Bottled@vPBF III. More or less black colour, mediumsized brown head that leaves good lace. Aroma is chocolate, ashes, some liquorice and toffee. Flavour is ashy, roasted malts, some toffee and mild liquorice to it. Pleasant and quite easy to drink.

From notes, consumed on 6/8/13. Bottle (dated 12/30/12) poured into a nonic pint glass. Pours black with 3-4 fingers of tan head. Head fades moderately with good retention. Great lacing. Aromas of roast, coffee, dark and milk chocolates, caramel. Tasting notes of bitter roast, toast, dark chocolate, malt, coffee. Thick creamy mouthfeel. Medium body with a semi-dry finish.

500 ml bottle into tulip glass, bottled on 10/22/2013. Pours pitch black color with a 2 finger dense tan head with great retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lingers. Spotty soapy lacing clings around the glass. Aromas of dark chocolate, cocoa, roasted malt, caramel, toast, dark bread, coffee, oats, light citrus, light pine, floral, grass, and roasted earthiness. Very nice aromas with good complexity of dark/roasted malt and moderate hop notes; with good strength. Taste of big dark chocolate, cocoa, roasted malt, caramel, toast, dark bread, coffee, oats, light citrus, light pine, floral, grass, and roasted earthiness. Fair amount of roast/floral bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of dark chocolate, cocoa, roasted malt, caramel, toast, dark bread, coffee, light pine, floral, grass, and roasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Damn nice balance, robustness, and complexity of dark/roasted malts and moderate hop flavors; with a great malt/bitterness balance and zero cloying flavors after the finish. Medium carbonation and medium-full bodied; with a creamy, moderately slick, and lightly chalky mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is well hidden with only a slight warming present after the finish. Overall this is an excellent porter. All around great balance, robustness, and complexity of dark/roasted malt and moderate hop flavors; and very smooth to sip on. A very enjoyable offering.

I love that MBC doesn’t just hide behind their hoppy ales that have garnered them so much attention, but instead show off their brewing expertise with something like this. A truly chewy robust porter in the vein of Founders Porter. Thick and chocolate milk like pour into the tulip glass. Roasted wheat is on top of even the hop notes, which are considerable. Some dark chocolate and balanced resin hops in the flavor. Finish is as good as they make. Wonderful.