Porter - Russian River Brewing Company

Chambic

California

3.53/5  rDev -17.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

01.28.10 at Pi Bar

A: deep, deep black; head dissipates quickly, with heavy lace

S: rich cocoa

T: less cocoa, more coffee, like a bitter dark roast that stays on the back of the mouth

M: fizz hangs out along the roof of the mouth

D: pretty damn good

I didn't even know this beer existed! It's not my favorite RR, but only because there are too many RRs I love.

Serving type: on-tap

02-04-2010 21:18:54 | More by Chambic

inlimbo77

Delaware

3.53/5  rDev -17.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: This pours almost black. It's a dirty, dark brown with reddish hues. There is a very light tan head. Leaves some sticky lacing. The head sticks around.

S: I am pulling those traditional porter notes: light roast coffee, some chocolate, some nuttiness, etc. Smells pretty middle of the road.

T: The taste is more brown ale than porter. It's actually very nutty. I do get that light roast coffee. Leads to a little bitterness on the tongue. Then you get some dusting of cocoa in the mid-palate. The finish is fairly dry.

M: This is a medium body

Serving type: on-tap

09-13-2012 19:56:20 | More by inlimbo77

hooliganlife

Missouri

3.6/5  rDev -15.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

On tap at RR

Pour was a dark cola with a nice creamy head that lingered, even leaving some lacing. Great retention.

Lots of roasted malts and dark fruit with a light coffee.

Very dry, lots of roasted flavor with a very light smokiness. No real hop flavors stood out. This was all roasted flavors. Light coffee hidden through out.

Light body, a bit thin, very porter like. Nice mild carbonation.

This struck me more as a stout and not a porter. I was expecting a sweetness but this lacked that. It was ok, I doubt I try it any time soon.

Serving type: on-tap

08-17-2010 04:42:48 | More by hooliganlife

elNopalero

Texas

3.6/5  rDev -15.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

This pours a coca-colored dark brown color with a lot of foam sitting atop. It has a big roasty aroma—very roast-forward—and the flavor follows suit with a defining roast and some unexpected chalk. I found this rough around the edges, surprisingly, and it didn’t work for me. A rare disappointment from Russian River.

Serving type: on-tap

08-12-2012 17:55:33 | More by elNopalero

kojevergas

California

3.7/5  rDev -13.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Served on-draught into a nonic pint glass at Russian River in Santa Rosa. Reviewed from notes.

A: Pours a half finger head of nice cream, decent thickness, and okay retention. Colour is a solid black.

Sm: Milk, coffee, roast, chocolate, toffee, and light nuts. A moderate strength aroma. Maybe there's some cream in there.

T: Nicely chocolatey (though not particularly rich), with depth in terms of caramelized malts and light nuts. Light cream notes are also present, joined by the other notes from the nose to form a very well balanced brew. Built nicely, but without anything special or unique.

Mf: Smooth and wet, with nice cream. Complements the flavours and style well.

Dr: Very drinkable. Slides right down. I'd have it again, but Russian River has better beers. Give her a spin if you're lucky enough to find her. Fans of the style rejoice.

Serving type: on-tap

12-24-2011 21:00:11 | More by kojevergas

augustgarage

California

3.88/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On-tap @ the brewpub - served in a 10oz nonic.

Clear dark auburn body suffused with ruby highlights. Small beige head dissipates to a creamy uniform collar. Nice pasty lacing.

Roast malt, peach pits, and faint tobacco in the nose.

A touch of coffee, black bread, and hazlenuts on the palate. Faint cocoa in the finish. Fruity, malty, and straight-forward with a medium-dry finish.

Very slightly astringent, moderately carbonated, and medium-bodied.

Better paired with food, but still a decent example of the style on its own. I prefer a bit more roast and depth of malt complexity, but others might find this less drinkable if the flavor profile were to move more in that direction.

Serving type: on-tap

06-21-2010 19:36:43 | More by augustgarage

bulletrain76

California

3.9/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Draught at the brewpub. Dark brown with a beige head. Creamy chocolate and roasted malt aroma. Lots of chocolatey and toasty malt flavors with a hoppy, bitter finish. Medium bodied with medium carbonation. A really tastey, hoppy take on porter, though it might be even better with a beefier malt profile.

Serving type: on-tap

11-10-2009 08:11:50 | More by bulletrain76

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

3.9/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From a growler at Dyan's the other night.

The beer pours a very dark brown color with very good head retention and decent lacing. The nose is attractive in this beer, though I thought it a bit light. I got some noticeable coffee, coupled with some light, peppery bitterness, but not much else. The beer has a bit more flavor on the palate, and there is a roasty quality to it that I like. The flavor profile otherwise replicates the nose, and the beer is on the dry side as porters go. Mouthfeel is light, though still pretty full, with a good finish. I am assuming the alcohol is pretty low in this beer (now confirmed) and drinkability is pretty good.

A nice enough beer, but one easy to overlook, I think, in the impressive stable of beers from Russian River. Judging from other reviews, I have to wonder if the beer had deteriorated just a bit when I sampled it the other night.

Serving type: growler

03-02-2010 15:00:35 | More by johnmichaelsen

barleywinefiend

Washington

4/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at RR for PtY Release 2010
Poured a dark brown with good carbonation and a nice tannish head. Nose is chcololate and roasted malt. Taste is lots of chocolate, some coffee, roasted malts well balanced. It is medium bodied, creamy, dry finish. Drinkability is good, very good. Just a good balance of booze, malts and flavor.

Serving type: on-tap

02-08-2010 15:10:27 | More by barleywinefiend

beerwolf77

Wisconsin

4/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Russian River.

Dark brown hue. Khaki head rises about an inch. Smells of roast malt and hints of cocoa and coffee. Flavors are standard porter. Bitter hop bite mixed with dry cocoa powder and roast coffee. Medium body with mild carbonation. A decent porter.

Serving type: on-tap

12-29-2011 06:30:34 | More by beerwolf77

littlesgtpepper

Washington

4.05/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

Had on tap at the Russian River Brewery in a 10oz glass.

Black as the hell gates of doom, this beer has no head and I couldn't see through the beer when I held it to the light.

The smell is intense, with strong espresso, bitter chocolate, and heavy roasty malt. A tiny hoppy smell but faint.

This beer actually matches pretty close to the aroma, which is strange, but with a heavy dose of nuts, like cashews and walnuts. I've never tasted this strong of a nut flavor, not even in any browns I've had. A wonderful flavor!

This porter will shoot up near the top of my list as a near-perfect porter. The only problems with this beer is the mouthfeel, which is so heavy it's like drinking milkshake and the drinkability. One 10oz glass of this is more than enough.

Serving type: on-tap

09-25-2010 05:09:04 | More by littlesgtpepper

AgentMunky

California

4.05/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Served in half-pint glass at the brewery. From notes. Reviewed 14 April 2012.

A: Creamy, off-white head. Nice tracing on the surface. Opaque, Coca-Cola brown.

S: Roasted chocolate malt. Soft and sweet, but pretty typical for a porter. Nice.

T/M: Damn good! Chocolate malt is slight chalky, with an excellent aftertaste of light coffee and dark chocolate. Roasted and pleasant. Lingering aftertaste; very drinkable.

O: Great porter, lightly hoppy, but still not my favourite. I would definitely have again, and recommend it to anyone who wants an excellent example of a benchmark porter.

Serving type: on-tap

08-04-2012 22:33:25 | More by AgentMunky

jethrodium

California

4.08/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Growler generously shared by colonelforbin. Thanks Mike. Pours brown with a decent sized light tan head that has good retention and leaves quite a bit of lacing on the glass. The aroma has a decent roastiness, some caramel, a bit of coffee, and some hints of chocolate. The initial taste has a light sweetness with some roasted coffee. A bit of caramel and some chocolate. Some more roastiness on the finish. Quite dry overall. Medium body, slightly creamy mouthfeel. Medium carbonation. Quite a nice beer. Not terrible complex, but very well done. I would certainly enjoy having this regularly.

Serving type: growler

12-28-2011 22:23:34 | More by jethrodium

yourefragile

District of Columbia

4.1/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On draft at the brewpub.

Pours a dark brown with a creamy light tan head. Roasty aroma with caramel malt, bitter chocolate, coffee and light vanilla. Coffee and roast malt with light smoke and licorice in the flavor. Creamy, medium body with light carbonation. Starts sweet and finishes mildly bitter. An above average porter, but nothing too remarkable. Prefer Edmund or Everrett much more than this.

Serving type: on-tap

12-20-2011 19:49:18 | More by yourefragile

JWD

California

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

On tap at the younger/consecration release,

A- Black and very inviting, nice medium tan head that disipated fairly quick.

S- Very robust, i have had founders porter lately and this is the benchmark!! Close but not quite!!

T- Good but once again second to the founders offering.

M- Good but not very thick, however let a very flavorful leftover in the mouth/palate!!

D- Great, i could drink this all day long, just not he best when i thin of a robust porter.

WHEN IS RR GOING TO MAKE A BIG RIS???? THEY NEED THIS!!!!

Serving type: on-tap

02-04-2009 04:38:48 | More by JWD

drabmuh

Maryland

4.15/5  rDev -3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I like how there's a picture of a bottle of this beer and one review for a bottle, the rest are growlers and on tap. Apparently one bottle of this beer was made.

Beer is on tap, half pint at the brewpub. Beer is dark brown to black with a thin tan head that breaks and leaves some lacing on the glass. Carbonation appears to be low to moderate.

The aroma is malty with roast and a little bit of hops. Smells really nice.

Beer is light to moderate in body and creamy with some ashy bitterness at the back of the mouth, not in a bad way. Its relatively smooth with some sweetness up front, not much happening in the midpalate, overall its a decent porter. I'd have it again for sure.

Serving type: on-tap

11-04-2010 18:59:00 | More by drabmuh

WeedKing4

Ontario (Canada)

4.2/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Had a pint of this at the brewery. Pours jet black with white head. Tastes very roasty with a smooth finish. Some nice chocolate notes with a hint of smoke. I would love to make this a regular beer to drink. I hate Canada a lot. A very session able porter.

Serving type: on-tap

05-01-2012 00:12:30 | More by WeedKing4

billab914

Virginia

4.2/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a growler into my Flying Mouflon glass. Pretty close to black in color with a dense foamy head filling the top two inches of the glass. Really good lacing to it and great looking beer of the style.

The aroma has some cocoa, roasted malts and caramel all coming out. I get a bit of a sweeter, almost milk stout quality to it as well. A little bit of a coffee flavor peeks through. Smooth, sweet and slightly roasty. Pretty nice aroma for the style.

The taste shows a little more roasted malts with notes of coffee and dark chocolate. The finish brings out more of the sweeter cocoa and a little caramel. The dry, roasted flavors linger into the finish. Great range of flavors to it and nicely balanced.

The mouthfeel is a little thin feeling but it does have a decent creamy, silky feel as well. Carbonation is moderate. Overall it was a really good porter. The aroma was good but it seemed to lack all the bold flavors that came out in the taste. Really good beer overall though, it definitely competes with some of my favorite porters out there.

Serving type: growler

10-12-2012 11:20:18 | More by billab914

kkipple

South Carolina

4.22/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Swank Russian River swingtop growler thanks to WesPatrick down here in Cola-town. Split two ways - hmm!

A. Big head (for a porter) rises up then falls fast to just cover the surface of this clear, deep tobacco brown ale. Pretty, nothing special.

S. Cool, clean, roasty. Well balanced and full of cocoa, roasted grain and earthy notes. Reminds me of Foothills Peoples Porter. Grows as it warms. Quite solid - no flaws.

T. Flirts with being English, lightly hopped, very harmonious flavors intertwine in this softly delicious porter - you have medium amounts of cocoa, a bit of licorice, a dash of sourness (interesting), some char-roast, brown nutty malt, extremely flavorful. Reserved, avoids being too roasty or hoppy like many US porters are wont to do. Very nice example of a US brewer flexing his muscles.

M / D. Very smooth and easy to drink, low to middling carbonation. No surprises, classic Porter stuff here.

Russian River has made a very good porter here, but to be honest it's not worth making a big effort to obtain. This isn't any better than say, Founder's offering, but that itself is high praise. If I lived out in Vinne's territory I'd drink this often.

Serving type: growler

05-02-2010 06:46:53 | More by kkipple

photomike

California

4.25/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Pours a very deep clear ruby color with an incredible creamy head. Crazy thick head which never seems to dissipate. Tons of lacing. The perfect porter appearance.

Smell is really roasty with some woody smoke and stale coffee grounds. Biscuity and satisfying.

Taste is nice as well. Roasty, milky, and slightly smoky with a distinct but well-integrated hop presence, particularly in the finish.

Medium bodied, I expected a slightly richer experience based on reviews. Nice bright carbonation is a touch much, especially considering that I've had the growler for 4 days prior to opening, but overall, not bad at all; for the style, this is right on.

Insanely drinkable. I'm halfway through the growler by myself, and the last couple pints will be no sweat. Delicious and easy-drinking.

Serving type: growler

01-10-2010 05:57:17 | More by photomike

lacqueredmouse

Australia

4.25/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On-tap at Russian River in Santa Rosa, CA.

Pours a really nice amber-brown hue, with a touch of red when held to the light. Body is relatively light. Head is amazing, a solid firm but clear, persistent beige. Lace is incredibly solid. It's a pretty amazing looking porter.

Nose is something of a disappointment, truth be told. There's some mild grain notes with a touch of sweetish biscuit or graham cracker. There's an odd hint of savoury fruit, a little like stewed tomatoes.

But it's uphill from there (and how). Mild, smooth chocolate entry on the palate leads to a gorgeous, roasty warmth on the mid, giving smooth hazelnut overtones. Finish has a slight bite of subtly bitter roast along with more cleansing, mellow nuttiness. Finish is capped with a clean bite of roast. Awesome stuff.

Feel is surprisingly light, but with a slight tingle to energise the palate.

Lovely. Just lovely stuff. Smooth and drinkable but with stacks of complexity and richness. Love it.

Serving type: on-tap

07-04-2012 23:31:50 | More by lacqueredmouse

dukedevil0

Illinois

4.28/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Super thanks to Alex (masterski) for contributing the growler to my first new beer Sunday.

A: pours a dark brown with a nice khaki head and a little lacing in the glass.

S: smells surprisingly like some hops, some chocolate, roasted malts, slight coffee

T: tastes initially like chocolate, then some hop profile that is muted but bitter, slight coffee finish

M: pretty typical for a porter, creamy enough but not thick

D: easy to drink because there's zero alcohol flavor, it tastes solid enough to want to drink more

Serving type: growler

05-18-2009 00:01:32 | More by dukedevil0

BeerFMAndy

Wisconsin

4.3/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

12 oz tap pour into a nonic. 5.70% ABV, 41 IBUs, On-tap at Russian River Brewing in Santa Rosa, CA.

A - RR Porter arrives at my table with a totally black body and a thick tan head. It left fantastic lace all over the glass! Sexy.

S - The overarching toastyness keeps it's presence even through the chocolate roasted malts and low dry cocoa dustiness. Minute hops appear on the finish.

T - This porter tastes delicious with a deeply roasted coffee and chocolate malt with a dry cocoa finish that fades to an earthly hoppy flavor.

M - Porter is medium-bodied with a smooth texture leading into a dry hop/roasted bitter finish. Great feel to compliment the flavor.

D - I think the hops come out a bit more than I'd like in this beer but it's a fantastic porter with good drinkability nonetheless.

Serving type: on-tap

06-08-2010 00:59:01 | More by BeerFMAndy

Offa

California

4.33/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This is a characteful, very solid, well-rounded porter that is fairly standard yet very well made.

Black, it has a medium-small tan head slowly shrinking to a wispy ring and leaving a little lace.

The aroma is dark toast, roasted coffee, prunes. It's good but pretty simple and standard.

The taste is fuller and more interesting, sweet and bitter in good balance, with both dark and milk chocolate, toasty character, light prune elements, hints of spice, licorice and pepper. It is not very complex, but has good complexity and the overall character is assertive while still being restrained, holds up well, and is well-integrated and balanced. It is very drinkable.

Serving type: on-tap

05-01-2009 17:57:06 | More by Offa

Thorpe429

Illinois

4.33/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Growler courtesy of wavers1. Opened and shared at Dark Lord Day 2010.

A: Pours a very dark brown with a nice tan head.

S: Plenty of roasted malt, coffee, and chocolate. Nothing too complex, but very well done.

T: Similar to the nose in characteristics. Nice depth of the present flavors. Nothing earth-shattering, but at the same time very nice for the style.

M: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.

D: Quite drinkable, especially for the style. Thanks again to wavers1 for getting this out to me, as this is one I had been waiting to try for a long time.

Serving type: growler

05-03-2010 15:38:09 | More by Thorpe429