Monday, January 7, 2013

A Year of Craft Beer, Vol. 7, Yuengling Porter

Dark Brewed.  Does that mean they brewed it with the lights off?

Hi everyone.  Tonight I chose to drink a Yuengling Porter that my cousin donated to the cause and since I have had a few different porters lately I figured that it would be good to taste one while all those flavours were fresh in my mind.  

The bottle, albeit brown, fails the homebrew test as it is a screwtop.  Drats!  For a few days since my last Yuengling tasting I have been pondering why they and others use green or even clear bottles and other than desiring the flavor that that glass imparts or that it may be traditional, I can see no logical reason for any brewer to use those bottles.  I do, however, use them basically because they are there and they are free...

The beer has good color.  It has been a while since I've had it so I was expecting a light hue, but no, it's fine.  The bubbles were larger but the small ones continue to linger around the edge of the beer with a wee bit of lacing.  Very light brown color to the bubbles.
The aroma is sweetly malty and, as one fella states on Beer Advocate, overcooked grains.  I might even take it further and say those grains smell slightly corn like.

The taste is simple.  What Chocolate or roasted malts that they used to achieve the fantastic colour really don't come out in flavor.  Only slightly so.  It is almost watery in body and sweet.  I'm picking up only a very slight roasty note much later on.  I am not able to pick out any obvious hops.  If I was a homebrewer I would think that I got a medium starch to sugar conversion and I added too much corn sugar to the bottles.

This porter is almost thirst quenching!  I suppose that is not a particularly good trait in a porter, but it is quite drinkable and an excellent transition beer for someone wanting to move away from the big 3 and start in the craft realm and in that respect it is commendable.  

I give it a 7 out of 10 for all my different whacky reasons.  ha ha ha

It's mild and enjoyable but if you are expecting to be "wowed" by complexities then this is not that beer.  It is, however, in my price range and will be drunk in this household (if someone buys it for me!).  Have a great night everyone, thanks for reading!

-Fish (as in drink like a-)


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