like this one is widely available in SC.

Serving type: bottle

07-05-2012 17:33:00 | More by DCon

afordney

Tennessee

4.1/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Very dark, poured out about one finger thick head that dissipated to just a thin film, very tight lacing on the glass.

This was one of the darkest richest coffee aromas I've ever had from any kind of coffee stout or porter. Really whets your appetite.

tastes just as strong of coffee, a slight acitidy in the finish. The coffee flavor is a bit overpowering.

This isn't too thick despite the dark color, a good malty sweetness and slight acidity cover any bitterness but it doesn't pucker your lips.

Once again the coffee flavor is maybe too much and covers up the other characteristics of the beer, but this is a pretty good version and very unique.

Serving type: bottle

06-28-2010 22:43:01 | More by afordney

thagr81us

South Carolina

4.1/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Had this one at the brewery! Served from tap into a Palmetto shaker. Poured black with a red hue outlining the edges with a half finger off-white head that subsided to a minimal amount slowly. Maintained decent lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of sweet malt, coffee, and cream. The flavor was of roasted malt, coffee, and subtle dark chocolate. It had a heavy feel on the palate with medium carbonation. Overall this was a pretty good solid brew. I was afraid that when it was a Porter that the mouthfeel was going to suffer as most I have had do quite badly. I was pleasantly surprised once it hit my palate though. All of the flavors in this one are quite nice and well blended making this one very easy to drink. The aroma is also quite good. A very solid beer from Palmetto that is worth trying without a doubt.

Serving type: on-tap

05-23-2011 13:16:18 | More by thagr81us

BlackBelt5112203

South Carolina

4.1/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle poured into a snifter at cellar temperature.

L – Black color with a 1-finger bubbly tan head that dissipates rather quickly into a ring of bubbles around the glass. Not much lacing, either. Pretty disappointing as far as head characteristics.

S – Well, the label says espresso porter, and they are correct. The aroma is loaded with roasted coffee and espresso. Chocolate, molasses, and some toasted malt aromas come along for the ride.

T – Follows the nose to a tee. It starts off sweet with molasses, some chocolate, and some caramel malts, followed by some toasted malts. Smooth coffee bitterness creeps in mid-taste and builds toward the finish. It never becomes very bitter or really even close to it. It has a very smooth bitterness that is perfect for this beer.

F – Light-to-medium-bodied with good carbonation, a mouth-coating but smooth and crisp feel, and a mildly bittersweet finish. Coffee bitterness mixed with some malty sweetness lingers nicely on the tongue.

O – This beer definitely exceeded my expectations. I haven’t been so impressed by Palmetto beers in the past, and most porters aren’t really my thing due to their thinner mouthfeel. While this one also has a thin mouthfeel (even for a porter), the aroma and taste pick this one up. This is definitely a very tasty and drinkable beer that is worth trying.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2013 19:56:25 | More by BlackBelt5112203

avalon07

South Carolina

4.08/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: Poured from a bottle to a pint glass. Had a brown color and a mostly thick consistency. There was a half inch of off white, creamy, fairly long-lasting head. Good lacing.

S: Smelled strongly of coffee - more than anything else, with hints of malt.

T: Tasted like it smelled. Lots of espresso and malt. A nice flavor, if you enjoy coffee.

M: A good amount of carbonation with a dry finish. Medium-bodied.

D: While not the most multidimensional porter, this is still a very drinkable beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-02-2010 19:34:15 | More by avalon07

AleWatcher

Illinois

4.05/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

Bottle into dimpled mug (which I carried around like a coffee mug).

I'll be honest; my expectations for this beer are pretty low.
And it didn't even live up to my expectations-- that is, until it warmed up. Don't drink this one too cold-- you will miss out on it entirely!

Pours dark, but looks a little thin... And it feels a little thin. It is bordering on bing called "slightly watery." Dark tan head bubbled itself away rather abruptly and left only the smallest remnants behind.

Smells of roasty malts with a touch of sweetness and a hint of dark chocolate. The coffee comes through but it isn't in your face (it makes me wonder on the freshness of the bottle?! But with no bottle dating, I guess this review will have to be taken with a grain of salt!)
The flavor is more of the nose-- the chocolate notes come out on the finish especially. Very mild bitterness-- in fact, it finishes more sweet than it started.

It actually turns out that this is a tasty beer. It isn't mind blowing, but it is pretty enjoyable. The flavors meld well and seem compliment eachother to create a nice little beerxperience.
I call this beer; worthy of a shot!

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2012 00:55:33 | More by AleWatcher

kylehay2004

Florida

4/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: single finger frothy head. Dark black with little light getting through. decent lace.

S: nice coffee bean aroma that isn't overwhelming.

T: Roasted espresso bean up front and sweet chocolate finish.

M: Moderate carbonation and full bodied yet thin in texture.

O: Actually one of the better beers from Palmetto.

Serving type: bottle

09-05-2011 01:53:46 | More by kylehay2004

brewcore

South Carolina

3.98/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a bottle into a goblet glass.

A: Very dark brown. Not quite opaque. Agressive pour yeilds a one finger light tan head which quickly dissipates.

S: Burnt roasted malts. Dark roasted coffee. Hints of black peppercorns.

T: Again, burnt roasted malts. Bitterness comes from the malts. Spiciness in the middle. Finishes with the lingering exected coffee notes.

M: Light to medium body. Light to moderate carbonation. High drinkability.

O: Interesting porter to say the least. Not as much coffee as I expected for a beer titled "espresso;" it's there, just not too prevalent. The spiciness is odd to me but not apalling. I will drink this again but with different expectations.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2011 02:58:10 | More by brewcore

inglebk

South Carolina

3.96/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On tap at Logans steakhouse
A. Pitch black with inch head that doesn't hang around for long. Very little Lacing.
S. Deep dark roasted malts. Charred oaky smell. Not a whole lot of coffee but it is there.
T. Me likey. Not very complex but very good flavor. Maybe I'm biased because I live 15 minutes away from the brewery. No hop bitterness whatsoever, just roasted malts and coffee.
Mouthfeel: a little light for a porter. Not exactly watery but just light. Moderate carbonation.
Overall: great beer by Palmetto. One of my favorites. Once again not terribly complex and not as full as if could be, but still a great porter.

Serving type: on-tap

02-12-2013 01:26:55 | More by inglebk

mondegreen

Georgia

3.88/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle into an Allagash Tulip.

Pours a dark brown with red highlights. One finger head fades quickly with slight lacing. Nose is sweet dull espresso, not a big 'wow,' but good. Taste is mellow coffee. I'd like to see brighter coffee notes and a thicker mouth, as the mouthfeel is thin - absolutely the weakest poor for this brew. In all, it's a decent coffee beer. Not the best I have had, but certainly worth trying, especially at $8.99/6.

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2010 22:55:20 | More by mondegreen

ZacHart

South Carolina

3.85/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

A moderate head dissipated quickly but left light lacing. This dark brown ale is bursting with the aroma of brewed coffee. The flavor is great--the strong but not overwhelming coffee flavor is finished by sweet malt flavors. The beer is lighter than its color indicates and overall quite drinkable, although not a session beer unless you're a true coffee lover.

Serving type: bottle

09-20-2010 02:26:41 | More by ZacHart

mntlover

Tennessee

3.79/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Pours a deep red brown almost mahogany color. Head is only thumb sized even from aggressive pour

Aroma is light roasted malts light coco notes with weak coffee notes also.

Taste is pretty much like the nose, roasted notes are better with some descent coffee notes. Light coco before the hops kick in for a lightly bitter finish. Overall not bad favorable enough easy drinking porter wouldn't replace my go to porter but would have if I was out somewhere.

Mouthfeel is medium with lightly peppy carbonation that shows up in the finish.

Overall not bad actually better then I thought it would be considering other brews from Palmetto I have had.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2013 01:23:05 | More by mntlover

Montrose79

New York

3.75/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from 12 oz bottle into a snifter.

A- Medium brown. Looks more like an amber ale than a porter.

S- Big coffee smell.

T- Taste is good. Large coffee presence with a little bitterness on the back end.

M- Thin, little watery.

O- Overall a tasty beer, but very light and thin for the style. Tastes more like a coffee brown or amber than a porter

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2011 02:52:39 | More by Montrose79

M_C_Hampton

Georgia

3.75/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

A: poured from a 12 oz bottle into a pint glass, dark red brown with a short tan head that immediately vanishes leaving almost no lacing, clear

S: coffee and dark roasted malts, coco, sugar cane

T: flavors follow smell, lighter coffee than expected, a mild hop bitterness to complement the roasted coffee flavors,

M: lighter than expected with a nice oily quality

O: good flavor profile as advertised on the bottle, didn't try to over do the ABV resulting in a quite refreshing porter

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2013 23:01:24 | More by M_C_Hampton

Holland

Pennsylvania

3.73/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: light black with brown highlights and a thin tan head on this guy. Leaves a lacing that stays. Kind of thin looking. Not so sure about this one but it was a local.

S: coffee, roasted malt, some fruitiness but not much, barely any hops.

T: tastes of coffee, roasted grains and malt. Pretty delicious as it's all subtle. Nothing is overwhelming, but it doesn't have superior complexity either. Well crafted simple porter.

M: medium body if that - may be lighter. It's well carbonated, which is neutral for the taste of this. Just a fine beer.

O: very drinkable - I could imagine drinking a few of these before getting sick of the taste. Well done beer. I was pleasantly surprised after picking up a single at the Charleston Beer Exchange. Good stuff that I'll probably not get again.

Serving type: bottle

09-16-2011 04:12:22 | More by Holland

UnderPressure

South Carolina

3.65/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Very dark brown beer. Almost black. Thin, shallow head melts after a minute.

Strong coffee aroma. It's hard to detect anything else. Except maybe some roasted malt.

Upfront coffee flavor. Some sweet malt, but mainly on the bitter side. Bitter, grainy finish.

The heavy bodied mouthfeel carries this beer well.

This beer is OK. I'm not a huge fan of the coffee. I'd rather drink a straight-forward porter. But it could be a lot worse, for sure.

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2011 20:06:59 | More by UnderPressure

Bung

North Carolina

3.6/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz. Pretty close to black, just a ring of light fan head.

Aroma, strong coffee and roast malt. A little cocoa, peat.

Taste, Strong dry roast, roast malt. Pretty dry, cocoa coffee finish. Pretty straight forward.

Carbonation maybe a little high. Lighter mid body. Drinks easy enough.
Not bad, just need to like coffee, kind of a one trick pony.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2012 04:15:00 | More by Bung

bigaltemple

Colorado

3.33/5  rDev -14.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A - Opaque, dark brown, almost black in color. Foamy, two-finger khaki colored head becomes a faint cap. Pretty average appearance.

S - The strong roasted chocolate is pretty appealing. Some faint smokiness and coffee, but nowhere near what I was expecting. Didn't find any evidence of bottle dating, so I'm unsure if the mild espresso aspect is due to age or brewer's intent.

T/M - Same as the nose. Slightly creamy, with low carbonation.

O - Fairly average across the board. I would consider giving this another chance if given a known to be fresh bottle. However, I'm not overly concerned about seeking one out.

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2012 03:25:18 | More by bigaltemple

nickfl

Florida

3.2/5  rDev -17.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A - Pours with one finger of light brown foam on top of a black body with clear, amber highlights showing through. The head settles rapidly and leaves light lace.

S - Dark sugary notes of molasses and brown sugar with some smoky coffee notes in the background.

T - Dry, toasted malt up front with some molasses. Roasty notes come out in the middle with chicory and dark chocolate. Some more molasses, licorice, and smoky coffee in the finish.

M - Medium body, moderate carbonation, and a dry finish.

D - There is something about the combination of dark, dry malt and coffee that isn't working here. It lacks balance and just comes across as burnt bread. Not worthwhile.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2012 05:41:21 | More by nickfl