Portland Brewing BlackWatch Cream Porter – A First Sampling

Thank you to Portland Brewing for sending me a sample of their BlackWatch Cream Porter.  With the Thanksgiving Holiday rolling in and our baking underway, we decided that tonight would be a great night to sample it.

BlackWatch was re-introduced in winter 2013 after it went on hiatus for a few years and popular demand brought it back.  This beer uses wheat, caramel, black malts, roasted barley and oats and the combination makes for a really pleasant flavor and mouthfeel.

We brought you the full details on BlackWatch, so how about our sampling experience… BlackWatch pours an almost black translucent color with a light tan head.  The first aroma that hit me was decidedly chocolate with a nice dull nutty nose at the end.  The mouthfeel is creamy and soft with a slightly dry finish.  The first taste had a lot of chocolate, caramel and toffee but the spices that follow will make you change you mind.  With each sip the nutmeg faded a bit and the chocolate creamy flavors and an almost citrusy orange peel took over.

All in all the balance of this beer was really nice.  The roast flavors were a bit lower (just right for me) and the hops a bit more prominent in the late flavors.  The beer finishes clean and dry and if you’re like me, you’ll want to sample some more just to be sure.

Try this one out for yourself and let me know what you think.  Portland brewing BlackWatch Cream Porter is available until Feb 2015 in 22 oz. bottles, 12 oz. 6-packs and on draft. Find this and other Portland Brewing beers through their beer finder at http://www.portlandbrewing.com/finder/.