Legend Porter
Now, that’s a headMore often than not, if I’ve got a Legend Brewing beer in my hands it’s their tasty and nutty brown ale. It’s pretty much the brewery’s flagship beer that is (along with their lager) pretty darn easy to find an hour or so north of the company’s Richmond, VA location. I’ve been hard-pressed to find any of their other products outside of their brew-pub which is a great place to enjoy a few beers if you’re ever down that way.
As fate would have it, I visited one of the local wine shops this past weekend that carries a small selection of local beers. To my surprise, the owner had recently — it’s been a while since my last visit — increased her craft/import beer selections by a sizable amount. Amongst the various bottles was a single 22 oz Legend Porter. Finally, something from the brewery that wasn’t their ubiquitous brown ale.
Appearance
This porter was poured rather quickly into the glass, amassing a sizable head as you can see in the photo above.
Aroma
The smooth nose was rather tame with hints of roasted coffee and light chocolate.
Taste
The flavor profile was right in line with the aroma and just as restrained. Lightly roasted coffee and bittersweet chocolate mingle together nicely as a welcome earthy hop presence rises slowly toward the dry finish. The tame nature of the beer’s character (and the 6% ABV) makes for a dangerously smooth drinking and approachable beer for the style.
Overall
I’ve gotten used to drinking more robust porters, but this bottle from Legend Brewing was just what I needed. It had a well balanced, though somewhat subtle flavor that made it easy drinking and more refined than some of the earthier, roastier varieties I’ve had lately. If I could find this in smaller packaging I can see this beer having a solid presence in my fridge on a more consistent basis.
Rating: 3.75/5