Ølfabrikken Porter

Brewed by Bryggeriet Ølfabrikken (Gourmetbryggeriet)
Style: Porter
Roskilde, Denmark

Pours black with a nice light brown head that reduces to a ring and light cap, small amount of lacing. Wonderful roasty and chocolaty aroma, some coffee, caramel, a little dark fruits and licorice. Flavor is rich chocolate up front, roasted malts, dark fruits, coffee, caramel. Mouthfeel is excellent, low carbonation, rich and creamy without being too heavy. My benchmark for Baltic Porters is Sinebrychoff Porter, and this is right up there with it. More chocolate notes with the Olfabrikken, little thicker body, but similar in many other respects.

[bottle @ RBESG 2009, Grand Tasting] Hazelnut and chocolate toast aroma. Black, with a brown, foamy head. Nice chocolaty flavour with grain and vanilla. Medium body, elevated carbonation, clean finish if a tiny bit bitter.

I have a confession to make…I tend to ignore the porters for the stouts. Not fair, I know, especially since porters came first. A good porter is a damn good porter, and Olfabrikken out of Roskilde, Denmark knows exactly how to brew a damn good porter. A new and upcoming brewery, their beers are really good to really great, and I look forward to supping on their Porter.

Brown-black, a touch of haze hangs heavy beneath a thin khaki head. No lace at the moment, but there is plenty to occupy my attentions as her nose grabs me firmly by the collar and doesn’t let go. Exotic European chocolates, burnt bitter chocolates, fresh vanilla and cream, caramel and milk chocolate nougats, wood, crunchy espresso beans, and a wisp of tobacco leaf for a spicy finish. This is one treat which is definitely going to melt in my mouth, not in my hand. A full, rich mouthfeel, her thoughts weigh heavily on mine. Cocoa nibs, dark exotic chocolates, chocolate dipped espresso beans, crema, chocolate and caramel nougat, charred wood, and freshly dried tobacco leaves for earth and spice. The front of her palate is rather unassuming; her heart and soul is centered firmly in the middle, with a faint nip of dry lemon rind and chocolate powder in the finish. My breath is tobacco leaf, wood, and spice. Definitely meant to be enjoyed at cellar temperatures, so rich and satisfying is the Olfabrikken Porter that my glass empties sooner than I wanted. Thankfully, I am left with a warm glow of chocolate, espresso, wood, tobacco, and spice. Be still my beating heart, indeed.

There are many an average beer shopper that would simply pass over this beer based on brewery name alone. "Olfabrikken? Pft! What that heck is that supposed to be? Better to stick to the safe same-old, same-old." Even I fall victim sometimes to the safe shelter of familiarity, but then, where is the fun and adventure in that. Why not have both, I say. Enjoy what you know and explore what you don’t. There are no discoveries to be made if you never set out in the first place. Live a little, and grab yourself an Olfabrikken Porter, or any of their beers for that matter, the next time you are beer shopping.

Thanks to thirdeye11 for sharing this bottle. Pours dark brown with a medium brown head. Lots of roasted malt and some coffee in the aroma. The flavor is more of the same with a great roasty component. Alcohol is well hidden. As the beer warms it gets more of a smokey component. The mouthfeel is very creamy and is medium-thick. Very drinkable for a beer of this strength.

22.3oz bomber from CBX to celebrate my two year Ratebeer anniversary! pours an oily, deep, black with a thick, bubbly, dark beige head leaving a wonderful sheet of lace. aroma is fantastic with strong, bitter coffee notes spiked by dark chocolate, burnt toffee, and molasses backed by hints charcoal smoke, salted meat, soy, and roasted nuts with the slightest touch of vinous fruit. flavor is pure brillance with robust roasted malts, bitter coffee, and licorice up front smoothed out by mildly sweet caramel, vanilla cream, and bakers chocolate with the subtle notes of smoked wood, cigar ash, and earth adding complexity. palate is rich, full bodied, and silky on the tongue with light carbonation and a lingering, smokey, bitter, roasted finish. overall, this a absolutely one of the worlds best porters. cheers to a great two years on ratebeer!

pours a dark black under a deep brown head. Nose is dark, sweet molasses and dates and the first taste is that is well. The flavor then melds with a bitter roastyness of chocolate without tasting burned, and then finishes with a distinct roasted coffee close that drys out the lingering sweetness. It isn’t often that I get such distinct flavor shifts in a beer, but this one reads like a three part novella with a chapter title in bold caps at the beginning of each section. very nice beer and I’m hoping that I have another hidden in a box in the cellar. I’m guessing that this is about 2 years old.

Black with a small short lasting head. Aroma is fresh/acidic, roasted malt, strong coffee. Taste is also roasted. Sweet, bitter and sour. Medium bodied. Soft surypy and smooth mouth fell. A true delight! Batch # 306 Brewed 1.Apr.2007 (Bottle, courtesy of tarjei 12.12.2009)

well, first off this beer was opened more than 24 hours ago. very impressed that its still carbonated and drinking great! very nice treat, super well balanced and tasty. great mouthfeel, an seems like elss oxidization than when opened last night!