Oskar Blues Brewery Hotbox Coffee Porter American Porter at 6.5% ABV | 30 IBU (C$4.49 at Oak & Vine, 355 ml, bottle date 18-Sep-2016, acquired 1-Apr-2017, reviewed 18-Apr-2017)
Appearance: near opaque with clear brown relief around the margins, a short beige head settling rapidly to a thin ring, patchy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: coffee, dry cocoa, toffee, dark fruit and red berries. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter, mild tart. (8/10) Palate: medium-full smooth body, moderate carbonation, drying mildly warming finish. (4/5)
Went into this with high expectations. Was not (greatly) disappointed. It came across just slightly thin and light for my preference, possibly as a result of slightly high carbonation. As well, the red berry tartness, while not entirely unwelcome, became a bit overly-emphatic towards the end. Both of these might well be reflections of a deliberate effort to craft a lighter, easy-drinking Porter, but I think I’d’ve preferred it with a more traditional body. (16/20)
8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
