45 IBU 9.5% ABV
Beer Advocate - 4.2/5
Untappd - 4.2/5
20A. American Porter (or possibly a specialty category)
A substantial, malty dark beer with a complex and flavorful dark malt character.
Found at Whole Foods
It is a good damn thing that I score the beers I drink before emptying the whole bottle, 'cause I tell you what, it's hard to type when consuming a beer like this. I originally planned on a different beer to do a review on but was not excited about it...I wanted something special to bring in the new year of course! And a bloody IPA was soooo derivative. I have this whole New Year's tradition that I started 4 years ago now. I hang out at my good friends apartment (shout out to the Brisby's) on the Eve while mentally preparing myself for a 5k at midnight to bring in the new year. Then I come back to the apartment and crash for 6 hours, wake up and run another 5k! The event is called The First Run and it's a total blast if you're in to that sort of thing. Which I am of course. And afterwards, there is nothing better than drinking a high ABV beer on an empty stomach when already riding that exercise high. The endorphins are off the charts! And endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don't shoot others, they just don't.
Okay, on to the scores:
Aroma: This is how a barrel aged beer is supposed to smell. The nose is nice and boozy with hints of burnt sugar, dark chocolate and vanilla. Makes my mouth water. 9.25
Appearance: Pours a deep burnt sugar with hues of red and a sandy brown medium head. Pleasant to look at if you ask me (and I did, how else would I rate it?). 8.5
Flavor: I don't know if I can fully convey all the flavors but I will try. A chocolate rum ball at the forefront, hints of vanilla, burnt sugar and a woodsy oak flavor. Nicely balanced. 9
Mouthfeel: I decided to drink this on an empty stomach because I knew it was going to be heavy but is also really smooth. The carbonation is a little bit more than what I am used to from a porter; small drawback. Did I say it was really smooth? 8.5
Overall: This is the second brew from PFriem that I have partaken and it did not disappoint. It left me feeling nice and toasty...just how I was wanting to feel! What a shocker! PFriem's website says that this porter has 45 IBU's but it didn't seem like it. Don't get me wrong, 45 IBU's is not a lot in this day and age of hop head craziness, but it does lend an amount of detectable bitterness. If the hops did, it was well balanced... as a porter should be. 8.75
Matt's mark: 4.40/5
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