Full Sail Top Sail Imperial Porter

Brewed by Full Sail Brewing Company
Style: Imperial/Strong Porter
Hood River, Oregon USA

Serve in Snifter

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Poured an opaque black with a moderate tan head. The nose is very malty with a roasted coffee cleanness. The taste starts with huge malts, dark chocolate, coffee and candied sugar. A boozy warmth comes next with plenty of hops to balance out the malty sweetness. A very bold porter.

Originally reviewed: 9/18/09. Big bomber poured into my pint glass. Pours a very thick dirty motor oil black with a frothy tan head resting on top. Great retention. Leaves plenty of sticky lacing in its wake. Smells of rich chocolate, freshly ground coffee, and roasted nuts. This is very effervescent and strong. I’m digging this so far. The mouth is thinner than I would expect from the pour. It’s not very thick in the mouth. Carbonation level is moderate. This is a very roasty dark bitter porter. I like it. Big chocolate tones, a mild tartness in the middle, and finishes nutty. Very good beer.

22oz bomber, pours dark brown with dark brown head that lingered. Aroma was big malted chocolate. No hop aroma at all or if it masked by the chocolate. The flavor is lip smacking good. Chocolate and coffee blend. The after taste you get that bitter/cooking chocolate flavor. Medium alcohol burn down to you belly. Medium body goodness. Roasted malts are prevalent in the flavor. Very good beer.

Bottle. The pour was a very dark brown, almost black with a large (2-3 finger) dark beige rocky head that lasted a good amount of time, leaving behind a large frothy collar and a bit of puddling creating some excellent sticky lacing. The aroma was screaming of milk chocolate along with a strong dark roasted malt and a sweet doughy yeast and had notes of roasted coffee, molasses, and a bit of vanilla. The taste was bitter sweet and quite malty with notes of molasses and a good bit of coffee early on. Then it became a slight bitterer and really smooth and creamy with notes of milk chocolate and a very distinct vanilla presence at the end. The flavor lasted a decent duration with a nice mocha coffee flavor left lying on the taste buds. Mouthfeel was just a bit under full in body with a smooth creamy texture and a soft carbonation. Overall an exceptional Imperial Porter that is so well put together you can hardly notice the high alcohol content. Shame this brew is now retired...

Poured from a glass and enjoyed in an imperial pint. This porter pours a deep black color with a thin caramel brown head. Essence of malts, molasses and coffee on the nose with a faint smell of alcohol. Very easy drinking porter with a sweet taste that is not overbearing. Prominent coffee and chocolate favors throughout. SJL \m/

22oz bottle. Poured a dark brown color with a small sized off white head. Aromas of roast, chocolate, some vanilla, and a touch of smoke. Tastes of roast, chocolate, some caramel, and the same light smoke. Some what thin.

Bomber, cellared for nearly a year. Pours just about black with a smallish tan head. Aroma and flavor are quite smooth and rich: quite a lot of chocolate and vanilla, some coffee, lots of roast malt. Sweet up front; fairly dry finish. Bitterness from the roast malt is pretty muted. Mouthfeel is somewhat thick, nice and smooth.

shared bottle with brother; deep black pour. aroma of roasted malts choc; etc. taste similar solid porter

Sampled from a 22 oz brown bottle this beer poured a black color with a medium sized creamy brown head that lingered and left incredible lacing. The aroma was faint vanilla, chocolate and a touch of hickory. The flavor was light toasty and wood y malts with notes of chocolate, marshmallow, vanilla and a bit of cherry. The finish was medium length toasty malts, wood and vanilla. Medium body but creamy. Too subdued overall. Decent.

Bottle courtesy of TheCheeseman’s cellar. Labeled as Full Sail Imperial Porter. Pours almost black with very little head. Aroma is chocolate and sweet. Flavor hampered by being thin bodied, but mellow chocolate and malt with the hop bitterness being mostly aged out. Held up well.

Awesome brew! Pours black with minimal head/lacing. Light smokey coffee aroma. Taste is very smooth smoke/coffee with a little chocolate. Finishes long and smokey. Would probably be a great cigar beer.