Lost Arrow Porter - Rush River Brewing Company

chicagoabbot

Illinois

2.8/5  rDev -20.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

On-tap at Emma's Bar in River Falls, WI. Man, it hurts to give this brewery's beers generally unfavorable reviews. I grew up in RF for the most part though I live in Chicago now and it made my heart happy when RF got a brewery. Unfortunately, this porter needs a lot of work.

Appearance wise, it's way too light in color and the head isn't jazzy enough or dark enough.

The smell is off too and followed up by a malt profile that lacks complexity. This isn't terrible, but it's not a winner.

Mouthfeel is one of the better things, but still lacking that 'porter pucker'.

Guys, please make better beers and make River Falls proud. You ought to dominate tap-lines at local bars, but instead I barely see anyone drinking your brews! What gives!??! Man...

Serving type: on-tap

04-27-2011 17:32:19 | More by chicagoabbot

MPLS

Minnesota

2.98/5  rDev -15.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Stopped by the bur for a couple of cheap taps and this was my first selection.

A: Decent translucent medium brown/amber color with an unimpressive head and nominal lacing to match. Perhaps I have had to many imperial stouts/porters as of late. Moderate carbonation.

S: Mellow roasted notes, earthy undertones, negligible bitter chocoalte.

T: A very mild porter, low ABV, low flavor profile, but easy to sip on. The biggest taste element is the dry porter malts with hints of chocolate, and mild bitterness to balance things out.

M:Thin Lizzy strikes again! Pretty well matched to its appearance, water, little too much fizz on the tongue.

D: Easily drinkable from it's underwhelming nature and cheap around town. Good smell, but just far too thin with a specific gravity resembling hard water.

Serving type: on-tap

03-29-2009 21:16:54 | More by MPLS

tconboy

Minnesota

3.8/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured a deep dark brown with a tan head and moderate lacing. Smells of chocolate, coffee and malts. Very mild taste, the flavors definitely don't overpower you, but this is a nice, smooth, drinkable beer. The mouthfeel is definitely a little light for a porter. I could definitely drink a lot of this given how light it is for a porter. Might not be your thing and might be a little light for your typical porter lover, but it was pretty good.

Serving type: on-tap

01-24-2009 06:20:17 | More by tconboy

Deuane

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A-Deep brown with auburn highlights. Small tan head. Good retention and lace.

S-Some cocoa, coffee and roasted malts. Nothing is overpowering. A bit muted.

T-Much like the aroma everything ispresent but not in copius amounts. The more you drink the better it all comes together. A nice combination of your "typical" roasty porter flavours.

M-Medium-light body leaving it a bit thin. Would like a more robust body.

D-A solid, sessionable porter. This brew does not set out to light the world on fire...but it has it's place. A decent brew without any flash.

Serving type: on-tap

05-07-2008 08:02:09 | More by Deuane

happygnome

Minnesota

2.73/5  rDev -22.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

a: pours a dark brown color with a slight hints of ruby with about a quarter inch of head that dissapears not too fast leaving a little lacing around the edge of the glass
s: faint smell however i detect the roasted cocao malts, the aroma are fairly weak even after the beer warms a bit
t: there is a very muted overall flavor to this brew, slight roasted malt backbone and a faint hint hops
m: medium to light bodied beer with a nice average amount of carbonation

overall, i was kind of dissapointed by this brew faint aroma and taste

Serving type: on-tap

10-03-2007 03:01:36 | More by happygnome

dfried

Minnesota

4/5  rDev +13.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On-tap at Java J's. Pretty dark body with some brown and ruby highlights, thin cream colored cap for a head. Sweet and chocolaty aroma, coco powder, caramel, some coffee notes, with just a little hop presence. More of the same in the taste, sweet almost to the point of cloying but not quite, chocolate and caramel with together with a touch of nutty flavor that reminded me of a candy bar. Hops leave a subtle herbal flavor. Some fruity notes show up in the aftertaste, apple, pear, and plum. Quite light bodied for a porter, and a sliky, milky smooth mouthfeel make it very drinkable.

Overall: nothing wrong with this one, light drinkable porter, but if they have Bubble Jack IPA where they have this one, I would get the Bubble Jack about every time.

Serving type: on-tap

07-10-2007 20:16:13 | More by dfried

Chaz

Minnesota

3.95/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a turgid, cola-brown in color with a dark tan head and minimal lacing. Roasted malts, espresso, and a touch of yeast on the nose, with very minimal ("no") hop presence. Lactic tang on the first sip is prominent, and along with an initial plummy sweetness gives me the impression that the brewer intended a nod in the direction of the sweet stout style. Light-bodied and very easy drinking, with a creamy smooth mouthfeel. Minimal alcohol presence - feels smaller than ins 5%. Hop and malt bitterness evident in the aromatic qualities mid-sip, along with a touch of granny smith. More roasted malts toward the end of the palate along with a dry finish. Light and a touch thin for the style, Lost Arrow rides on its roasted and dark malts, creamy texture, and the part lactic/part nut brown tang, and mostly it rides quite well. My favorite of Rush River’s year-round offerings, even though it bucks style a bit. On-tap at Stub and Herb's.

Serving type: on-tap

12-09-2006 19:40:07 | More by Chaz

tavernjef

Minnesota

3.2/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On-tap at the Happy Gnome: Dark brown body with dark ruby slivering highlights. Medium tanned foam of oatmealy texture. Light lacing in spotted sheeting.

Understated aroma of dry cocoa and roasted malts.

Flavors are just as understated as the nose. Low and light on the buds with a partail roasted malt backing with a sweetened chocolate edge. Barely a finish to it. A whisp of the roast tugs for a stint as it drys off empty with a scant of nuttyness.

Feel is a thinner medium body with a smooth and inviting carbonation. The go nowhere finish is what keeps it from being better then it should or could be.

Not all that impressive for a porter. More like a brown, and even then it still doesn't grab my interest.

Serving type: on-tap

02-19-2006 02:16:46 | More by tavernjef

Bighuge

Minnesota

3.68/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Nice auburn tone. Small light brown head on top. Retention and lace are adequate. Aroma is dry cocoa, mocha, light coffee and roasted malts. Decent, but subdued. Taste is pretty straightforward. Everything mingles nicely on the palate...chocolate, coffee, vanilla and char. A little chalky in the mouth, but that's fine. Seems a little watery on the palate. Body could use a boost. Solid porter though.

Serving type: on-tap

02-15-2006 20:42:51 | More by Bighuge

ADR

Pennsylvania

3.45/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

On tap, Autumn Brew Review 2004...

Medium dusky brown, a little light but plenty murky. Head is refuge after 30 seconds and the lacing is minimal. Surprisingly a slightly winey aroma, red grape and some chocolate tones. Body is light with medium carbonation, nice enough. Flavor is husky, grainy with hops evident as background players. Could be a little mellower, never gets much traction and its a little strident without a thicker and maltier counterpoint.

Serving type: on-tap

09-12-2004 20:31:22 | More by ADR

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

4.1/5  rDev +16.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

First pour from a freshly-tapped keg.
Beautiful brown in color, murky, and with a bit of rolling, cascading action, though this is no nitr-tap. Head is a tight tan ring.
Aroma is very nice, great gobs of cocoa filling the nose, just a dab of bittersweet espresso, warm and inviting.
Aromatic experiences are revisited in the taste. Chocolate sensations flood the mouth, rich and well-rounded. Full-bodied,with a nice, softly lingering finish. No bitterness, although I like that in my porters sometimes, this is smoothness itself. Very easy-drinking and approachable, but not shy on taste, either.
Good job, here, I think I'll be getting very well-acquainted with this one.

Serving type: on-tap

07-21-2004 00:00:03 | More by feloniousmonk

Lemke10

Wisconsin

3.49/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

This is my first Rush River review so I’m super excited. In all, Rush River only has about a dozen beer offerings so they are a pretty small and precise brewing operation located in River Falls, WI. Not really sure what to expect as you never really hear anyone says anything good or bad about their beer.

It pours a dark brown color with a beige head that lingers around for a while. It has a mild robust scent of roasted malts, coffee, toffee, and caramel malts. Nothing exciting here, just your classic porter scent.

The taste has elements of a heavy beer, but it still drinks rather light. There is a little bit of roasted malts and coffee in the taste but far from being bold. It finishes with a chalky, coffee after taste. This is a good beginner porter to see if you like the style, but it really could be more robust, flavorful, and thicker in texture.

Porters certainly aren't the most popular beer out there. Maybe it’s because it’s just really hard to make a good porter? This was a pretty good attempt by Rush River but as I said, it has room for improvement. It has great drink-ability, it’s just lacking that “wow” factor taste wise.
-Chris Lemke of WisconsinBrewReview.com

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2013 03:14:16 | More by Lemke10

NilocRellim

Minnesota

3.9/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Porter was poured out of the bottle and into a pint glass. Dark and warm in colour with a chocolate, roasted nose to it. Tasted of roasted malts, chocolate, and coffee, with minimal yet present hops. No distinctive or lingering aftertastes.

Would I buy this beer again? Probaby.

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2012 22:05:47 | More by NilocRellim

jlindros

Massachusetts

3.53/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

First beer from a new brewery. Thanks to bunkrock (Reddit) for this one.

Pours a fizzy 1 finger darker off white colored head that fades at a med pace with some lacing, over dark molasses brown colored beer.

Nose brings a hint of oatmeal, some light roast, some caramel, a light nutty hazelnut like aroma, and a hint of earthy hop bitterness.

Taste starts a bit roasty with more of that nutty hazelnut like flavor, a bit of oatmeal and caramel, some light toasty brown malts, lighter in overall feel and flavor but a decent taste. Light chalky mocha chocolate and a bit creamy. Just a touch of earthy bittering hops.. Finish is fairly dry, some lingering earthy light bitterness, hint of creamy roast and mocha.

Mouth is med to lighter bodied but fluffy, decent carb.

Overall not bad, a bit light overall in flavor and body, but a nice fluffy feel, decent flavors that are there, and nothing really wrong, a light but drinkable overall porter.

Serving type: bottle

07-22-2012 16:27:39 | More by jlindros

augustgarage

California

3.53/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a pint glass. Best before the last week in December.

The liquid is a very dark russet tinged with cordovan and topped by a fat finger of desert sand merengue and a few dark brown spots from the final drops of yeast. Thick soapy lacing, excellent retention.

Faint caramel and roast malt in the nose...very little aroma otherwise.

Round, roasted flavor profile with slightly stale coffee and cocoa nib notes throughout. Low bitterness with a dry yet slightly fruity finish.

Creamy, medium-light bodied mouthfeel - spritzy with good carbonation.

A decent but generic porter.

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2012 21:01:07 | More by augustgarage

homebrew311

Illinois

3.05/5  rDev -13.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12 oz bottle poured into Great Lakes snifter. Pours dark brown with some light passage at the edges. A finger of tan head retains itself nicely. The nose has some toasted malt with a slight amount of roast. A bit of chocolate in the background, not much else... aroma is very tame. Taste is thin, a bit of toasted character, and a light bit of herbal hop character at the end. The mouthfeel is thin and a bit prickly. Overall, pretty run of the mill porter without much flavor, nothing memorable here.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2012 03:42:32 | More by homebrew311

ForWhatAlesYou

Minnesota

3.83/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle as part of a winter variety pack. Served in a tulip.

A: Deep, cloudy brown with amber tones. Nice dense tan head. Spotty lacing.

S: Raisin bread, alcohol, toasty grain.

T: Very roasty malt dominates. Not a ton of hop bitter, just in the finish. Toffee, coffee, smoky.

M: A little thin but nice carbonation.

O: Very decent. Worth a go.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2012 15:39:54 | More by ForWhatAlesYou

wisrarebeer

Wisconsin

3.6/5  rDev +2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Purchased at Gelly's Pub and Eatery in Stockholm, WI.

A: deep copper color with wisp of head
S: mild nose, sweeter, roasted, nutty with little hops
T: mild taste, sweeter with some hints of roasted malt and slight bitter finish
M: slightly watery, not a ton of character

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2011 03:43:38 | More by wisrarebeer

jsprain1

Minnesota

3.25/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

A- Red-brown. Cola colored perhaps. Head is tan, lasts well, and leaves lacing.
S- Aroma is milk chocolate, with some coffee and a faint charcoal.
T- Up front it's pretty sweet. Milk chocolate dominates most of the tasting but there is pleasant smoky coffee finish. I wish more of the taste was like that.
M- Carbonation is medium-light, but dang,for a porter this has a thin body.
O- There are some high points (the appearance, the finish) but on the whole it's more of a miss.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2011 02:01:59 | More by jsprain1

vette2006c5r

Wisconsin

3.7/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Rush River Lost Arrow pours an almost black color, with a light, small head. There is a good strong malty and coffee like smell. The taste is a bit light and weak; rather watery, but there is a typical malty dry porter taste that you can pick up. Nice carbonation, and easy to drink, but its a bit too light. Overall its a good beer, just on the weaker side.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2011 02:20:24 | More by vette2006c5r

lurpy1

Minnesota

3.5/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pour is amber/brown, decent head, but a little bit too translucent for a porter. The taste is reasonably pleasant, a little bit burnt, a little bit o'malt, little bit o'coffee, but generally lacks any sort of wow factor. A bit thin for a great porter.

Pretty good, which is about how most Rush River beers grade out. Worth trying, but not worth pimping yourself out to a bestiality porno in order to get your hands on it.

Serving type: bottle

08-14-2011 14:15:08 | More by lurpy1

samie85

Illinois

3.53/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A-transparent cola color with a few fingers of very light brown foam.

S-Coffee and roasted notes with some slight vanilla and a dark chocolate finish.

T- Roasted coffee notes

M-A little thin bodied for a porter in my opinion with medium carbonation and a silk/dry feel.

D-Pretty easy drinking without being too rich. A pretty good dark beer for the summer.

Serving type: bottle

07-02-2011 20:15:16 | More by samie85

BeerFMAndy

Wisconsin

3.55/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle poured into a Sprecher nonic.
Dec Wk3 notched on the label, no info.

A - Clear throughout the pour, slivers of burgundy amber shine through the black beer. A four-finger tan head drops slowly and leaves collar upon collar of lace on the glass!

S - Acrid bitter, burnt roasted malt escapes without hesitation from this brew. Notes of coffee and bittersweet chocolate join but a faint off aroma seems to be hiding within. A dry cocoa musty yeast funk (not wild yeast) is buried in the back.

T - Cold coffee overwhelms the tongue and knocks any off-flavors too far back to notice. The roasted bitter malt is flavorful but one-dimensional.

M - Medium-light-bodied, it seems a touch on the thinner side for the style. Very carbonated as well. Moderate acrid bitter, dry finish from the roasted malts.

O - I get the same sort of yeasty off thing from this brew that I pick up from the others but it's largely covered up by roast a bit more. Once again, it's a promising brew that could be very good with some tweaks.

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2011 12:06:22 | More by BeerFMAndy

drizzam

Wisconsin

3.75/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - Pours a clear dark brown in color, actually looks ruby in color when held up to a bright light. The body is topped by a substantial creamy light tan head. Good head retention and lacing.

S - Roasted malt and dark chocolate dominate the aroma. Very nice inviting aroma.

T & M - Roasted malt and dark chocolate with hints of coffee present. The taste actually isn't as strong as I would have expected from the aroma. Thin to medium bodied mouthfeel. Finishes with a very slight bitter roasted finish.

D - This is a very solid beer. As expected, as it warms it gets better. High drinkability factor from both the low ABV and good flavor. I would stock this as a regular beer in my fridge.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2011 20:08:22 | More by drizzam

maximum12

Minnesota

3.6/5  rDev +2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

How have I missed reviewing, nay, even sampling this beer in the past? I've had plenty of Unforgiven & Bubblejack, just never seemed to cross paths with this guy. Downed a bottle with surprisingly tasty pizza at Parkway Pizza in Minneapolis tonight.

Brown. Porter brown, to be exact. Smells like lightly roasted chocolate Kisses.

Lost Arrow's taste follows the nose to a T. Roast, almost crossing the yellow lines to coffee, is at the top of the beer chain. Soft chocolate, and a kick of sweet maltiness rounds out this simple porter.

Easy on the eyes, easy on the palate, low ABV, tasty, easy to drink. Simple, yup, but nothing I'd ever turn down. Good, solid porter.

Serving type: bottle

11-20-2010 04:23:14 | More by maximum12