Asheville Brewing Ninja Porter

Asheville Brewing Co.   Asheville, NC

Notes:

American Porter

12oz Can

5.25% ABV

Appearance:  Pours a dark, dark brown…dark and dense…head is a mocha color and thin…at first pour, it was thick and luscious, but has settled to a thin to wispy layer…(3/5)

Smell:  Roasted malts up front…it’s certainly not overly pungent, I really have to stick my nose in there to catch more complexity…I do pick up some mild dry chocolate and oatmeal…no real hops presence…as it warms, it loses aroma…eh…(3/5)

Taste:  Once again, roasted malts up front…it’s got a creamy, richness to it without tasting milky…oatmeal, faint coffee bitterness and a hint of airy citrus hops…hops are very faint, but do round out the overall flavor…this is for sure a malt driven vehicle and unfortunately, there’s little exotic happening here…a good nice flavor, but it’s basic…(3.5/5)

Mouthfeel:  Light to medium body…carbonation is also very light, with little fluff happening here…I’m not sure if I had a badly shaken can or something, but this brew initially exploded with carbonation and now is a faint shell of that…a nice roasted malt with a light oatmeal flavor lingers into the after taste…(3.25/5)

Overall:  Hmmm, this beer was underwhelming when I really broke it’s parts down…I’ve had it before and have always enjoyed it, but my individual scores don’t necessarily reflect that…it’s got an easy drinkability which in the end is the most important factor, but I have to say I find the flavor a bit boring…while it’s good, it doesn’t stray far from the safety net of roasted malts…worthy of mixing in a six pack, it’s good, not great…(3.5/5) 

Score:

(3.27/5)