Bell's Porter, Bell's Brewing Company, Inc. Comstock, MI
History: From bellsbeer.com "A robust porter for all occasions. A blend of dark malts give this beer flavors of coffee and chocolate with subtle roasted notes.Gold medal winner in the Brown Porter category Brewers Association World Beer Cup 2008."
From the moment you crack open the bottle, the sweet, creamy odor wafts to your nose and makes you grin. It's rich, it's full-bodied, and the color, as far as Porter's go, is as dark as you could want. It looks like coffee with a head, and what a head it delivers as you pour it into your glass. Oh, and you should certainly pour it if not to just look at it's beautiful color. Now, by nature, Porters are deep hued and about as opaque as you could get, and this Bell's offering is no different.
Before you drink, as with a nice wine, breathe it in right up against your nose. Swirl it -well, after the head's dissipated a little- and draw in the almost chocolaty aroma. It smells almost as though a brewery married a fine chocolateer. It is one of the finest beer smells I've had in a while. Now, the taste.
Take the sip and slosh it around in your mouth. Treat it like the wine this beer ought to be compared to. In fact, 'chew' it, if you will. It opens it up and coats your entire tongue with the flavor. After you bring it across your taste buds and finally swallow, you'll notice not a hint of bitterness but a clean, sweat, malty, caramel-like hoppy-ness that finishes robust and not unlike a rich mug of coffee. This, friends, is a sipping beer and not at all meant to be chugged just to get hammered. It's a fine brew, and a fine brew needs to be explored and enjoyed just like -as it bears repeating- a fine wine. Wonderful.
RATING: 5 STARS For Complete All-Around Perfection
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