Chocolate Porter

Bayhawk Ales
Irvine, CA

Available: CA, TX

Alcohol (vol.): 5.1
Color: dark ruby
Bitterness: 35
Original Gravity: 1050
Final gravity: 1013
Malts used: Chocolate, crystal, pale and black malts
Hops used: Perle, Liberty and Willamette

Very deep brown in color, there’s no power of suggestion necessary to detect the potent chocolaty aroma notes of this porter, which remind me of the baker’s chocolate my mother used to use in her brownies, tempered a bit by suggestions of molasses and sweet prune. In the body, it disappoints a bit with a thinnish start, but recovers well to deliver notes of espresso, currant and more very dark chocolate. About the only place I don’t detect significant chocolate in this ale is in the finish, which is quite dry, a little burnt and slightly alcoholic. I’d love to add some of this to a chocolate mousse, but I’d serve it as a surprise with truffled foie gras pâté.
- Stephen Beaumont

Dense, creamy, foamy head. Deep, dark and seductive. Mild and pleasant cocoa character. Full-bodied malt with pleasant hop flavor. A bit of refreshing acidity from roasted malts. Mild alcoholic content is refreshing. Bring on a scoop of the best vanilla ice cream. Worthy of your exploration.
- Charlie Papazian

This beer pours deep reddish-black and stands up a magnificent sustained rocky tan head. The aroma is an alluring blend of toffee, chocolate and a whiff of caramel. On the palate, it’s surprisingly soft and round, with nicely balanced hops combining with the roast to balance the juicy malts. The finish is clean and dry. A very nice beer with admirable structure and great drinkability. Perfect with barbecued ribs.
- Garrett Oliver

Stephen Beaumont
Stephen Beaumont boarded his first plane at the age of 15 and hasn’t looked back since, obsessing about travel to the point that he gets nervous if he doesn’t have a ticket or two stacked on the corner of his desk. When he’s not running around in search of new taste experiences, he makes his home in Toronto, where a new cultural experience is only as far away as the next neighborhood.

Charlie Papazian
Author of the New Complete Joy of Homebrewing, founder of the Great American Beer Festival and a Beer Examiner at www.examiner.com, Papazian is a leading voice in beer and brewing.

Garrett Oliver
Internationally recognized brewer and expert on traditional beer, Garrett Oliver is the brewmaster of the Brooklyn Brewery and the author of The Brewmaster's Table.

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