Barrel 41 Cinnamon Roll Crunch Porter.

March 21, 2023

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There was a new beer up on tap today. Barrel 41 Cinnemon Roll Crunch Porter. Seems like a lot of additives, but lets see how it is.

Poured into a regular pint glass, this beer is opaque black. And looks a bit..hazy or fuzzy . The darker brown head looks thick, but sadly it doesn’t last very long at all. But that is probably from the additives

There is not much roast or hops in the smells. It’s all milk chocolate with some vanilla background. And something close to maple syrup after it warms. So far everything is on the low side, but playing well.

Nice blast of cinnamon and very light milk chocolate, even vanilla frosting. Next is a bit of coffee roastiness that really makes up for the high sugary level. But that roast is not harsh, but maybe it should have been… just a little.
There is still that something like maple,,, or bacon hiding in the background. I just can’t pin it down.

Nothing for hops or yeast here.. but to be honest, I’m not sure how those would have matched up with all that sweety stuff anyway.

There is a lot going on here, but all things are pretty tame, but the main things that stick out is, the cinnemon of course, and now that its warming lactose, and the roasty bits.

Very full body on this, almost chewy. And that “haze”.. well you can feel it. It has a grainy particulate feeling to it. Is that supposed to be the crunch part?
Not very much for bitterness.. but I wish it was. That sweet just hangs on the tongue, but it stays shy of being gloopy.

This is an odd one. Right from the name I was sure I was not going to like it..but ya know what.. it’s ok. It’s not bad, it’s not great… just ok. Dont think I could do more than one.
There is just enough of a roast profile to keep me interested,, but the sugary sweetness is just a bit much.

For now I’ll have to go 2/5,, but if they ever bump the roast or bitterness, or lower the lactose a smidge,, this could be much better.

Good Dog Porter

February 6, 2023

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So I have been hearing some good things about this beer lately. Its a local, and one that I have had several times before. But,, it just never was something I was a big fan of. But I was assured that things have turned around with it.

The last time that I reviewed Good Dog, it was a nitro pour, but I have had this in bottles before, and this time around it will be a regular C02 pour. So lets get to this.

Served to me in a regular pint glass. Much colder than I would have liked if I had a choice. But it does look very good! A nice light tan head that doesnt really hang around, even with the carbonation bubbles coming up. I wouldn’t say this was black, but about as close as you can get. Very very deep brown. Sure looks tasty.

Aroma is fairly light. A bit of chocolate and some grainy notes. Just the slightest bit of sweetness, but thats about it. Nothing for roast, or hops or any yeast. Yes it is quite cold, but I was still hoping for something.

But in the taste, along with that bit of chocolate, is a bit of back malt. Not big, but there. The sweetness is trying to hide that grainy note, but it is still there. After doing a bit of warming I can start to get just the faintest bit of hop flavor. Old school hops. But just just as with the rest of the flavors, its melding in with everything else. And that is a good thing. Everything is there, just enough to notice, but not standing out. I may have talked my self into detecting a bit of yeast ester, its so faint that it might not even be there, but I do like how what ever that might be made me go look for it.

The body is not what I would call thick, but it definitely not thin. I think that this higher carbonation is making it feel just a little thinner than what it really is. But that carbonation seems to be helping the bitterness. If it was not as carbbed as it is, it would probably feel a bit under hopped. but as it is,, its right where I like it.

Well. I have to say that this iteration of Good Dog Porter is much better than what I have had in the past. It has always been a subtle porter, and it still sort of is,, but its layers now have just the right amount of oomph behind it. I certainly hope that this is the final version, and I am guessing it will be now that Zambaldi’s is in its stride.

I can now say that I like this beer, and am glad for that. Its hard enough to find a decent Porter or Stout these days, much less one that is made mere blocks from me. I am going wo give this a 4/5. And after this one, I am going to go find me a 6 pack to bring home.

AFTER NOTE:

A couple days after that beer I stopped at a different local place and they also had Good Dog on tap. I grabbed one just to see if anything would change in a different local, and happy to say that it was was just as good there,, (for breakfast this time), as the last one. Cheers!

City Lights Coconut Porter

November 15, 2022

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Seen the tap handle and was intrigued. We all know I am not a flavored beer lover, but it’s coconut!

Pours very dark for a porter. I’d say the brownest brown before black. A smallish tan head that didn’t stick around very long though,, but coconut is inda oily so not surprised.

Terrible pic but it was very dark in there

Got a good whiff of chocolate above everything, but more like milk chocolate. No hop or yeast or anything else.. including coconut.. but what would coconut smell like anyway?

Well remember when I said coconut is oily? Holy crap… Thats all I get when taking a sip. It like coats your whole face. Now there is coconut taste. Not much.. but it’s there. So is that chocolate. And a good hit of hops. But it’s that oil feel. Just take me out.

Its bitter enough for sure and full on body. Quite full for a porter but I’m not complaining about it. I think it’s good that it is as carbonated as it is or that oil slick would be even more over the top.

Ok. I would have liked the coconut. The bitterness level, the chocolate.. but that oil feel.. mucho no mas. I can’t do it.

I gave it a .5 for how good it smelled.. but that’s all I can do.

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