Shoo-Fly Pie Porter
Lancaster Brewing Company

Shoo-Fly Pie PorterShoo-Fly Pie Porter
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From:
Lancaster Brewing Company
 
Pennsylvania, United States
Style:
English Porter
Ranked #74
ABV:
6.2%
Score:
85
Ranked #20,252
Avg:
3.79 | pDev: 11.35%
Reviews:
63
Ratings:
198
Status:
Active
Rated:
Dec 29, 2023
Added:
Feb 01, 2009
Wants:
  8
Gots:
  32
Made with eight different malts, four types of hops and a touch of Lancaster County molasses, this tasty brew has a rich brown hue with a medium to full body flavor.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Photo of SLeffler27
Reviewed by SLeffler27 from New York

3.93/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Transforms a Pretentions Glass Co. Small Dimpled Mug dark brown (SRM 35-37), while a dark chestnut head slowly builds to 1". After about one minute, the head has completely dissipated to a thin ring, leaving no lacing. Dark cola highlights appear when held to the light.

The aroma opens with dark roasted and charred sugar, almost like an over charred crème Brulé. Molasses and graham crackers are strong. Brown sugar and vanilla are also evident. Warmth brings out sweet black coffee and roasted pecans. There is a lot going on here.

Unfortunately, the flavors are a bit muddled. While all of the above can be found, it blurs together with little definition. The roasted malt, charred sugar, and coffee are more evident as flavor than the other aromas. Warmth does bring molasses forward. It is mildly bittersweet, gradually oscillating between the two. The finish is long and mild, allowing the vanilla to show.

A medium body with a slick texture and modest carbonation. Abv is as expected, possibly a tad light. Interestingly, the slick texture becomes creamy smooth with warmth.

My thanks to Dana for this can. It is a good dessert beer, approximating its namesake pie fairly well. It also feels like a Porter to me, not a Stout, which will still never settle the issue of where that line really falls.
Dec 29, 2023
Photo of jmdrpi
Reviewed by jmdrpi from Pennsylvania

3.48/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
12 oz can, unclear date code on bottom

Pours dark brown, almost black with cream colored head. Aroma of molasses and vanilla. Taste is similar - the mollasses flavor is fairly strong and a little tangy. Medium bodied.
Dec 24, 2023
Photo of Braunmeister_1943
Reviewed by Braunmeister_1943 from Pennsylvania

4.31/5  rDev +13.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Purchased as part of a 4 pack from Wegmans in Collegeville, PA on 10/23/23.

L- Pitch black with virtually no head.

S- Vanilla.

T- Sweet tangy bitterness of the molasses
is upfront. Vanilla present, but neither
are overwhelming.

F- Rather thin mouthfeel with very delicate
carbonation.

O- I really like this! A little sweet but not
cloying. I’ll definitely buy this again!
Oct 26, 2023
 
Rated: 3.91 by tpeters from Maryland

Oct 01, 2023
 
Rated: 3.38 by chicagoish from Pennsylvania

Feb 15, 2023
 
Rated: 4.13 by Spade from Pennsylvania

Jan 28, 2023
Photo of BuxMontBeerLover
Reviewed by BuxMontBeerLover from Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev +5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Purchased at Pennridge Beverage, Perkasie, PA. 4/pk, 12oz. cans.

Pours a deep, nearly opaque, brown color. A one finger head on the initial pour that fades to a skim.

A slightly sweet aroma.

A good porter with flavors of sweet vanilla and burnt sugars (molasses). Not nearly as sweet as I expected. A tangy, sour-like aftertaste. ABV isn’t noticeable.

Light to medium constancy. Not heavy at all.

Overall, a decent brew that was worth the try. The flavor profile is definitely different. Probably won’t seek out again but that is more based on my personal preference in beers rather than a negative mark towards the beer itself. Cheers!
Dec 24, 2022
 
Rated: 4 by paulish from New York

Nov 24, 2022
Photo of Bluerabbitbell
Reviewed by Bluerabbitbell from Pennsylvania

3.63/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
9/25/22 Bought a four pack in Cranberry Twp. on our trip for Jake and Amy's wedding. The color is deep amber, light copper. Taste is VERY irony, mineral and a different sweet-sour we weren't expecting. Very light sweet, deep black-strap molasses. Certainly not as sweet as actual shoo-fly pie, but we enjoyed the effort!
Sep 25, 2022
Photo of HoppingMadMonk
Reviewed by HoppingMadMonk from New Jersey

4/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Dark murky blackish brown appearance.
Medium light carbonation with about a medium body.
Aroma is molasses, malt,vanilla, pie crust, caramel and brown sugar.
Taste is mildly sweet,a bit sour,otherwise very close to aroma.
To me it was an excellent dessert like beer that was made more enjoyable by the fact that it wasn't too sweet.
Apr 30, 2022
Photo of JokersAce
Reviewed by JokersAce

4.25/5  rDev +12.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Healthy sized beige head on a black body. Initial aroma while cold is vanilla and lactose with faint molasses. As it warmed the molasses became very prominent, like smelling a bottle of molasses itself. Taste is fairly potent between the molasses and toasted malts. The vanilla takes a backseat to the molasses but I'm also getting some lemon peel notes throughout as well. More complex flavors I've noted are dark fruit and tobacco. Good overall, especially if you like molasses.
Apr 21, 2022
 
Rated: 3.95 by Jdells09 from New Jersey

Jan 24, 2022
 
Rated: 4.26 by kraut6363 from Pennsylvania

Dec 31, 2021
Photo of hman43
Reviewed by hman43 from North Carolina

3.56/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Look: It pours dark brown with a tan head. Head retention is good.

Smell: There are some roast aromas with caramel, molasses and vanilla. There are also low notes of bread.

Taste: There are roasted elements, but overall it is sweet. It has some molasses flavors with a bit of vanilla. There are very low citrus notes with a bit of pine.

Feel: It has a medium body.

Overall, the flavors, for me, just don't work that well together. Additionally, the carbonation throws the balance in the flavors off a bit as well.
Dec 22, 2021
 
Rated: 4.19 by BombayDingleMonkey from Pennsylvania

Jul 31, 2021
Photo of Urk1127
Reviewed by Urk1127 from New Jersey

4.17/5  rDev +10%
look: 2 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Look is black in color. Head dissipates to nothing. Smells of vanilla extract, dough, coffee. Taste follows the nose with a string vanilla character throughout. Feel is slick and silky.

The best vanilla flavor I’d ever had in a beer but could be lighter in mouthfeel. Still amazing.
Dec 18, 2020
 
Rated: 3.5 by MGibbons from Maryland

Nov 03, 2020
Photo of JohnniEMc
Reviewed by JohnniEMc from Pennsylvania

3.07/5  rDev -19%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3
Those not exposed to Pennsylvania Dutch foods may not even know what a Shoo-fly pie is. It's basically a pecan pie without the pecans. The wet bottom black strap molasses variety (yes, there even are varieties of this) is one of the most decadent foods in the world. As rich and gooey as is it, it's about that rare. Well, this porter doesn't come close. In fact it doesn't come close to coming close. OK, the color of the liquid poured from a can into a clear glass is the beautiful, almost black, dark brown of black strap molasses. There's no head nor lacing. The smell is of soft roasted malt, vanilla and even a little coconut. If there is molasses in the wort, it must be a refined version, as the earthiness and slight bitterness black strap molasses brings with its robust sweetness is absent. The taste is a copy of the smell. Its very sweet, with a heavy vanilla imprint and inexplicably, some coconut. Like Shoo-fly pies, there's a big difference between the refined molasses pie and the black strap molasses pie. This could be improved by less vanilla and more of the characteristics of a cruder molasses flavor.
Oct 23, 2020
 
Rated: 3.79 by Taenim from Maine

Oct 15, 2020
 
Rated: 3.81 by Louisk703 from Florida

Jul 11, 2020
Shoo-Fly Pie Porter from Lancaster Brewing Company
Beer rating: 85 out of 100 with 198 ratings