Robust Porter: Homebrewed

As the cold weather quickly approaches us here on the East Coast, I find myself reaching for the stronger, maltier  brews in my cellar. In November 2009, I brewed a 5 gallon batch of Robust porter, which at 6.8% ABV, I knew this would be a perfect beverage to wrap up the winter season with. While on tap at my house, this was a staple for friends and myself, during the few snowy days that kept me off the roads, and home from work. The beer poured very dark, with a thick, tan head that lingered for the majority of the pint. I was pretty surprised at the, sorry for my choice of vocabulary here, but "drinkability", of this beer just a few months after brewing, even with the slight hint of alcohol warmth. As the keg became lighter and lighter as the days slowly got warmer and warmer, I knew for sure, I had to bottle a few bombers of this with my newly acquired, Blichmann BeerGun, to put away for a rainy day.

So, that brings me up to the current date, November 2010, one year from brewday. I brought a bomber of Robust porter to one of our Sunday afternoon barbecues to share with some friends who were anxious to taste my homebrew that had been cellared for one year. The bomber popped with a perfect hiss of carbonation. As I began to pour, the porter flowed almost black with a velvety texture, developing a fairly dense, creamy, tan head. Right away, I'm brought back to the dreary, cold, snowy days that I last enjoyed this brew.

The smell was rich; mostly malty, a bit roasty, with a slight reminder of caramel and coffee. My first sip had made me think twice that I had actually brewed this delicious beer (wish I could take credit for the recipe!). Such a flavorful beer, with the perfect amount of roastiness and complexities. The mouth feel was not too heavy, but far from thin.  Again, "velvety", is the adjective that comes to mind. The moderate bitterness from the hops is just right, to pair up with the malty backbone of this brew. The alcohol warmth has faded and the sharp flavors of this brew have meshed together well. After a year in the bottle, this beer has come together nicely and I look forward to enjoying the evolution of this in future bottles. As a matter of fact, this is one that needs to be brewed again this year!

Robust Porter

(Recipe Courtesy of EdWort: http://www.homebrewtalk.com)

11 lbs - Marris Otter 2-row Pale malt
1lb - Chocolate Malt
1lb -  Crystal 40
4 oz. -  Black Patent
1 oz. - Roasted Barley
8 oz. - Flaked Barley

*Mash for 60 min @ 150*F

1 oz - Northern Brewer hops @ 60 Min

0.5 oz - Cascade hops @ 60 Min

0.8 oz - Malto Dextrine @ 20 mins (adds body)

Ferment with Nottingham yeast