Tap at Pratt Street - quite similar to the oatmeal stout - similar body, as well as similar notes of roastiness and a touch of woody notes - however, this one has quite a bit more sweetness, so the chocolate and light fruitiness (again, similar to the stout) become the mail focus of the beer, rather than balancing out with the other flavors - a decent brew, but go for the stout instead.

Draft @ The Wharf Rat, Baltimore, MD. Pours a dark brown almost black color with a small off-white head. Has a roasted malty caramel aroma. Roasted malty caramel flavor with hints of chocolate and weak yeasty hints. Has a roasted malty caramel finish.

Draft at brewpub. Pours black. Nose/taste of chocolate, black malt and powdered milk. Medium body. Mild bitterness.

Served on draft at the Pratt St. location. Pours a dark clear chestnut brown color with a medium creamy tan head. Good head retention and lacing. Aroma of caramel, roasted malts and a fruity finish. The taste is roasted malts, chocolate, berries, nutty notes and a bitter herbal note. Medium bodied.

Sampled on cask at Churchkey in Washington DC. The description on the menu says the cask was packed with vanilla beans. Pours a translucent, deep brown, black with a creamy, slightly off white head. Aroma is very mild, some chocolate, some toast, some nuts but NO vanilla. Flavor is fine, sweet, a little caramel, a little dark toast but NO vanilla. Finish is sweet and a little dry. This was fine, I might have preferred it more on tap with a tad more carbonation. I was expecting more of a vanilla kick, but if there are vanilla beans in the cask then I couldn’t sense them.

Location: On tap at the Pratt Street Ale House, 9/6/09

Aroma: Nose is chocolate, licorice, roasted nuts, coffee
Appearance: Clearish brownish-red color, beige head, 3/4
Flavor: Similar characteristics to the nose, so I won't list them again, a sweet flavor, mild bitterness
Palate: Medium body, nice smooth drink and mouthfeel
Overall Impression: This was a solid Porter, but drinking the Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald is making me want to lower this ones score, which isn't fair, but it's true, that one is so good that the Pagen seems really pedestrian by comparison. Let's forget comparing it to one of the greatest porters I've tried for a second, and score it on it's own merit. In actuality, this was a solid porter that I enjoyed drinking.

Sample at the brewpub. The beer is a dark reddish brown color with a medium foamy beige head that diminishes steadily. Stringy lacing on the glass. Roasty malt aroma with notes of coffee and nuts. Medium, semi-dry body with a roasty character and flavors of coffee and malt primarily, and a bit of hops underneath. The finish is malty with a short coffee aftertaste. Decent overall.

A red-brown beer with a thin beige head - too light in color for a Porter. The aroma is sweet malty with a light roasted note. The flavor is sweet with primary notes of caramel, but also light notes of butterscotch, the combination makes the mouthfeel a bit sticky and cloying.