Chocolate Imperial Porter - Tyranena Brewing Company

AdmiralDiaz

Minnesota

4.13/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured on-tap at the Happy Gnome

Pours a dark brown with a grayish tint to the body, the color that most of their other porters are. Smells strongly of chocolate and malt with no hop profile. Taste is right on with the nose, strong chocolate and creaminess with no hops. Mouthfeel is silky and perfectly carbonated. Drinkability is high since it's delicious and silky. Overall I wasn't as impressed with this one as I was their two big Brewers Gone Wild porters.

Serving type: on-tap

12-20-2009 17:17:23 | More by AdmiralDiaz

Jerktookmyname

Wisconsin

4/5  rDev -5.9%

01-17-2012 21:22:33 | More by Jerktookmyname

blackearth

Minnesota

4.05/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Enjoyed on tap at the Old Fashioned in Madison, WI. Poured a midnight black body with a tan head. Aroma was coffee and chocolate. Mouthfeel was full bodied with a thick burnt chocolate flavor and roasted malts. No hops present. The chocolate played the role of bitterness in the finish. Drinkability wasn't exceptional, but overall very good.

Serving type: on-tap

11-10-2009 19:06:03 | More by blackearth

beerwolf77

Wisconsin

4.9/5  rDev +15.3%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Was able to enjoy this on tap at Romans pub.

Poured into my Tyranena english pint glass the beer is dark dark brown almost black. The enormous head is dark tan and so creamy looking. Thick rings of lace remain around the rim with every sip.

The aroma is pure heaven. Chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate. Close your eyes and you would think someone put a glass of chocolate cocoa drink in front of you. I really don't get much else as far as the nose is concerned. Not that that's a bad thing.

The flavor is spectacular. Pure fudge brownie with choclate ganash and cocoa nibs mixed in a blender. A hint of smokie roast malt can be picked up with just a touch of hops in the finish. Not a trace of the 8.5 abv can be found.

Full bodied and velvety smooth. This beer just simply envelops your tongue in a blanket of silky rich goodness.

Overall an outstanding beer. I took off a half point for drinkabilty only since this beer is so deceptivly good. I had one and was feeling no pain. That could get you in trouble if not careful.

I wish Tyranena would make this a permanent offering. I just don't know if it would translate from draft to bottle. I'd be more then willing to give a shot though.

Serving type: on-tap

11-01-2009 19:48:32 | More by beerwolf77

robbyc1

Illinois

4.47/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Deep jet black with a frothy ten head, good lacing. On par with a good porter look.

The Chocolate here melds perfectly with the porter malt backbone, and the "imperialness" offsets any possible sweetness to make this a very well balanced flavor. A richness which makes it perfect for after dinner, but a lightness that would make a good aperitif. No alcohol noticeable, I would guess it's around 7ish percent, not overpowering, several can be consumed. I have liked other Tyra porters, I think it's a style they have nailed well, and this one lives up to it, sorry it will never make the bottle, rush to Lake Mills if you can to get the last of this beauty.

Round and full and heavy in the mouth, just right on the carbonation, I even had the last of it flat and it was fine. Very silky and drinkable, for porter or chocolate lovers, men and women alike gave it the thumbs up. What can I say, might be in my all time top 10.

Serving type: growler

10-22-2009 14:48:58 | More by robbyc1

ffejherb

Pennsylvania

3.88/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Tyranena on 8/7/09.

A - Dark brrown body with burgundy and reddish highlights around the bottom and a wispy tan head on top that virtually disappeared, leaving some spotty lace around the glass.

S - Initial aroma suggests roasted malt with more of a coffee character rather than the expected chocolate. Hint of toasted nuts and earthy and leafy, tea-like hop notes.

T - Similar the aroma, the flavor is quite roasty and nutty with coffee trumping the chocolate character here. There are lots of leafy, earthy and woody hops in the mix as well. Some chocolate emerges during the finish and is paired with a tinge of earthy hop bitterness.

M - Full bodied and creamy at first, but then gets a bit prickly on the tongue. Finishes with mild astringency and moderate bitterness on the palate.

D - Fine Imperial Porter, although I didn't get as much of a chocolate character as I was anticipating. Still, this one was quite tasty.

Serving type: on-tap

09-02-2009 12:03:34 | More by ffejherb

dirtylou

Washington

4.5/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

on tap at the brewery

appearance: served in a standard pint - dark chocolatey body, creamy mocha cap with great retention. given the credibility tyranena has, just looking at this one has me convinced it will be great

smell: creamy, chocolatey, nice smokey porter base, dark liquer, homemade fudge

taste: great porter - heavy on the chocolate but very well positioned in this beer. smokey char base, roasty with light bitterness. strong cocoa, caramel and very little alcohol

mouthfeel: creamy and smooth

drinkability: great

Serving type: on-tap

08-28-2009 02:51:00 | More by dirtylou

Bighuge

Minnesota

4.35/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Black bodied beer with a chocolate brown head. Lacing is sporadic. Great aroma of chocolate malts, fudge, roastiness and light coffee notes. Flavor starts with all the usual suspects: mocha, fudge, tootsie roll, coffee and dark liqueur. But this isn't a gimmicky beer. This isn't all sweet thick chocolate ala "Chocolat" from Southern Tier. This has a nice caramel/chocolate malt base and a lingering roasty bitterness. And actually, a bit of a hot finish. Not to be unexpected in an Imperial Porter. The body is about medium-full or so. And the carbonation is held in check nicely. Silky mouthfeel.

Imperial Porter is a great base to experiment with and Tyranena does an awesome job with all their takes on it.

Serving type: growler

08-20-2009 04:39:15 | More by Bighuge

Slatetank

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to FooFaa for sharing this growler. I had some of this in a small pils glass.

A - deep cocoa brown w/ a small cap of beige, translucent clarity w/ a small bead, the lace clings well.

S - A very roasty nose, full of coffee and chocolate malt aromas, sweet but more nutty than anything, very inviting

M & T - the taste is full of cocoa flavor, the malt texture is smooth and the the sweetness is restrained, but body is moderately full and the roasted flavor is balanced with chocolate malt and mild caramel notes. The balance of the Porter is good, with alchohol trailing.

D - Such a drinkable ale, packed with malt nuance and chocolate. The alcohol notes are very light and it begs for return tastes, I recommend this highly.

Serving type: growler

08-16-2009 18:28:45 | More by Slatetank

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap @ the Tyranena Tap Room on 8/7/09. Served in a pint glass.

Pours a dense black, with a near finger of burnt mocha colored head. Retains around the edges, with some thin wisps in the center. A big frothy flareup nets some thickish swathes of lace down the sides of the glass. The aroma is thick with chocolate roast, sticky smelling toffee, and a stiff dose of coffee, which are all front and center, leaving a dark crunch in the nose. Slightest bit of citrus and floral hops round out the back. Nice dark feel to this.

The taste is bitter roast, coffee, and hops jazzing up the front of the profile, with thick accents of chocolate, toffee, and much more prominent citrus, adding some bulkier sweet tones to this. Finishes roasty and dark, with lingering bitter chocolate and a smack of residual tangy sweetness. The mouthfeel is fuller bodied, with a big prickly carbonation up front that really makes the roast pop, and then a heftier undercurrent that carries a lot of the heavy sweetness of the profile. I didn't catch the ABV of this, but I'd guess around maybe 7-8%. If it was more than that, than it was really hiding it's alcohol nicely.

I think that of all the beers that our group had at the tap room, this was our consensus favorite. No shortage of chocolate or roast in this hefty Porter. I could have easily had a few of these.

Serving type: on-tap

08-12-2009 16:43:57 | More by Kegatron