Flying Fish Porter

Formerly brewed at Flying Fish Brewing Company
Style: Porter
Cherry Hill, New Jersey USA

Serve in English pint, Stem glass

Pours with a large, fluffy, light brown head that sits atop a a brilliantly clear deep, deep amber colored beer (really almost black) that shows bright amber highlights around the edges. The aroma is a mix of lightly roasted fruit (like raisins and concentrated plums) and soft roast notes made up of lightly roasted coffee and toasted malt. I am really quite surprised how fruity the aroma is, I was expecting something a bit more clean and malt focused, shows you what I know.

Wow, the beer is incredibly well carbonated and almost vaporizes as it hit my tongue. I am certainly going to need to de-gas this puppy to enjoy it. Ok that is done, what is the beer like? The beer is lightly sweet with a forward fruitiness that reminds me of raisins, figs and perhaps a bit of ripe plum. There is a saccharine sweetness that carries through almost to the end of this beer. The malt really becomes noticeable towards the end of a sip, there is a drying roasted malt note, a hint of chocolate, and a definite bready-toasted note that reminds me of crusty bread pulled fresh from the oven.

As the beer warms up the fruitiness really starts to take over, it almost becomes a bit too much. This beer seems a bit thin on the palate as well, probably a byproduct of the over carbonation.

12-oz. bottle via Secret Santa. Pours dark brown, near black, with enough light penetrating to show the brown over the black. Small frothy tan head that dissipates to a mere bubbly rocky film and some lined lacing. Aroma is noticeably chocolate malt (cookie), medium to dark roasted, with some sweetness circling the nose and faint yeast character, light hops politely masked by the dark malts. Fizzy yet creamy dark sweet chocolate malt flavor, lightly acidic, leathery yeast is barely noticeable, with a slight bitter hop finish, not lingering though. Medium to dark bodied fizzy and spicy, creamy palate.

Very nice porter. Right on for the style. Enjoyed at the 2005 Split Rock Beer Festival.

Bottle - courtesy of slob. Dark brown to near black with splashes of mahogany around the edges where the light attempts to penetrate. The small foamy tan head bubbles up hoping it will mature further but receeds as quickly as it formed. Nose is not unlike most porters - roasted malts, coffee notes, dark chocolate, and a bit of the hops coming through. Taste is more dark chocolate, roasted malts, coffee, hint of molasses, and some dusty cocoa flavors. Body is creamy at times but then has some sharpness from the carbonation. It’s an odd conflict of mouthfeels. Medium overall with a light bitterness remaining. Finishes with more chocolate, coffee, roasted malts, light hops, and some dark fruits. Pretty nice stuff - would be a great session beer, especially on draft!

Deep burgundy with red edges. Chocolatey aroma - huge chocolatey aroma, actually. Nice smooth palate. Chocolate is dominate in the flavors, as well, with notes of grape jelly - no, really - and a dryish finish. Thanks, Sacret Santa!

This one is right there with Anchor. The six-pack version is just as good as the keg version. Try it, you’ll like it.

Bottle: Dark dark brown, thin light beige head, foamy, so-so lacing.   Roasted malt nose, slight unsweetened cocoa, and a whole lotta cow pasture.   Fairly nice cocoa flavors, malty, not as roasty as the nose suggested.   Luckily the cow pasture is not there on the tongue.   Body and mouthfeel are fairly average.   Clean finish, somewhat quick, low hop profile, lingering chocolate malt perhaps.   Nothing spectacular, but not bad either.   Thanks Jeff!

Bottle poured a dark brown with a creamy amber head. Aromas of coffee, cocoa powder, and chocolate milk. Palate was medium bodied and very smooth. Flavors of chocolate milk, mocha, and a hint of coffee with a smooth slightly sweet finish.