Elevation Beer Company Senorita

As part of a special shipment from the Rare Beer of the Month Club, I received a bottle of Elevation Beer Company Senorita, a Horchata Imperial Porter. The beer pours a black color with a bubbly tan colored head that leaves a nice lacing on the glass. The aroma consists of cinnamon, toasted malts, strong vanilla, hints of coffee, and chocolate. The taste starts off with some milk chocolate and toasted malts with caramel and vanilla sweetness. A cinnamon spice arrives at the back of the throat on the finish and it leaves behind a dry toasted malt flavor. The alcohol content is 8.4% ABV. This was rather easy drinking and wasn’t too overpowering with cinnamon. Lots of toasted malts came out in the flavor and I’d definitely drink this again.

Ballast Point Victory at Sea Coffee Vanilla Imperial Porter

I picked up a bottle of Ballast Point Victory at Sea Coffee Vanilla Imperial Porter from Al’s of Hampden. The beer pours a black color with a frothy tan head that leaves plenty of lacing on the glass. The aroma consists of coffee, espresso, caramel, vanilla, dark chocolate, and toasted malts. The taste is full of dark and bitter chocolate with lots of toasted malts. Once the bold chocolate flavor subsides a bit, coffee takes over the mouth with a touch of vanilla sweetness. The finish is dry and roasted that lingers for a while with a bitterness and a bit of carbonation bite on the back of the throat. The alcohol content is 10.0% ABV. The dark chocolate bitterness and the coffee bitterness really played nicely together, bound by the vanilla sweetness. It definitely ranks up there with the better coffee infused beers.

Captain Lawrence Smoke From the Oak Imperial Smoked Porter Aged in Rum Barrels

As part of a beer trade, I received a bottle of Captain Lawrence Smoke From the Oak Imperial Smoked Porter Aged in Rum Barrels. The beer pours a black color with a bubbly tan head, but it was much more fizzy and lofty than the Apple Brandy barrel aged beer. The aroma consists of sweet rum right on the front end, chocolate, vanilla, oak, and toasted malts. The taste is smooth and creamy on the mouth with lots of chocolate on the front end, vanilla, and toasted malts. The sweetness gives way to a dry and bitey oak and rum flavors. The finish brings out the alcohol warmth and dries out the mouth a little bit. The alcohol content is 12.0% ABV. If you are look for a beer where the alcohol accent is more complimentary and does not take over, the rum barreled aged beer is for you. It is wonderfully smooth and easy drinking with just enough warmth.

Captain Lawrence Smoke From the Oak Imperial Smoked Porter Aged in Apple Brandy Bottles

As part of a beer trade, I received a bottle of Captain Lawrence Smoke From the Oak Imperial Smoked Porter Aged in Apple Brandy Barrels. The beer pours a black color with a bubbly tan head. The aroma consists of peat, oak, brandy, lots of smoke, toasted malts, and apple. The taste is bold and dry with plenty of smoke right on the front end. An apple sweetens accompanies toasted malts, chocolate, and caramel. The finish emphasizes the smoke again with some oak, vanilla, and peat. The after taste has a brandy dryness that lingers, warms, and dries the tongue. The alcohol content is 12.0% ABV. The intense flavors that come from the apple brandy barrels make this beer extremely enjoyable, but you must be a brandy fan as well, or this could be a bit intense.

Black Diamond Peak XV Imperial Porter

I saw Black Diamond Peak XV Imperial Porter on the Beer on the Wall website and I ordered a bottle. I must say that the wax seal might have been the most difficult I have ever tried to open. The beer pours a dark brown color with an extremely lofty tan head. The aroma consists of toasted malts, oak, coffee, dry dark chocolate, caramel, and vanilla. The taste is big and bold with lots of dark chocolate flavors and plenty of toasted malts. There is a nice complimentary vanilla undertone and a dry coffee finish. The alcohol content is 8.0% ABV. Being my first beer from Black Diamond, I was quite impressed with the Peak XV Imperial Porter. It was quite smooth but has a roasted edge to gives it a great balance.