Great Lakes Brewing Company - Edmund Fitzgerald Porter

Pours with great colors, with the deep dark reddish brown (almost black) coloring. Nice tan head, about two fingers worth. Smell has wonderful aromas of chocolate and malts, some slight breadiness on the end. Taste has nice easy chocolates and malts in the taste, light alcohol flavors as well. Very nice crisp carbonation, some slight oiliness to finish. Very drinkable, though sweetness of malts can get old for some.

Rating: Best

ABV: 5.8%

O'Fallon Brewery - Smoke

Poured from the bottle into a snifter a dark opaque brown with an offwhite head that left a minor crown after dissipating quickly. Smell was smokey with a roasty smell behind. Taste was much the same. Feel was smooth and lighter bodied than expected, some oilyness was noticed. Overall a pretty decent "Smoked Porter" but not the best "Porter". A good beer and I will not turn it down.

Rating: Good

ABV: 6.00%

Samuel Adams Holiday Porter - Boston Beer Company

Poured from the bottle into a standard pint with a tan head and dark brown color. Smell is coffee malts with some spice. Taste is definitely the coffee malts, with the spice less evident. Feel is crisp with a full body and ample carbonation. Overall a very drinkable porter and quite appropriate for the holiday season, regardless of the time of year reviewed.

ABV: 5.9%

Rating: Better

Avery Brewing Company - New World Porter

Poured into a pint glass, very dark brown, nearly opaque. Tan head that was about three fingers thick and retained well. Laced well in additon. Aroma of the coffee and roasted malts primarily. Taste has the bitterness from the malts, coffee flavors primarily. Feel is full bodied with some slight crispness. Good porter from a great local brewery.

Rating: Better

ABV: 6.7%

Yazoo Brewing Company - Sue

Poured from the bottle into a standard pint glass. Pours a very dark alomst opaque brown with an off-white head that dissipates quickly and leaves no lacing. Smell is of coffee and roasted malts, smokiness is evident though almost closer to mesquite in aroma. Taste is definitely smoky, again more mesquite-like in flavor, with some smoothness of coffee. Feel has ample carbonation, very tight and crisp. Excellent beer with great characteristics, very enjoyable.

Rating: Best

ABV: 9.00%

Anchor Brewing Company - Anchor Porter

Poured a deep dark almost opaque brown with some ruby highlights. Ample yellowish brown head that laces minimally. Aromas of banana and chocolate malts. Taste is similar with more chocolate. Feel is medium bodied with a slightly oily texture and light creamy carbonation. Very drinkable and enjoyable.

Rating: Better

ABV: 5.6%

Sierra Nevada Brewing Company - Porter

Poured a deep dark ruby or garnet tinged brown with ample tan head that dissipated quickly and left some lacing. Aromas primarily of chocolate malts with some slight bitterness on the tale end. Feel was medium to full bodied with some dryness/crispness noticed. Very drinkable as the flavor was not overly sweet and the ABV is manageable.

Rating: Better

ABV: 5.6%

Deschutes Brewery - Black Butte XXI (21st Birthday Reserve)

Limited offering brewed once in June 2009. Poured from the bottle into a rounded tumbler, deep dark brown (almost black color) that has some slight ruby at the edges, head is one finger that doesn't stick around very long, yellowish brown in color. Aromas of the roasted malts some burnt malts seem to be apparent. Chocolate malts provide some definite bitterness. Sweetness limited by the bitterness of the chocolate malts, the taste is very balanced between the chocolate malts, coffee flavors, and the roasted malts. Medium to full bodied feel that has some slight dryness as well. A drinkable beer for the style and very good though the ABV limits consumption.

Rating: Better

ABV: 11.0%