Eel River Brewing Porter

Certified Organic Porter

After the last porter I bought this was more than a pleasant surprise. It was a reminder that porter still is one of my favorite ales out there.

The Goods

So, what's good about it. Well, certified organic, but then again, shouldn't all beer be? The ingredients are so terribly simple that all beer should either be certified organic, or come from grains or hops that were produced on a farm that is too small to be able to afford the organic certification.
This is just a nice beer to look at. Dark cola color, but crystal clear. Nothing but the deep dark brown to obstruct the light showing through. Maybe the head leaves a little bit to be desired as it dies down pretty quickly, but there are worse qualities in a beer. In my opinion this is one of those beers that most definitely gets better as it warms up. The flavors and smells are allowed to come out, and the smell just gets bigger. It's rich, malty, with an almost mocha flavor going on in there. Over all a very enjoyable beer. Out of 50 I'll happily give this a 39.

The Less, But Still Good, Goods

No, it's not quite perfect. Very, very good, but not perfect. It's maybe got a slightly higher carbonation than I like in this style. I don't go for flat, but the carbonation is a touch sparkly for this rich dark beer. More than that, though, at warmer temps you'll notice a bit of astringency. If you pull it out of the fridge you won't get that at all, at least I didn't, but if you take it at room temperature (and I happen to be one of those who think that porters, and stouts for that matter, generally should be taken very near to room temperature) you'll notice it. I don't dislike that astringency, but it nudges the flavor in to a stout territory. If I had one complaint, and it's a very minor one, find an alternative for the black or midnight malt that I suspect is in there.

The Wrapup

Nice one, Eel River brewmeisters. In my humble opinion, this is a damn fine ale.