Black Bear Porter
Sunday River Brewing Company in Bethel, Maine, United States 🇺🇸
Porter Regular|
Score
6.81
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An opaque black beer, this big bodied ale has a malty and hoppy aroma with thick roasted coffee undertones and great hop finish.
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7.3/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7.5
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
4 oz. as part of flight at York River Landing. Maple syrup brown w/ring of head, no lacing.Aroma strong, sweet, toasted malt, caramel.Taste strong sweet toasted malt, toffee.Smooth texture, soft carb, finish as taste.More brown ale than porter.
Tried
from Draft
on 01 Sep 2025
at 21:30
6.8/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
Sample at the source Dark brown in color with light haze and a small short lived off white head. Chocolate and caramel maltiness with light earthy hops some acrid bitterness and light astringency.
Tried
on 30 Aug 2021
at 23:32
6/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 8
Overall 5
Reviewed from old notes.
At the brewery, this was poured into a pint glass.
The appearance was a dark brown close to black color with a bar pour’s kind of slim white head. There wasn’t any lacing.
The smell had a dark roasty coffee aroma with a robust quality to it.
The taste was basically the same.
On the palate, this one sat about a light to medium on the body with a pretty good sessionability about it. Carbonation seemed somewhat subdued but mainly good for the style. I have to admit there does seem to be a fair amount wateriness about this.
Overall, not a bad Porter, I’d have this again.
At the brewery, this was poured into a pint glass.
The appearance was a dark brown close to black color with a bar pour’s kind of slim white head. There wasn’t any lacing.
The smell had a dark roasty coffee aroma with a robust quality to it.
The taste was basically the same.
On the palate, this one sat about a light to medium on the body with a pretty good sessionability about it. Carbonation seemed somewhat subdued but mainly good for the style. I have to admit there does seem to be a fair amount wateriness about this.
Overall, not a bad Porter, I’d have this again.
Tried
on 30 Aug 2014
at 09:25
6.4/10
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Appearance 10
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 5.5
Poured a deep, opaque black, slightly watery with a foamy, lacing, slightly off white head. Smells of roasted malts, coffee and sugar. Overall flavor is a bit off, roasted malts are there, but so is an artificial sweetness that doesn’t fit. Finish was typical porter, coffee type bitterness and lasting roasted flavor. Barely enjoyable.
Tried
on 21 Sep 2007
at 21:51
6.4/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
Deep brown body with reddish highlights, thin off-white head. Light chocolate aroma, sweet, with roasted malt. Sweet, fruity black malt dominates the body, balanced by earthy hops and a slightly chalky, earthy finish. Acidity punctuates the finish. Decent.
Tried
on 08 Jun 2007
at 21:33
6.2/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 4
Overall 6
Deep brown coloured body with a small tan head and large ruby tints throughout. Aroma of nuts, caramel, cherries, malt, chocolate and grapes run strong. Medium-bodied; Good tastes of nuts (once again), raisins, roasted malt, figs, chocolate and even licorice detected in the taste. Aftertaste shows strong flavours of malt and lingering bitterness throughout. Overall, this beer is a good porter to try, complex, but still lacking a bit. I sampled this twelve ounce bottle purchased from Oliver’s Beverage in Albany, New York on 07-March-2007.
Tried
from Bottle
on 07 Mar 2007
at 23:32
8/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
This beer came to me in my beer club - I am not familiar with the brewer. Sampled from a 12 oz brown bottle this beer poured a black color with a medium sized dark brown head. The aroma is sweet, roasty, toasty and has a moderate chocolate element. The flavor is very malty and sweet with roasty and toasty malt elements, chocolate and a hint of coffee. The finish is a bit dry and gritty. A very nice porter.
Tried
from Bottle
on 15 Oct 2006
at 14:44
7.2/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7
Pours clear dark brown with a large tan head. Chocolate milk /cocoa powder aroma. Slightly sweet, tamed by a bit of roast malt bitterness that lingers long into the finish. Creamy and well carbonated. Decent body. A bit different and worth trying.
Tried
on 25 Aug 2006
at 17:58
7.8/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
Bottle under the Sunday River name from Porterhouse; nose of coffee and chocolate malts, Transparent brown with a medium tan head; flavor of coffee, chocolate. nad roasty malts.
Tried
from Bottle
on 12 Aug 2006
at 18:59
5.8/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 4
Overall 6
12 oz bottle fridged for an hour. Pour is a thin black color with a minimal head that turns into a minimal lacing. Aroma is present - roastiness muffled with hops. Taste is similarly hoppy with some aspect of roastiness. I dont lke hopped porters but I have had worse. A bit to watery and thin for me. Mouthfeel is oily as well.
Tried
from Bottle
on 29 Jun 2006
at 23:07