I had initially mentally scheduled this next post to be a comparison of a few Pumpkin Ales that I had a few days ago, but that all backfired with a beer I tried over the weekend. I’ve a big fan of the things that Troegs is doing with their beers — whether it be super hopped IPAs or bad elves — I always seem to have at least a bottle or two of theirs in the fridge at any given time. So, when I saw this porter on the shelf for the first time, I had to add it to the shopping cart.
Appearance
This beer pours a little lighter than most porters I’ve had in the past — deep, dark and muddy in color with a thick, tan head.
Aroma
Holy hops Batman! I actually had to double check the label to make sure I hadn’t accidentally poured a Hop Back instead of the porter. This has got to be the hoppiest porter I’ve ever encountered as a serious beer drinker. I was so overwhelmed with the hop dominance that I almost failed to notice the typical porter characteristics (slight chocolate and roasted malt) hiding in the background.
Taste
Much like the aroma, the taste is dominated with a large hop profile. Again, surprise may have altered my perception of the beer a bit. The finish is decidedly porter with a smooth, slightly sweet, earthy chocolate character. The flavors on this one really get going as it warms in the hand.
Overall
Recovering from my initial surprise, I found Dead Reckoning to be a tasty diversion from the typical porter. While it wasn’t what I was really looking for at the moment, the beer wound up on my “buy again” list.
Rating: 3.5/5
