Porter - Russian River Brewing Company

Georgiabeer

Georgia

4.4/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Had this on-tap at the brew pub. What a great porter! Just a near perfect blend of roastiness, hoppy bite, solid malts, and smoothness. Not over the top, not extreme, just very well balanced with nice depth. Dry, but not hollow. No grainy sourness at all, and the grain is not over roasted and bitter, but deep in flavor while still imparting a mellowness. Judicious use of hops ensure a nice bitter backbone that isn't overdone, and a slightly piney juiciness that is quite appetizing. I've always resisted ordering this when at the pub, just because there are so many other "more interesting" options, but this is another great beer from probably my favorite brewery, and I'm glad I ordered it.

Serving type: on-tap

12-02-2012 21:15:51 | More by Georgiabeer

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

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

TheRealBigC

Nevada

4.35/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Quite simply one of the best porters I've had in recent memory. A similar experience came to mind from a small brewery in Chicago called Revolution (Eugene is the name of that one). Apparently the smaller breweries really know how to make a good porter.

This one is robust and just thick enough. Creamy, but a smidgen of bubbles and a huge roasty, chocolatey taste. A great beer and an easier drink for those looking to have a modest session at RR.

Serving type: on-tap

08-18-2012 06:27:09 | More by TheRealBigC

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

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

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

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

ONUMello

Ohio

4.38/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Served in a pint glass on tap at the brewpub.
A: Pitch black, but only a thin head
S: Typical porter with roasted malt notes along with a
bit of coffee
T: Tons and tons of chocolate, along with coffee, some roasted malt and a bit of hops
M: Smooth, balanced, but just a bit of a kick from the carbonation and hops
O: A really nice porter, easy to drink but extremely flavorful

Serving type: on-tap

04-28-2012 02:12:16 | More by ONUMello

ngeunit1

California

4.43/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Served a dark brown black with a bit of red coming through around the edges and a finger of frothy chocolate head atop. Head fades at a normal pace leaving some nice lacing behind.

S - Aroma is full of roasted caramel malts and coffee. Touch of chocolate as well with a bit of earthy hop.

T - Starts off with a mix of some roasted sweet caramel malt and a touch of coffee flavor. Through the middle some chocolate malt and a touch of earthy hop comes through. Finish is a mix of lots of roasted malts with a bit of chocolate and coffee lingering.

M - Medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Very smooth with a toasty and dry mouthfeel.

D - Very drinkable. Really nicely balanced and smooth porter. The flavors are a good mix of rich and very sessionable.

Serving type: on-tap

04-19-2012 19:37:11 | More by ngeunit1

williamjbauer

West Virginia

4.4/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap served in a pint glass

A - Slightly clear dark black with a ruby tint. One finger ecru head with moderate head retention and moderate lacing.

S - Faint nose of dark chocolate, malt.

T - Amazingly deep and complex stout with heavy dark chocolate, coffee, malt, roasted espresso with a nice bitter finish. Just a touch of booze. Don't let the nose fool you this is a monster of flavor.

M - Full body, moderate carbonation.

O - Amazing, one of the best porters and quite a surprise when you smell it. Tastes so fricken good and looks like the belle of the ball.

Serving type: on-tap

03-12-2012 17:54:06 | More by williamjbauer

nataku00

California

4.47/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Reviewed from notes.

On tap poured into a pint glass. Beer poured dark brown, almost black, with half a finger of tan colored creamy head. Nice lacing as you drink from the glass. A few bubbles visible at the edge of the glass.

Nose is pungent, nicely roasty, with roasted coffee, malts, but not very darkly roasted as there is no astringency. Light bittersweet chocolate and grassy hops helps to balance the roast.

Taste like the aroma, roasted coffee and malt, creating some slight dark fruit flavors. Light grassy hop bittering as well before the sweeter roasted malt brings some bittersweet chocolate flavors. Finishes dry with lingering light roasted and grassy hop bitterness.

Light to medium body with good fine carbonation creating a creamy mouthfeel. Very nice porter.

Serving type: on-tap

01-15-2012 22:27:17 | More by nataku00

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

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

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

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

HuskyinPDX

Washington

4.47/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Russian River.

A - Served a dark brown with lighter edges. Dark tan head.

S - Strong coffee and chocolate. Nice aromas.

T - Spot on same as the smell, which a good thing.

D - Average body and carbonatin for a porter. Slight hint of bitterness.

O - Maybe the surprise of the day for me.

Serving type: on-tap

12-10-2011 02:57:48 | More by HuskyinPDX

bkrueger

California

4.47/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Enjoyed at the brewery on 11/15, poured into a pint glass. Notes written on a coaster.

Appearance - Dark black, quarter of an inch of creamy espresso colored head which dissipated quickly.

Smell - Espresso roast, burnt malts, chocolate.

Taste - Espresso, carbonated bubbles of burnt malts, lots of slightly hoppy espresso with a bite. Finishes creamy but with a ton of hoppy bite.

Mouthfeel - More carbonation and less of a chalky feel that many porters have. It has a very full mouthfeel that is almost creamy lactic but still has the slightly hoppy mouthfeel which is coming through from the taste.

Overall - Very good. I love getting something here that never makes it into bottles for distribution, especially when it is delicious. If you see this beer give it a try because it is a very good porter.

Serving type: on-tap

11-17-2011 03:43:28 | More by bkrueger

cbutova

Massachusetts

4.83/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

On-tap at the Russian River brewery. Notes from SF trip.

A- Pitch black with a small light tan head. Creamy ring leaves tons of fine lace rings.

S- A nice blend of roast malt and cocoa powder up front. Smoke and some dark fruit give it a nice complexity.

T- A phenomenal blend of roast malts, decadent cocoa powder, and smoked malt. Dark fruit notes round off the flavor.

MF- Creamy rich feel with silky carbonation. Roast acrid bitterness feels nice with the flavors.

Flavor is out of this world. A rich, dessert type Porter that is also dangerously drinkable. This beer is a world-class example of the style.

Serving type: on-tap

10-29-2011 04:16:07 | More by cbutova

scottfrie

California

4.5/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Growler purchased at the brewery. Poured into 25oz snifter.

A: Pours a very dark brown, almost black, with a creamy chocolate-brown head that slowly faded into a wispy film. Great spots of bubbly lacing were left down the whole glass.
S: I get light smoky and roasted notes with a hint of coffee and dark chocolate. Once this beer hit room temperature I got a few notes of herbal hops.
T: Follows the nose with very creamy yet roasted flavors of chocolate a just a hint of coffee. There is a sweetness to this brew as well, and I also get a hint of vanilla. The finish has a very nice hoppy bitterness to it, and the aftertaste is roasted and lingers long after the swallow.
M: Exceptionally smooth and creamy mouthfeel, low soft carbonation, and a good chewy viscosity to the body that makes this a pleasure to drink.
O: A very smoky, creamy, smooth and roasted porter, and definitely in my top 3 for the style. It’s a shame this is not regularly bottled as one could drink this all day.

Serving type: growler

10-22-2011 01:12:33 | More by scottfrie

nickd717

California

4.45/5  rDev +4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Review dated 1/13/2009.

On tap at Toronado in SF. Nicely done porter, one I could drink all night. Dark brown, nearly black in color with tan head. Coffee, bitter cocoa, and roastiness on the aroma. Same on the flavor, lots of coffee and some licorice. Smooth mouthfeel.

Serving type: on-tap

08-25-2011 16:02:38 | More by nickd717

AgentZero

Illinois

4.35/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Dark brown beer with a tan head that left some nice lace on the side.

S - Great roasted malts with some cocoa and coffee. Little bit of vanilla in there, this smells very nice.

T - The taste does not disappoint. Coffee and roasted malt with a little bit of cocoa. Slight bit of smoke and a little bite on the finish. Goes down easy.

M - Medium bodied, fairly creamy, softer carbonation.

O - The first dark beer by Russian River I've had and it lived up to the reputation of the brewery. Easy to drink, and to drink a lot of. Would gladly have this again.

Serving type: growler

08-19-2011 03:45:06 | More by AgentZero

Dobby

California

4.88/5  rDev +14%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

This is truly a hidden gem at RR. Everybody comes for the IPA's and AWA's but this is right up there with the elite brews they offer.

A: Dark brown with a little light peeking through.

S: roasty goodness along with some chocolate notes

T: Pretty sweet imho for a porter but not in a bad way. Definetly some chocolate in there, but overall just some great malty goodness that leads to one decadent beer.

M: Smooth and creamy, spot on for a porter

O: You wont mistake this porter for a stout, its made perfectly to fit the style. A hidden gem for sure at RR and one I always bring a growler of home when its on tap.

Serving type: on-tap

05-09-2011 19:29:11 | More by Dobby

portia99

Massachusetts

4.35/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Growler received in a great trade with Arbitrator. Thanks a ton for this one! Poured into a Dogfish Head signature glass.

A - Pours an extremely dark brown color, almost black with a thick finger of dense dark tan head that lasts for a couple of minutes before falling to a skim coat with a thick collar and leaving behind some spiderwebs of lacing on the glass. Body of the beer is dark but quite clear when held to the light.

S - Fruity hops, roasted malt, a bit of coffee, toasty malt.

T - Nice hoppy presence - fruity and grassy mainly. Good, medium level hop bitterness...just enough bite to them. Roasted and toasted malts, coffee, a hint of sugary sweetness. Bitter hops in the swallow.

M - Medium bodied with medium carbonation that gives a somewhat creamy feel with a light tingle added in. Bitter roasted malts and hoppiness linger after the swallow. Nice and roasty.

D - Going excellent as a post coffee brunch drink in our post BBF tasting. Shared among several BA's that universally thought this was outstanding. Great drinker, could easily have a lot more of this.

Serving type: growler

11-07-2010 17:30:00 | More by portia99

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