Review – Telegraph Stock Porter

From Telegraph Brewing Co. – Staying true to original porter brewing techniques, we blend fresh brewed beer with oak-barrel aged ale to create our Stock Porter. The aged beer is a higher-alcohol, dark mahogany-colored ale that is matured in American-oak casks for two months. We then blend it with lighter, freshly brewed ale resulting in a divine combination that reveals spicy, vanilla, and chocolate aromas married to a fruity, refreshing acidity. The name “Stock Porter” was the moniker 19th century pub keepers gave to the more expensive Porter that had been aged in their beer cellars, as opposed to “Mild Porter”, which was a less complex, less expensive, and less characterful brew.

Telegraph Brewing Co. – Telegraph Stock Porter – 750ml corked and caged bottle poured into my New Belgium Glass. 5.7% abv. Purchased at Whole Foods Arroyo,Pasadena,CA.

Appearance: Dark reddish brown. Almost no head but white swirls gathering at the top.

Aroma: Red wine, light oak and cork.

Taste: Tangy red grapes, dark malts and spicy hops.

Mouthfeel: Thin and juicy.

Overall: Closer to a brown ale than a porter, at least from my expectation level. I wasn’t enjoying all 750 ml’s of it, so I used it in making beef stew. Subsititued 2 cups of water for two cups of this, and 1 cup of beef stock. It made the stew quite wonderful as the porter rendered fused itself with the spices and juices.