Available: IN
Beer Talk
Upland Bad Elmer’s Porter
Published March 2007, Volume 28, Number 1
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Stephen Beaumont
Deep brown in color, the aroma of this ale is an invitation to sample further, with its alluring, freshly roasted coffee character backed by soft roasted brown sugar notes and an even more subtle whiff of licorice. (The label says “keep refrigerated,” but the cold mutes the nose terribly. I’d suggest cellar temperature instead.) The body is of medium weight with a pleasing and slightly sweet roastiness up front, and gently bitter espresso flavor at the back of the tongue. The finish is just off-dry and, as the estimable Mr. Jackson would say, definitely more-ish. A lovely late afternoon restorative.
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Charlie Papazian
Very nice deep, dark color with rich, dense head. Cocoa notes emerge in aroma along with banana and a bit of character usually associated with “illegal immigrant” yeast. Very fruity and banana-like with an elevated sweet and roasted malt character. Hops emerge, but retreat to the background. Not quite my cup of beer, but, then again, I don’t like bananas.
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Garrett Oliver
This beer has a very deep reddish brown hue and raises an impressive tan head. The aroma is a heady blend of chocolate, coffee, hops and wet stone. The palate is nicely balanced and full-bodied, showing some caramel sweetness to balance the bitterness and roast. The finish is clean and dry; cocoa lingers. A genuinely porter-ish porter, which is a fine thing. Grab a burger if you’re feeling lazy or whip up some duck breast mole if you feel ambitious.
