Stone Kona Coffee, Macadamia, Coconut Porter

 Stone’s Kona Coffee, Macadamia, Coconut Porter is an interesting brew, folks.  Don’t be intimidated by the cost… 12 ounce will run you nearly $8, but it is worth it for the unique way in which there are very distinct flavors at each stage of the tasting experience. 

1. Nose is coffee… clear, distinct, roasted
2. Body is nutty smooth… macadamia kicks in and makes it taste like butta’
3. Finish is where you catch the coconut… just a hint, not over the top, but you know it is there

It was really cool to have such clear and present experiences… worth it just for that.  If you can find it, you should try it.

Stone’s own words on the bottle, where they thank a bunch of folks… just providing the ones that interest me:

Truly a collaborative beer, I want to thank everyone who went above and beyond to help:

• Our Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens overnight team for toasting 1000 lbs of coconut to a perfect golden brown.  You all rock!
• Our Stone Brew Crew, especially Tom, Kevin, Chris, and Sean, for all the last minute ingredient preparations (grinding, bagging, and placement in whirlpool) – 700 lbs. of coconut, macadamia nuts, and coffee, wow!

JBB6 Rating: Will Buy Again

[And more continued...]

Laughing Buddha Purple Yam Porter

If it gives you any idication of when I bought this beer, Trade Route Brewing Co. was still under the name of Laughing Buddha… so, yeah… been a little while.   In fact, I don’t even know if they make this under the Trade Route name since it isn’t on the site… interesting…

Tasted just the other day… was in a porter kind of mood and this one had been eyeing me for a while.  So here it is… sits at 7.0% ABV… pours dark but not black with a nice head.  Very light on the aroma… as we head into the body, you sense high carbonation, a light roasted chocolate flavor and no vanilla… at all.    Finish is slightly bitter.  Overall couldn’t tastye the vanilla, had some normal porter roastedness and chocolate undertones, but really nothing I would write home about… or… blog home about… but I am doing it anyhow…

JBB6 Rating: Middle of the Road

Anderson Valley Deep Enders Dark Porter

Usually a huge fan of Anderson Valley, Deep Enders Dark Porter ends up in the ‘meh’ category.  Dark dark amber color, big ol’ head and foamy, the aroma really doesn’t come through and that leads to similarly mild taste.  I usually expect some dark roastedness, chocolate, coffee, etc. but there really wasn’t any discernable flavor at all.  Not much more to add… pretty middle of the road, as the rating system says.

JBB6 Rating: Middle of the Road

Rogue Mocha Porter

My Rogue Mocha Porter has been in the fridge for a bit, so not sure if that had an impact on the overall tasting… just to let you know.  I will pick up another bottle to validate as soon as possible.  My guess at the impact, though, is <5% so I am going with the review anyhow!

Tasted this one at The Belly’s house the other night during a night of dark beer tasting prior to going to see Inglourious Basterds.  Great movie, BTW… especially awesome seeing it in high definition at the Galaxy 12 in Monroe, WA.  Tarantino is a master at the art.

Anyhow, we shared this small bottle and noted the following… nose is yeasty.. surprising on one hand and not on the other with Rogue’s signature Pacman yeast.   Body was mellow and well balanced but really lacked and distinct flavors.  No mocha and even very little chocolate flavor.  Finish was non-existent. 

Overall a bit of a meh experience… definitely had better from Rogue.

JBB6 Rating: Middle of the Road

Cashmere Pioneer Porter

Friends and neighbors raved about these folks at the Washington State Brewers Festival this year, but I didn’t get much of a sober taste, so I reserved judgement.  We just so happened to be heading to Pateros, WA, though for a little fun in the sun and this place is only about 5 minutes off the road in Cashmere, WA, so I thought I would leave the wife and fam in the car and go and grab me a couple of growlers.  There is a massive growler shortage in Cashmere… or there was that day, so I walked out with three 22’s of their brew… this was the last we tried, but I am going to blog it first because it was, by far, my absolute favorite of their beers. 

Cashmere Brewing Pioneer Porter is and outstanding representation of a porter.  5.5% ABV.  Thick and dark, this brew has an amazing coffee and chocolate aroma.  Very nice, very distinct.  Full.  It doesn’t end there, though, with the body really opening up into roasted goodness, continued coffee, and nice mellow chocolate flavors that just coat your tongue like chocolate silk.  The finish is even nice and complex with just the right linger… I could have had 10 glasses of this, easy…

Overall an outstanding brew… really top notch.  If you get a chance to grab some, I highly, highly recommend you grab the porter and give it a try.  You won’t be disappointed.  Oh… but remember to take cash… that is all they will take.

**Check out some additional pictures down the page for the inside of the brewery.**

JBB6 Rating: For the Win

The counter… love the sign.

The fermenting tanks.

Here is what they had available on that Friday.

Scuttlebutt Porter

Not sure what happened with this brew, Scuttlebutt Porter… on the smell, I can smell light porter and brown sugar… on the taste, though, something isn’t right… a bit too light and a bit phenolic… this brew either isn’t to my taste at all or something went wrong in the brewing process… I was drinking it with Mr. Dave, though, and he had the same reaction so thinking it is the brew. Either way, nose was ok, body and finish were off… not a great one for me.

JBB6 Rating: Just Not Right

Hale’s Ales Troll Porter

Hale’s Ales Troll Porter brought to me by my good friend Mr. Dave…   This one is going to have an unimpressive blog post because the beer itself was unimpressive… no need to have some weird dichotomy there. 

Smells brown, light porter, not too light, not too memorable… nothing to write home about.

JBB6 Rating: Middle of the Road

Russ Sumpter Oaked Porter

Not going to say where or how, but Mr. Dave and I were able to taste some special home brew the other night.  Russ Sumpter, Mr. Dave’s car sales guy just happens to be a home brewer and kind enough to share.  So, here you go… good enough to post, Russ!  

Russ has done something pretty unique here.  First, he is oaking is brews… nice work in and of itself.  Second, his oaked brew tastes good!  Now that those to are nailed, lets get to the taste.  The nose did it for me… i could have kept smelling it and smelling it… the brew poured nice and dark, but I didn’t even think about it much as the nose just took over… very unique, it smells sweet but not over the top… a bit like chocolate chip cookie dough but in a really nice way… the oak and the porter mixing in a very different way.  The body is sweet and much less complex but still sails right down the gullet with no complaints here.  The finish is very short and light on the tip of the tongue, keeping it like a first date with just a hug at the door… you know you want more and you go right back for seconds as soon as you can.

Russ, nice work on this one… very tasty and we would love to taste more!

JBB6 Rating: Will Buy Again

Full Sail Imperial Porter

Full Sail Imperial Porter, part of the Brewmaster Reserve, came top me the other night thanks to the one and only Mr. Dave.  This 7.5% ABV porter has a dark smell with hints of coffee and chocolate on the nose, a dark malty body, and a bitter finish.  Overall a good little porter that supposedly only has limited availability… I will give mine to you next year, dear reader, as this one didn’t do anything special for me.

JBB6 Rating: Middle of the Road

Lazy Boy Porter

Thanks to Mr. Dave for this little number, Lazy Boy Porter comes to us from Lazy Boy Brewing in Everett, WA.  Probalby known better for their crime rate, who know Everett had a brewwery.  May need some for kegs for later in thh summer.   Overall a dark brew with a small head led to a sour/malty nose very light porter almost lager light. Light sour finish @ 5.5%.

JBB6 Rating: Middle of the Road