For my first post-hiatus beer review I knocked back a beer I thought I'd surely enjoy, Highland Oatmeal Porter. I had never before tried anything from the Asheville, NC mountain people at Highland Brewing Company, but I've heard the name passed casually a time or two.
*For the sake of reading simplicity I'll follow beer advocate's standard A/S/T/M/D format.
Appearance: This brew poured quickly into a dark brown pool (almost black until held up to light, highlighting some chestnut hue). The head was very little, loose, not apparent, and faded immediately.
Smell: The scent was roasty, a bit nutty, and reserved for a beer that appears so dark. More chocolate nose came out with a little breathing time.
Taste: Chocolate chocolate chocolate. The flavor starts out chocolately, some malt and a tiny bit of hoppy bitterness creeps in, and the finish is chocolately all the way. The bitterness only serves to give a dark chocolate-like bite. The hop flavor sits in the back and keeps it's mouth shut. It's there if you're looking for it, but easy to miss. I got none of the distinct oatmeal or coffee flavors I was expecting, but the lack of those wasn't disappointing, just surprising. I would have preferred a tiny bit more sweetness with my chocolate, as there was hardly any there to speak of.
Mouthfeel: The oatmeal was at play here, along with the porter part of the title. Much like this brew's oatmeal stout brethren, it went down as smooth as silk (and smoother than the soymilk kind). Unlike the comparable stouts the porter is light and watery. Low carbonation and thinness make for an interesting mouthfeel for this type of flavor profile.
Drinkability: Good beer for lots of occasions. I would love to find this on tap and grab a pint, or crack open a bottle every now and again while shooting some breeze. This isn't a beer I'd drink all night, or with a meal, but it's interesting and tasty. I will certainly try this one again in the future. I'm not overly impressed with it, but I think this was a solid brew to kick off my beer index.
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Links:
Highland Brewing Company Styles Page
Beer Advocate Page
ratebeer Page
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