Crunch

Crunch by Manayunk Brewing Company is being evaluated as an American Porter (Category 20A) from the 2015 BJCP guidelines. 

Big bold hazelnut aromas salute you head on, followed by warm maple syrup and baker's chocolate with low fruity esters of dried cherries. No aroma hops were detected as the bold aromas overwhelm.Turns a bit caramelly as it warms in the glass.

This beer poured dark brown, with excellent clarity. The fluffy tan head sat on top and had a moderate retention.

The flavor was a mirror image of the perceived aromas. Big hazelnut, milk chocolate, but without a hop flavor character. The fermentation is clean, and finishes very dry with a lingering chocolate aftertaste. The balance is toward the malts but I didn't get the roasty quality of the style, but rather the added flavors.

The body is medium-light with a medium-low carbonation mouthfeel. There is small amount of creaminess, possibly from the milk chocolate-like quality.

The hazelnut character is a bit high and comes across as a flavored coffee drink, which is great if that's your thing. Slightly off balance as the base beer becomes secondary and takes a very distant backseat. As an American Porter this beer misses the hop character of the style, and resembles the American Brown Ale style more. I was shocked to discover that it is being marketed as a chocolate peanut butter beer.