Porterhouse Wrasslers XXXX Stout

The 4X is my favourite stout from the Porterhouse brewery. It has the strongest taste, and it keeps you thinking.

7% ABV carbonated 750ml bottled version. Pours dark brown with a giant generous light brown/tan head. Smells of dough, nuts, pepper, hints of roasted malt, chocolate, spices, some hints of peatiness. Tastes of chocolate, hints of cherries, pepper, dark fruit and lots of complimentary roasty qualities. Some interesting earthy qualities emerge as the beer warms. Mouthfeel is full and lightly tangy with a spice/tarte finish.

On tap at The Porterhouse on Temple Bar, Dublin. Ratings be damned, this is the best stout I’ve had to date. Huge hops and good aroma despite the nitro, which lets it slide down like silk. Good chocolate and mocha but very bitter. A slow drinker, like stout should be.

thru Michael Jackson Rare Beer Club. Creamy chocolate and vanilla with coffee, cafe mocha all on the nose. Pours black with a thick tan head that lasts. Heavy coffee flavor, with chocolate notes, strong roasted barley flavor, vanilla, so so so creamy even without nitro. So good!!! Best stout i’ve had out of the emerald isle!

On tap at The Porterhouse, Dublin 5/7/09. Aroma: Subtle, earthy hops. Appearance: Opaque black with tan, creamy head. Flavor: Dry and roasty up front with a lingering bitterness of Kent Goldings. Palate: Heavy flavor, but dry. Overall Impression: The best Irish stout I’ve had, bar none. Great late hop flavor. I would suggest trying this alongside their ’Plain Porter’. The rather bland Plain will make you appreciate what a fine beer this is.

Poured impenetratably jet black with a light brown, long-lasting, tight head. The aroma surprised me a bit as I got more hop aroma than roasted barley. Still though, the roasted factor was nicely presented around a very complex chocolate, brown sugar and balanced EKG herbal note. The flavor was great as well though more molasses-like than in the aroma with a great dry, roasty and lightly grainy/astringent lingering finish. Very creamy in the middle and nice and dry in the finish. Good use of flaked barley. This is a really nice beer that actually hides it’s 7% alcohol pretty well. I could drink a lot of these and nothing else over a night, and be very, very happy.

Pitch black color with a dark brown head. The nose is very unique with strong salty black licquorice, dark chocolate, treacles, and tobacco notes. Did I mention how salty this is? Very dry and intense mouth with salty black licquorice, dark chocolate and dark fruit. Sightly warming. Med body. Saltiness just lingers in the mouth. Truely an amazing stout that is not getting its props.

This beer is great on draught! Far, far better tasting than Guinness. Lots of hoppy flavour. Go to Dublin and try it!