Sprague Farm Hellbender Robust Porter

Brewed by Sprague Farm & Brew Works
Style: Porter
Venango, Pennsylvania USA

On tap at Bocktown. Blah. I wonder if they didn’t have enough CO2 in the taps because this and their Scotchtoberfest were both COMPLETELY flat. Aroma was nice enough. Chocolate and rich dark roasted malt. Pour was a nice deep dark brown but very stagnant with no head or bubbles. Taste was flat and lacking any carbonation whatsoever. Chocolate and bitter roasted malt just like the aroma with a chewy wet aftertaste. May have been good with carbonation.

On tap at Zeno’s. Light roasty aroma, with a coffee-malty tang. Coffee grounds and a bit of chocolate. Dark brown cloudy with no head. Medium body with medium-heavy carbonation. Starts with a beany malty taste, with carbonic tangy roasted burlap taste. Medium nutty bitter finish, with coffee grounds and light toffee. Astringent chalky after.

(KSq07, draft) Small beige head atop cola brown body. Aroma is medium sweet, grapefruit, roast, light chocolate. Taste is medium sweet, grapefruit/earthy, some roast, chocolate. Surprisingly bitter. Light-medium body.

On tap at the KSBF ’07. Poured a dark and muddy brown color with a smaller sized head. Aromas of roast, chocolate, and light coffee. Tastes of roast, chocolate, coffee and light caramel.

On tap at the Bocktown. Pour is like used shovelhead motor oil. Black as coal. A nice dark creamy head that is thin and frothlike. Roasty typical porter or stout aroma. Gives the olfactory a nice dark beer impression. Good healthy dark beer flavors. Almost like an imp stout or a baltic porter but is just a little less aggressive. Stoutlike fer sure. Burned campfire wood taste is developing on the back of my throat. Can use a few more lessons in manners. Viscosity is not too thick, it is not syrupy. Bitterness continues to build. A fine example of a dark beer. Fine tingly carbonation that is welcomed on my palate. Just a little more than what my girlie taste buds were expecting. OK but just a little too oppressive. If you like impy stouts, give this a try. Not as well behaved as my favorite porter, Yuengling Black & Tan. However, much better than Arcadia London and Saranac Caramel porters. Laves a continuing medium bitter finish that last for a few minutes after the session.

Nice dark brown pour with a light tan head. Aroma is a nice mix of roasted malts, chocolate, and just a bit of coffee. Taste is very smooth, roasty, and just sweet enough. I’m excited to try some more from these guys and I’m impressed thus far.

on tap nice deep dark almost opaque black color. Big toasted malt aroma, nice chocolate flavor followed by roasted nuts. Meduim mouth feel

Draught at Cole’s, Buffalo, NY. Pours a very dark brown with an average size lasting creamy tan head. Slightly mild aroma of roasted malt and a bit of chocolate. Flavour of roasted malt, some coffee, a hint of chocolate and a mild roasty finish. Medium bodied. Pretty good, very easy to drink.