Anchor Steam Porter

[Hopleaf]

Just tried Anchor Steam Porter for the first time, and WOW! That's got to be the best Porter I've had yet. Slightly caramelly, good finish, not too much carbonation. Really quite good. I recommend it to anyone who hasn't tried it...oh hell, if you've tried it, I recommend you try it again.

[tighe]

I tried the Anchor Porter recently too and agree that it is excellent. However I still have to go with the Dechutes Black Butte Porter as my all-time favorite. It has a smoky quality to it that I just haven't found in any other porter.

[col klink]

I've tried the Anchor Porter and I thought it was awlful. I don't like any of their other beers either though. The best porter is definitely Black Butte from Deschutes. That beer has 80% of the porter market in the States and they only distribute to the Northwest.

If you ever get a chance to visit the brewery in Bend, OR, I highly recommend it.

Tighe, have you ever tried St. Peter's Porter? Or anyone else? It's from the UK and I've only found it at Bottleworks over in Wallingford (Seattle for everyone else). It's a block west of the QFC on 45th, same side of the street. St. Peter's also comes in one of the coolest beer bottles I've seen, it looks like a whiskey bottle from a 100 years ago. It has wonderfully toasted chocolate and coffee flavors, a real treat.

[tighe]

Tighe, have you ever tried St. Peter's Porter? Or anyone else? It's from the UK and I've only found it at Bottleworks over in Wallingford (Seattle for everyone else). It's a block west of the QFC on 45th, same side of the street. St. Peter's also comes in one of the coolest beer bottles I've seen, it looks like a whiskey bottle from a 100 years ago. It has wonderfully toasted chocolate and coffee flavors, a real treat.

Although I'm sure I must have at some point, I can't recall any porters from the other side of the pond that I have tried. When I drink internationally, I usually go with stouts for whatever reason. I have tried the porters from pretty much all of the other regional breweries (Pyramid, Kemper, Hale's, Bridgewater, etc.). The problem with most of them is that they have remarkably little flavor for a dark beer. We're getting super local here, but have you tried the porter from the Elysian Brew Pub? I think theirs is probably #2 on my list behind Deschutes.

Maybe we should have a great northwest porter tasting party.....

[Hopleaf]

I've tried the Anchor Porter and I thought it was awlful. I don't like any of their other beers either though. The best porter is definitely Black Butte from Deschutes. That beer has 80% of the porter market in the States and they only distribute to the Northwest.

awful? really? It's a lot better than most out there. I'm with you on their other beers.

Too bad that the Black Butte isn't available in the Midwest. I'll see if they have a Web site, maybe I can order a spack.

[col klink]

Too bad that the Black Butte isn't available in the Midwest.  I'll see if they have a Web site, maybe I can order a spack.

They do have a website:

Click here for beer goodness.

Unfortunately though, they won't ship anything with alcohol. The only thing you can do is beg and plead with the distributors in the area to start carrying it. I know you can get it in Washington, Oregon, the northern half of California, and Idaho (I think). I did the brewery tour last year at Thanksgiving and asked about distributing out into the Midwest and it isn't in their future. Too many concerns about losing quality and the expensive of shipping.

About the Anchor porter, I'd already tasted BB and all I could taste in the Anchor were weird flavors that weren't supposed to be in a porter. But this was many years ago, maybe they've changed their tune since then.

[rstarobi]

In fairness, you have to try Anchor Old Foghorn before you can write the brewery off completely.

[tighe]

...I have tried the porters from pretty much all of the other regional breweries (Pyramid, Kemper, Hale's, Bridgewater, etc.).  The problem with most of them is that they have remarkably little flavor for a dark beer...

I need to qualify this statement a little...

This weekend I "rediscovered" Orchard Street Porter from Bellingham. I have to say that I think it gives Deschutes a run for its money. I did a side-by-side tasting tonight, twice, just to make sure.....