Sea Dog Riverdriver Hazelnut Porter

Brewed by Sea Dog Brewing (Shipyard Brewing Co.)
Style: Porter
Topsham, Maine USA

Well the aroma really is hazelnut. Nothing but. Another "flavor added" beer. Seems like the easy way to brewing. Dark reddish brown, nearly opaque, color with a light beige head. Medium bodied. Creamy, frothy, way nutty. The finish seems to be nutty. A slight taste of roasted malts. Even toasted malts. A bit sweeter than seems appropriate. There is a light bit of hop. The additive seems over done, but it is interesting.

12 oz bottle purchased at John’s Grocery in Iowa City. Poured a clear dark brown color with reddish highlights. Head was tan and reduced to a thin film that was everlasting. Attractive aroma of hazelnut, coffee, and a hint of maple syrup. Dry on the tongue with stronger than average, but not overly exuberant carbonation. Distinct hazelnut flavor with a touch of coffee. Finishes with some roasty bitterness. Not bad.

(Bottle) Pours a mahogany body with a medium tan head. Aroma is dominated by hazelnut and roasted malt. Flavor of hazelnut and coffee...after it warms a bit, it tastes like mostly hazelnut extract and less like a beer. Finished with a very strange canned tuna like aftertaste (for me and the person whom I shared this with)...

12 oz bottle; BB M 08; Nose of roastiness, hazelnut, and caramel; dark brown with a big straw head; flavor is caramel, nuts, some coffee, caramel, a little acidity, and some toastiness; decent medium body porter. Better than I expected. Rating # 1125! Onward and upward!

Bottle. Pours a dark brown with a one finger short lived tan head that leaves minimal lacing. Aroma of roasted malt, caramel, chocolate, and hazelnuts. Taste is the same as aroma with a nice malty sweetness and nutty aftertaste. Smooth and creamy medium mouthfeel with a mild bitterness. A very nice flavored porter.

Bottle: Brownish in color, perhaps a bit lighter than your average cola, thin spritzy off-white head, dies quickly, spotty lacing.   Pale roasted malt and soft cocoa on the nose.   Seems a bit unsweetened, kind of like bakers chocolate.   Hop presense is low to non-existant.   Milky bittersweet chocolate start, slightly roasty, slight lactic sourness.   Fairly thin on the mouthfeel, moderate body.   Finish is somewhat chalky with a little bit of ash and hazelnut mixed in.   Overall a light example, no hop bite, some roasted malts, sweet milk sugar, lactic sourness, hazelnut, and bakers chocolate.   Not bad, but not terribly interesting.   Wished that it was a bit more robust/full bodied.

Bottle. Poured deep brown, medium tan head with good retention. Sweet maltiness and roasted nuts on the nose. Creamy and rich, with a pronounced hazelnut flavor melting into notes of cocoa and cream. Warms nicely. Pleasantly surprised with this one.

Dark brown with a small tan head. Aroma of hazelnuts, vanilla and roasted malt. More of the same in the flavor. Too much hazelnut for me. Otherwise, pretty good.