On tap at Ambulance, vaguely stylized porter nearly puts expectant dark chocolate roast on the backburner for earthen wood-dried tangent and honeyed citrus spell. In the deep recess, nutty caramel-toffee sweetness fades away.

On tap at Ambulance, nice dessert treat utilizes ‘coconut and almond’ to backup sweet mocha malting. Coconut-buttered toasted almond splendor drapes mildly creamed brown chocolate, vanilla and molasses sugaring, contrasting light charred hop bittering.

On tap at Cloverleaf, ‘deconstructed’ flavored blunt (circa 2015) brings ashen tobacco, resinous ganja and charcoal acridity to up-front black chocolate richness as well as diminished candied orange peel zest. Black patent malt astringency reinforced by oak-smoked wheat char, dark coffee bean bittering, chalky cocoa beaning and soily peat earthiness.

Thin ‘traditional brown porter’ with nut brown leanings affixes roasted nuttiness to musty mocha malting. Dry peanut-shelled cola and walnut resonance goes astray as murky black chocolate, dark cocoa and light-roast coffee illusions fail to ignite. Tertiary soy sauce, burnt toast and black tea nuances are spotty. 

On tap at Ambulance, 2015 draft-only Mad Scientist series continues with this heady medium-full body. Advertised cherry-pureed Black molasses bittering gains upper hand on charred hop roast and charcoal-burnt nuttiness, gaining coarse edge. Extreme ‘bitter heads’ should check it out.

Signature ‘robust dark ale’ offers light grain roast to nutty mocha richness and charred hop bittering. Toasted walnut-hazelnut conflux picks up black toast, Blackstrap molasses, black chocolate, black coffee and dark cocoa illusions for formidable backdrop.

Satisfying medium-bodied dark ale places dry-roasted rye and chocolate malting above moderate charred hop bittering. Black chocolate, dark cocoa, toffee and coffee overtones dry out as ashen charcoal acridity rises. Distant blackberry and black cherry illusions flutter by. Minor phenol astringency found at lactic mocha finish.

Not as rich and bold as Texas crude namesake. Dark-roasted chocolate malt creaming subsides over time and minor carbolic aridity interferes with ancillary coffee-burnt Blackstrap molasses, Baker’s chocolate and cocoa nibs subsidy as well as restrained pecan-walnut-hazelnut conflux.

Serviceable dark ale moderation lacks sufficient mocha richness, becoming a tad watery by the lactic milk chocolate finish. Powdered cocoa, Baker’s chocolate and black coffee tones counter vanilla-creamed brown chocolate sweetness as well as latent brownie-fudged dark toffee alacrity. Dark-roasted hop bittering deepens the back-end.

On tap at Shepherd & Knucklehead, 2014 limited edition blunt-styled porter emulates grocery-stored cherry cigar with its crisp tobacco-leafed moisture and soured maraschino cherry tartness. Dank dry-hopped char and oak-smoked pale wheat backup dark-roasted black chocolate malting. Ashen charcoal acridity provides smoky residue for tarry mocha finish.

Gimmicky peanut-buttered brown chocolate theme suffices, if not totally entices (recalling Reese’s peanut butter cup), before picking up astringently distracting hop-oiled bittering. Salty dark-roasted peanut buttering allows ancillary hazelnut, walnut, almond and cola illusions to deepen hard-shelled legume influence above rich vanilla-sweetened mocha malting. Sugary jellybean undertones contrast recessive espresso snip. A fine dessert alternative to nutty brownies.

On tap at Shepherd & Knucklehead, murkily defined porter loses any sweet almond-milked flouring after first sip. Instead, sharp dark-roasted hop graining, bitter vanilla beaning and nutty remnant combine forces to undermine its musty nature.