Thursday, February 3, 2011

Otter Creek - Stovepipe Porter


Otter Creek - Porter - Middlebury, VT. 4.4%abv
12 oz brown bottle. Freshness Lot Date (which I don't understand) is stamped on the bottle.
It pours a dark cola mahogany with a medium-sized beige head and a fair amount of sticky lace.
A smoky smell permeates the air upon first pouring. A dry malty smell begins to develop and sticks around for a while. A light citrusy aroma is noticed early, but it fades rather quickly.
The malt is toasty and smoky. A light sweetness does very little to counter the strong smokiness (not that it’s a bad thing). Strong coffee and a mild dark chocolate taste
A tea-like bitterness, along with an edgy citrus taste provides a dry sharpness. The taste is raw and wild. Lots of flavors for a low abv porter. Goes well with grilled sausage and peppers.