Porter, No Ice

Just because you call your beer a "Winter Porter," doesn't mean it should come on ice.

Colleen and I were out doing some shopping Saturday evening, and decided to stop in at The Pub and take advantage of the Saturday "Burger Night" special. I wasn't sure if I'd have a beer with my dinner, but I was informed one of the house beers was Cold Harbor Winter Porter. That was a new one to me, so decided I would check it out.

As the beer arrived I could see the shimmer of frost on the side of the glass. Shoot! I thought they were over that. I should have remembered to specify I didn't want the beer "iced." It was all I could do to hold the glass in my hand, it was extremely cold. Fortunately, by the time our food arrived the beer had warmed somewhat and I could begin enjoying it.

This Battlefield Brewing beer was a dark ruby color with a thin beige head. There was mocha and a mild sweetness in the aroma. The flavor was a mocha and chocolate with a hint of roastiness to it. The mouthfeel was on the thin side, with a lingering roasted malt flavor, with some stickiness left on the lips and tongue. While it was not exceptional, the flavor was certainly not unpleasant. When our server came by later, the conversation went something like this:

"Would you like another beer?"
"Sure, if I can have it in a non-frosted glass."
"A non-frosted glass?"
"Yes, a non frosted glass."
"A non-frosted glass? Umm. Okay."

I could well-imagine the conversation going on at the bar after that. Despite having a brewery onsite, The Pub caters mainly to the BudMillerCoors crowed, which by necessity demands beer be served tastebud-numbing cold. However, my beer arrived quickly, served as requested. And despite the beer itself still being overly chilled, I noticed that my empty glass was still colder to the touch than the new serving. I enjoyed the second glass much more than the first; the mocha and roasted bitterness was more apparent without the extreme chill.

Oh, and the burgers? Excellent as always. And that of course was the reason we decided to eat there in the first place.