I love most all styles of beer, but I have a special affection for dark brew. Given an open choice, I will almost always select a dark beer such as porter or stout instead of a lighter beer like a pilsner or wheat ale. I also tend to judge these types of beer more harshly and one beer that meets my strict requirements, but not by much, is Michelob Porter, an American, all- malt porter.
Beer Bio:
Style: American Porter
Alcohol Level: 5.9 Percent by Volume
Calories: 180 per 12 oz. serving
Carbs: 13.2 grams per 12 oz. serving
Michelob Porter is a dark brew, sporting a mostly brown body with ruby accents. The nose on this porter emphasizes caramel, light roasted, malt, and a touch of cocoa. This beer is very fizzy and the small head of foam dissolves into nothing in a very short time, leaving behind a glass of beer that looks like a soft drink. The flavors present include roasted malt, coffee, bittersweet chocolate, and a touch of cherry/raspberry. The body of this beer is medium and crisp, with a finish that is slightly bitter.
Anheuser- Busch is a company with a large product line and it continues to expand into new terrorities. Most of the Anheuser- Busch craft beer attempts have been marketed under the Michelob lineup and Michelob Porter follows this established trend. I can agree that this porter certainly offers some nice qualities, such as its complex array of flavors that includes everything from chocolate to coffee to cherry. But Michelob Porter has other qualities that are less than appealing and the most obvious is the downright ugly appearance. The color is nice, but a pour into your favorite glass produces large bubbles that gather in bunches on the sides of the glass, making the beer look like a fountain soft drink. The barely noticebale head of foam fizzes into nothing in a matter of seconds, making for a most unpleasant first impression.
Aside from the appearance, Michelob Porter does have a few good qualities. There is a decent level of complexity and I appreciate the attempt to blend together so many different flavors into one product. The beer is medium in body and crisp due to the fizziness more than anything else. But the taste is far from the great flavor I expect in a world class porter. It isn’t bad, but my porter- seasoned taste buds expect something a little more memorable.
I like that Anheuser- Busch has given in to market pressures and continues to produce craft- oriented beer products. The company has scored a roughly equal share of hits and misses and Michelob Porter ranks as a middle of the road attempt at producing a quality craft porter. It’s tough to get past such a hideous physical appearance, but Michelob Porter is a respectable effort from Michelob that could be even better with some more attention to detail.
Rating: 6 Cheers out of 10
Leave a Reply