Coffee Hidden Pipe Porter

This beer had one of the nicest aromas I've put my nose into in quite a while, which made the come-down in the flavor all the more disappointing.  

First things first, though – this is a very pretty beer. It pours a quite clear, rich, red-brown mahogany color with a moderate, tan head that was fairly persistent. And that aroma: rich notes of butter cookie, dark chocolate, espresso beans and toffee. Really impressive.  

And then you take a sip. Simply put, the beer tastes hollow. There's almost none of the aroma to be found in the flavor, to my great regret. There's a bland, stale coffee flavor, medium bittering and no real character malts shining through, nor any hop flavor. Even the finish is dull: balanced, with a faint coffee aftertaste and a slight buttery note.

The beer is a let-down. The aroma is lovely – truly one of the best in my recent experience – but it's all downhill from there. Not a dumper, but not one to stock up on for a good snowstorm party either.