West Side Porter

Who is West Side? What are they on the West side of? Why do I care which side of whatever they are on? Well, they are the guys who brought me the very nice common ale a few reviews ago, and they are back with a particular favorite of mine, a porter! I have really started to love IPAs and especially NEIPAs, but porters hold that special, dark place in my heart filled with smoke and love.

True to its branding, this beer is "deep brown, bordering on black." It has a lot more head than I expected to come out of it, but I'm certainly not complaining about that. It appears that the tan head is going to be leaving some lacing as it goes down, and this is an unexpected delight. The aroma is toasted malt with chocolate and espresso alighting atop pine hops. Presentation is solid porter, and any solid porter is… solid?

First sip is heavy on the roasted malt, bitter, and dry. The chocolate is a ghost in the distance, and somewhere behind that is where the hops must be hiding. Don't get me wrong, I could see sipping this by a bonfire on a particularly chilly evening and very much enjoying it. I like it okay so far, but I was expecting more complexity. Perhaps it's waiting for me in the gulp.

Tip-in is toasted malt with a sweet crust at the ends and carbonation sizzling lightly at the front of the mouth. The middle brings light chocolate and nuts to join the toasted malt with those pine hops still very distant, and the light espresso just nudging its way in. The finish is a wallop of bitterness and dryness atop the charred remains of the malt with a smoky espresso joining the bitterness for the trail off.

Bottom Line: The colder the night, the more I would like this beer.

2.5/5