Best Fiends
Cellarmaker Brewing Company in Oakland, California, United States 🇺🇸
Porter - Imperial Regular|
Score
7.39
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This is a big chewy Porter that focuses on quality malts. This luscious brew has the nose and flavor intensity of an imperial stout but comes in at a reasonable ABV. Best Fiends contains no adjuncts yet is packed with aromas of freshly baked chocolate croissant, graham cracker, cigar tobacco, high percentage cacao, and malted milk ball.
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6.8/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
Draft. Black beer with a tan head. Roast and chocolate aroma. Chocolate and caramel flavor with light roast. Medium bodied. Chocolate and caramel linger with light roast.
Tried
on 02 Mar 2026
at 18:06
8.8/10
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Appearance 9
Aroma 8.5
Flavor 9
Texture 8
Overall 9
From can to glass. Pours black with massive brown head that lingers long. Massive aroma of chocolate and slight roast, with a bit of leather. Flavor is chocolate and roast with ash. Great beer all around.
Tried
from Can
on 31 Mar 2025
at 05:02
8.2/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 9
Texture 8
Overall 8
16oz can from Tavour. Near black pour, skin of silky beige head. Light, full roasty aroma, chocolate. Taste brings more chocolate, faint sweetness, mellow roast, light roast. Full mouthfeel with some lingering bitterness. Smooth and super tasty.
Tried
from Can
on 19 Nov 2024
at 05:59
8.5/10
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Appearance 10
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 10
Overall 8
Can from Tavour Aroma: roasty, chocolate, licorice Appearance: dark brown with a tan head Taste: medium sweetness, medium bitterness Mouthfeel: average carbonation, creamy feel, medium body, long finish Tasty
Tried
from Can
on 10 Nov 2024
at 21:43
7/10
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Appearance 7
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 7
Overall 7
Teku showing pitch black with half a finger of latte colored foam.
The nose shows moderately intense notes of green pepper with light smoke and toasted coffee.
The palate is typical porter - medium bodied with a pillowy mouthfeel and moderate carbonation. Moderately intense coffee with hints of bell pepper.
The nose shows moderately intense notes of green pepper with light smoke and toasted coffee.
The palate is typical porter - medium bodied with a pillowy mouthfeel and moderate carbonation. Moderately intense coffee with hints of bell pepper.
Tried
from Can
on 02 Jun 2023
at 17:01
7.6/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
Poured from a 16 oz can dated April 03, 2023. Aroma is malt forward and rich with tons of milk chocolate, caramel, toffee and honey. Lighter roast, toasted bread, graham cracker and dark chocolate notes. Light alcohol notes with hints of herbal, woody hop notes. Pours pitch black with a large, thick, pillowy, dark mocha head that recedes slowly to a small, creamy, dark mocha head that lingers. Moderately high lacing and small legs. Flavor is fairly sweet with loads of milk chocolate and bakers chocolate with a bit lighter roast notes. Lighter notes of caramel, toffee, toasted bread and graham cracker. Moderately strong bitterness and light alcohol notes. Light woody, piney, herbal hop notes that persist into the finish with lingering bitterness. Mouthfeel is medium full bodied with medium carbonation. Low, but present, astringency and low alcohol warmth. Overall, a solid porter. Really nice malt notes with some sweetness that is balanced by a fairly strong, lingering bitterness. A touch of astringency. Alcohol well hidden behind the malt and bitterness. Clean fermentation.
Tried
from Can
on 16 Apr 2023
at 06:18
6.6/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 6
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
Tasting at Ryan's, can, 8.2% ABV
Black colour. Very light blue cheese in the aroma; roasted malts. Off-dry, but reasonably smooth; roasted malt flavour, burnt coffee, cardboard.
Not impressive.
Black colour. Very light blue cheese in the aroma; roasted malts. Off-dry, but reasonably smooth; roasted malt flavour, burnt coffee, cardboard.
Not impressive.
Tried
from Can
on 24 Jul 2021
at 16:57
7.4/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
Poured from 473mL can (abv listed as 8.2%). Dark brown with small beige head. Roast, cocoa, earthy mild tobacco. Not bad.
Tried
from Can
on 24 Jul 2021
at 02:33
6.9/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
16oz (thx, Matt!) @ Ryan's. Appearance: almost black with a dark beige head. Aroma: some fruity and roasted malt notes. Taste: very roasty, even smoky, quite dry. Overall: too dry and roasty.
Tried
on 24 Jul 2021
at 02:31
7.4/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
473mL can, pours black with a small beige head. Nose reveals dry roasted malt, crusty bread, and a touch of dusty cocoa. Flavour is robust, with medium roasted malt, dusty dry cocoa, and earthy notes. Dry, roasty, somewhat chocolatey finish. Nothing all that complex but it's sturdy and well-made. Very good.
Tried
from Can
on 24 Jul 2021
at 02:26