The American Porter is quite a varied style. It can be highly hopped, highly roasted, smoky, or strong -- they are all unique. With its strongly nutty, toasted oatmeal character, this one is no different. This porter is very dark brown, nearly into black, but is clear despite the darkness. It has a thick tan head, but it doesn’t stick around as long as you’d expect. Right off the bat you get a strong toasty, nutty oatmeal aroma that leads into chocolate and espresso. This is followed by some rich caramel and dried fruit (raisin) esters. The flavor is similar, and though the floral hops were faint in the aroma, they are very noticeable in their bitterness, which starts off fairly high and builds as it takes on an astringent mouthfeel when the hops combine with the mocha-like malt. Despite the oat-like character, the body is pretty light, partly due to the dry finish. While this may not be my favorite interpretation of the style, the added drinkability may have helped it find its way into the rotation on hot summer nights.
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Oatmeal Porter
Description
A unique Highland creation, Oatmeal Porter this robust beer is black in color, very malty with hints of chocolate-roasted flavor and a well balanced hop character.
This style was born on the docks of the Thames of London where dock workers or porters delighted in the strong dark ales brewed by the local pubs with roasted malts. This gave rise to the name by which this style is still known. A porter was traditionally served with oysters, the least expensive food available to the dock workers. Highland Brewing has taken this style a step farther with the addition of a judicious amount of flaked oatmeal which helps attain the smooth silky character of our porter.
Judges Review
Aroma:
20 / 24
Appearance:
5 / 6
Flavor:
34 / 40
Mouthfeel:
6 / 10
Overall Impression:
16 / 20