Bluegrass Dark Star Porter

Brewed by Bluegrass Brewing Company
Style: Porter
Louisville, Kentucky USA

Serve in English pint, Stem glass

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I thought this beer was just sort of so-so. I feel like this could’ve been a really highly rated beer 10-15 years ago, but the explosion in the variety of beer that beer geek-dom has now been exposed to (myself included) has relegated this one to the ho-hum category. It pours a little thin and light for a porter. Head is OK, but quickly fades to a scummy coating. Aroma is pretty minimal, but offers some hints of chocolate and dark roastiness. Flavor is light and drinkable, but offers pretty subtle flavors and some dark roasty character that is reminiscent to me of a wood-burning fireplace or an ashtray. Not bad, just not super-exciting. There’s nothing wrong with this beer; I thought it was OK, it’s just that if it’s in the top of its class (porters) it is just barely so. Looks like JPDIPSO and I belong to the same micro-brew of the month club, as this is where my sample of this beer came from.

Originally reviewed: 12/6/09. Another awesome bottle received courtesy of bamadog (BA). Poured this into my standard pint glass. Pours a deep blackish brown with a creamy tan head resting on top. Retention is fair. Leaves plenty of sticky lace on the glass, as well as some sip rings. Scents of minerals, alcohol, coffee, and a faint roasted malt finish. The mineral aspect is a bit strong. Body is crisp and bubbly. Carbonation level could be tamed down a bit for the style. Flavors of old coffee, mild dark chocolate, and a crisp hop bite on the finish. This is a good Porter, no doubt. Thankful for the opportunity. Thanks again, Rich.

Draft. Dark brown/red with no head. Very little scent, some chocolate. Taste is flat chocolate. This location needs some help!

12 oz bottle pours black with a tan head. Aroma is of roasted malts and chocolate. Taste is the malt, chocolate and a sweet nutty note.

12oz bottle -pours dark brown with thin beige head and thin lacing. nose is caramel or candy. Flavor is roasted chocolate and a little hoppy (spruce). Taste is mainly sweet but gradually becomes bitter. Burpy. Probably the unhoppiest BBC brew I’ve ever had.

This is heaven in a glass. Strong flavors with heavy coffee tones and some subtle chocolate hints. Great smell. Will put some hair on your chest.

Bottle oct. ’11 (first one I tried was an oct. ’10....no carbonation and sour smell...drain pour.) This one poured well, dark brown with a fluffy medium tan head, nice lacing. Nose is cola , dark chocolate, malt. Taste starts as dry, roasted coffee,grain and dark fruit, (prune? black cherry?) more frit-ness as it goes. a cloying sweetness starts halfway, becoming the predominate factor, then at 3/4, a distinct sourness kicks in. Acidic and unpleasant. Lacks any Porter "oomph" or body....NOT a fan of this at all.

12oz bottle poured into a pint glass. Appearance is a very dark brown; almost black. One finger tan head with good lacing. Smells of roasted malt along with some chocolate. The roasted malt is very prominant in the taste along with some dark chocolate. Some moderate bitterness but no real hop flavors are detectable. Mouthfeel is a bit light but the finish is clean. Overall a pretty middle of the road porter. It is good but nothing really stands out.

on draft and pours dark brown pretty much opaque and no real head to speak of. the aroma of roasted malts and roasted malts...hints of chocolate malt melded in between. the flavor is pretty decent. its a medium to light bodied beer but the flavor of the roasted and chocolate malts are wonderful. this just lingers on the tongue until the next sip...

Pours out of bottle very, very fizzy off white head, with reddish black head. Aroma has notes of roast, coffee, some chocolate and toffee, touch of sour grain, with notes of some slight earth. Taste is fairly simple, but the carbonic acid sours it a bit, with notes of coffee, some slight chocolate, toffee, some slight grassy notes, finishing slightly sweet, bitter and dry.

On tap at brewpub at 3rd & Main. Pours black with large dark brown highlights small beige head. Descent lacing, medium body, sticky texture, and low carbonation. Taste is roasted malt, some cofffee, and some hops.