Porter - Russian River Brewing Company

Gusler

Arizona

4.38/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Draught @ O’Brien’s San Diego
The beer in its comforting pint glass appears black as midnight, the head a soft chocolate crown, the lace a concealing curtain to drape the glass. Nose is sweetly malt, nicely toasted grain, fresh and inviting with the start sweet and malty, top is moderate in feel. Finnish is benign in its acidity, the hops delectable, dry and somewhat sweet aftertaste, a damn good porter in my book, and had to have three or four pints as it’s just too good to pass up.

Serving type: on-tap

06-14-2004 19:55:59 | More by Gusler

HopHead84

California

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

1/29/2010

Two pints consumed on tap at O'Brien's Russian River night. It's black with a creamy light brown head. The nose is roasted malt, chocolate, and coffee with a subtle astringency. The flavor is equally impressive, displaying a perfect balance between roasted mal, chocolate, and coffee, with a light bitterness. The finish is roasted, earthy, and bitter chocolate with a dash of coffee. The mouthfeel is full and creamy. Excellent.

Serving type: on-tap

02-04-2010 07:10:12 | More by HopHead84

kojevergas

California

3.7/5  rDev -13.8%
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

Georgiabeer

Georgia

4.4/5  rDev +2.6%
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

largadeer

California

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

Notes from a couple weekends back, enjoyed on tap at the brewpub.

Appearance: Dark brown/black, no transparency I could see. 1/2 inch of creamy white head that left wisps of lace.

Smell: Roasted grain and cacao, dry and bitter, earthy. Bold for a porter.

Taste & mouthfeel: Rich, earthy and dry. Roasted barley meets coffee and baker's chocolate. Not terribly sweet, and full on the palate for the style. Bittersweet earthy finish with lingering roastiness. Very good stuff, one of the best American porters I've tried.

Serving type: on-tap

02-04-2009 05:26:33 | More by largadeer

jrallen34

Illinois

4.55/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Huge thanks to Alex for shipping this from RR and Sean sharing it with us yesterday.

The perfect porter session beer, makes me think this is what a good small pub English beer tastes like.

A dark brown pour, tons of carbonation in a light tan head, good retention and lacing...Aroma and taste are similar and awesome. Light coffee, nice roastyness, super tastey and super easy to drink. Kept coming back to this growler throughout the night.

Get some of this right away.

Serving type: growler

08-23-2010 22:19:05 | More by jrallen34

DefenCorps

Oregon

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

This beer was on tap at RRBC the last time I was there. However, they also had Sanctification and Consecration at the time (right after they debuted Consecration), and so, I wasn't interested in anything else, not even Pliny the Elder. Watching the reviews slowly come in, I realized I'd made quite the blunder by passing on it. And then, a growler shows up on my doorstep, quite unexpectedly from the ever generous largadeer who tossed this in as an extra in a recent trade. Thanks, Chris!

The pour is quite gorgeous, dark brown with reddish highlights and a dense light brown head capping it. Retention is excellent, as is the lacing.

This is everything I want a porter to be. Rich with a blend of coffee grounds, dark chocolate bitterness, a delicate creamy character, there's also a light, minty hop character in the back along with a little vanilla. Top notch stuff.
The palate opens with a fabulous blend of smooth coffee, a nice cocoa bitterness, both countered by a mellow caramel-like sweetness. Creamy with a mellow earthy character mid-palate, this beer finishes dry with a lasting chocolate-like bitterness. While just a touch sweeter than most porters out there, this is beautifully executed. Medium in body with a moderate level of carbonation, despite being poured 18 days back, this is a top notch porter, probably my favorite along with the Edmund Fitzgerald. Outstanding drinkability, I could quaff this entire growler with no issues.

Serving type: growler

02-24-2010 01:50:50 | More by DefenCorps

BeerFMAndy

Wisconsin

4.3/5  rDev +0.2%
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

AgentZero

Illinois

4.35/5  rDev +1.4%
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

ngeunit1

California

4.43/5  rDev +3.3%
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

billab914

Virginia

4.2/5  rDev -2.1%
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

Overlord

California

4.55/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Holy shit, how do I get more of this beer! On-tap at Toronado currently. Perhaps my new favorite porter, and a complete standout.

Pours an awesome black color with a dark tan head. This is a porter? Obsidian black.

Stouty, cocoa-esque chocolate, coffee roastiness ... great creamy mouthfeel, one of the best for the style I've ever had (it's not a thick, chewy stout, but for a porter, it's robust, creamy, and smooth) ... mmmm.... The flavor is great, and while it smells good, the aroma definitely doesn't clue you in on the robust taste you're about to enjoy.

Surprisingly thick. Really more stout than porter.

Serving type: on-tap

01-14-2009 08:20:21 | More by Overlord

nickd717

California

4.45/5  rDev +3.7%
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

HuskyinPDX

Washington

4.47/5  rDev +4.2%
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

Arbitrator

California

4.38/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap at the RR brewpub on Dec. 18th. From notes.

A: Pours a dark, but ultimately clear, burnt brown color that leans toward black in the center of the glass where it is thickest. The server brings it with a finger of tan head that retains excellently while I work on something else. In all, probably about 10 minutes of retention, and it leaves suds down the glass to boot. Wow.

S: Roasted grain is very strong in the nose; it's chocolatey second, with a bitter earthiness that follows behind. Very pungent and bold.

T: Like the nose, it begins with a rich, roasted flavor that transitions beautifully into bittersweet cocoa and a not-insubstantial coffee element. The hops are well chosen here, and they close out the flavor with a dry bitterness that pulls into the finish to couple with more roast. Despite this, the overall impression is one of sweetness, and even the girlfriend enjoyed this very much.

M: Smooth and creamy. Fuller-bodied than medium, and a tad thicker than I was expecting. It finishes nicely and is easy on the aftertaste.

D: Very high. It's really damn tasty for a 6% porter. I always talk about the RR sours and IPAs; where the hell has this one been and why didn't anyone tell me about it?

Serving type: on-tap

12-21-2009 21:03:02 | More by Arbitrator

Sean9689

Illinois

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

Thanks to Alex for shipping this and Hopfather to me to open up on a random Sunday with some friends. Cool RR growler into various tasting glasses.

A - Pours black, off-white head, good retention on top as the cap and some slight lacing here and there along the sides.

S - Roasted malts, woody notes, some coffee, some smoke in there as well.

T - Basically what is smells like. Roasted malts character, some smoke, oak, very slight coffee. Not hoppy at all, which is awesome but then again, not too malty. Pretty much, right down the middle of awesome.

M - Light to medium, yet rich and smooth with light carbonation, perfect for the style.

D - Very solid and I just kept drinking glass after glass. I have always wanted to try this one and I think I liked it better then I thought I would. RR is basically the best brewery out there. The make awesome sours, hoppy IPA/DIPAs, and this masterpiece. Excellent.

Serving type: growler

08-23-2010 23:34:41 | More by Sean9689

scottfrie

California

4.5/5  rDev +4.9%
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

Offa

California

4.33/5  rDev +0.9%
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

yourefragile

District of Columbia

4.1/5  rDev -4.4%
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

AgentMunky

Alabama

4.05/5  rDev -5.6%
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

popery

California

4.47/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Tap, City Beer Store. Very good porter. This beer pours dark brown, black in the shade, with a nice tan head. The aroma is mostly chocolate, roast and coffee. It's a nearly ideal balance for a standard porter. The flavor is balanced, not too sweet, not too dry. The hops are relatively light, allowing the malt to take center stage. It's just an easy drinking, well-made beer, the kind of porter that every brewpub tries to make but rarely gets just right. This is a good beer and I'd love to have it again sometime.

Serving type: on-tap

03-27-2010 03:09:34 | More by popery

cbutova

Massachusetts

4.83/5  rDev +12.6%
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

augustgarage

California

3.88/5  rDev -9.6%
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

inlimbo77

Delaware

3.53/5  rDev -17.7%
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

portia99

Massachusetts

4.35/5  rDev +1.4%
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