On tap at Ambulance on St. Patrick’s Day ’18, lightly barrel-aged porter retains dry dark chocolate-cocoa conflux and mildly molasses-smoked hazelnut, walnut and peanut illusions above steady hop-charred bittering. Oaken wood influence undetermined, but rich mocha capacity undeniably uplifting.
Mildly creamed molasses sugaring cakes wheat-flaked chocolate malts as well as light-roast coffee tones and dried cocoa powdering. Subtle vanilla, caramel and black cherry sweetness seeps in slowly.
On tap at Growler & Gill, ‘rich but not heavy’ light-bodied porter leaves dry roasted coffee and dark chocolate tones upon mild nut-charred hop bittering. But its ‘floral fruited’ Belgian yeast influence seems null.
On tap at The Oath, creamy dark chocolate syrup drapes subtle sweet orange peel adjunct and distant pistachio salting. Rich mocha resilience increased by bitter cocoa and vanilla bean influence at the dry orange-candied dark chocolate finish.
On tap at Mellow Mushroom, soft-toned ‘dirty-watered’ earthiness anchors dry chocolate roast, molasses-smoked vanilla beaning and oats-sugared coffee nuttiness of somewhat thin dark ale.
Indecisive nut-roasted hop char and murky earthen smidge seep into sweet hazelnut and bitter walnut apprehension. Recessive molasses-sapped black chocolate syruping needs upgrade.
Dark-roasted chocolate-coffee entry gains quick cola-walnut char and subtle toffee-sugared hazelnut sweetness as minor wood-smoked ashen earthiness sears blackened hop bittering of limited edition Pacific Crest Trail full body.
On tap at Equilibrium, bitterly black-malted medium body drapes moderately creamed dark chocolate across roasted coffee and vanilla bean sedation. Mild cola-walnut char picks up burnt toast smidge.
Musky dark-roast hop char meets ashen dark chocolate acridity, cocoa-powdered bittering, sour-milked raw molasses sinew and burnt pumpernickel toasting for boldly harsh full body. Mildly vinous grape esters increase overall bitterness.
Murkily blended black chocolate and roasted coffee negatively coarsened by ashen hops. Dank black malt bittering and undefined dried fruiting never commit.
On tap at George Keeley’s, dry sour-milked black chocolate malting, light-roast white coffee beaning, bitter cocoa snip, nutty reticence and raw molasses acridity retain clean-watered crisping, but metallic tinge mires murky mocha finish.
On tap at Ambulance, robust porter places dark-roast chocolate malting, black coffee bittering and chalky cocoa overtones above ashen hop-charred nuttiness as caramel-burnt cola and walnut illusions slip by.
