Great Divide Brewing Co. - Saint Bridget's Porter

Continuing the Porter Series, I selected a Robust Porter this time. A robust porter, sometimes referred to as American Porter, will have a more roasted flavor than the standard (brown or English) porter – at times, it may even have a mild “burnt” taste like that of a stout. And as with other porters, you will find very little hops flavor, aroma, or bitterness.

So this week, The Great Divide Brewing Company out of Denver, Colorado, winner of 17 Great American Beer Festival medals and 5 World Beer Cup awards, gives us Saint Bridget’s Porter, a roasted and elegant robust porter. Here’s what they want you to know about their brew:

“Saint Bridget’s Porter is an elegant, smooth porter that brims with coffee and chocolate characteristics of dark barley malts. Saint Bridget was a patron Saint of Ireland, known for the epic miracle of transforming her bathwater into beer for thirsty clerics.”

                Silver Medal – Stockholm Beer & Whisky Festival, 2007

                Gold Medal – World Beer Cup, 1996

Now for my thoughts….. this beer pours nicely into the glass without too much foam. A nice head did develop, but quickly cleared making way for the sweet, dark nectar contained within said glass. There was little lacing left on the side of the glass. For some, looking at beer this dark in color would make you expect to have a harsh intro of flavor. You will, however, find that your initial impression of this ale is quite different. It starts nestled nicely between roasted and burnt.

In the middle, I found more coffee than chocolate notes, which suited me just fine. It was a smooth, very mildly hopped, slightly sweet brew that was just as easy to sip on its own as it was to drink paired with ravioli topped with spicy Italian sausage and sun dried tomato Alfredo sauce. Other food pairing ideas from the bottle label include rosemary chicken, seared scallops, grilled beef and hearty stews. Saint Bridget’s is only slightly carbonated with a fairly thin mouth feel that leaves a short lasting after taste. I detected no bathwater notes at all, but I am not going to dock any points for that.

All that combined with the $1.85 / 12 oz bottle (check local craft beer supplier listings) give me no choice but to make the official Everything Brewed Rating for this particular selection 4 out of 5 Pints. So run out and try some right after you finish reading this Brew Review won’t you?

Thanks for checking out this week’s Brew Review. Thoughts, comments, and questions are, of course, welcome. And remember to enjoy your beer, but responsibly please. Also, don’t forget to check out www.greatdivide.com for more information on this and other brews by Great Divide Brewing Company.

PS Check out the Mats Around the World section and help make it interesting. 

Cheers,
Jason

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