Looking for the original Bar Towel blog? You can find it at www.thebartowel.com.

We have a trivia question in order to register to prevent bots. If you have any issues with answering, contact us at cass@bartowel.com for help.

Introducing Light Mode! If you would like a Bar Towel social experience that isn't the traditional blue, you can now select Light Mode. Go to the User Control Panel and then Board Preferences, and select "Day Drinking" (Light Mode) from the My Board Style drop-down menu. You can always switch back to "Night Drinking" (Dark Mode). Enjoy!

Who makes a good porter?

Discuss anything and everything about craft brewers from Ontario here.

Moderators: Craig, Cass

User avatar
alsiem
Posts: 130
Joined: Sun May 03, 2015 9:16 pm

Who makes a good porter?

Post by alsiem »

This is a pretty thin field. I don't think any Ontario brewer has a regular LCBO listing of a porter outside of Mill St. Coffee porter. Any recommendations for Ontario brewers? Here's what I know about:

Great Lakes: I think they do the most. Personally, I like their simple porter which has ton of flavour for 3.7%. Many other good ones like Harry Porter, Vanilla Bean Harry porter, BA porters.
Mill St Coffee Porter: It's good but the coffee is very prominent to my taste so it's not something I pick up often.
Clifford Porter: I loved this on a nitro tap at the Craft Beer Brassiere. Bartowelers tell me to forget about getting this at Innocente as it is only contract brewed there.
Black Oak: Nutcracker Porter - This is a good seasonal porter and is flavoured with baking spices like cinnamon.

I wish Duggan's was still doing a porter and I think that Junction would do one but I've only ever seen Stouts and Brown ales there. Any other suggestions on where I should travel on fall road trips?

User avatar
Napalm Frog
Posts: 223
Joined: Mon May 04, 2015 10:01 am
Location: Toronto

Post by Napalm Frog »

Indie Ale House's Breakfast Porter is pretty good, and regularly available in growlers and/or bottles. I remember enjoying Bellwood's Lost River, but it's been a while since I've drank it. Availability is also sporadic (as per most of their releases).

Provost Drunk
Posts: 346
Joined: Sat Aug 01, 2015 11:36 am
Location: Toronto

Post by Provost Drunk »

+1 for the Indie Breakfast Porter, though I appreciate that it may not be the most convenient location depending on where you're coming from.

beerstodiscover
Bar Fly
Posts: 624
Joined: Sat Dec 21, 2013 12:16 pm
Contact:

Post by beerstodiscover »

Lake of Bays Mocha Porter. Good stuff, a little pricey. I wish we had a solid local porter available in six packs. I think you can get this a TBS now.

User avatar
NRman
Bar Fly
Posts: 607
Joined: Sun Feb 07, 2010 4:37 pm
Location: Waterloo

Post by NRman »

Not LCBO porters but;
Paul Dickey's robust Porter is always a treat
http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/cheshire-v ... er/118159/
https://untappd.com/b/cheshire-valley-b ... rter/25248

Favoruite Ontario Porter right now is Black Swan from Stratford
https://untappd.com/b/black-swan-brewin ... ter/849558

matt7215
Beer Superstar
Posts: 3047
Joined: Fri Sep 05, 2008 11:18 am

Post by matt7215 »

NRman wrote:Not LCBO porters but;
Paul Dickey's robust Porter is always a treat
http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/cheshire-v ... er/118159/
https://untappd.com/b/cheshire-valley-b ... rter/25248
this is the one id recommend if you can find it

User avatar
alsiem
Posts: 130
Joined: Sun May 03, 2015 9:16 pm

Post by alsiem »

Thank you, this is what I was hoping to get out of the thread, 2 new porters that I never knew existed. I also remember that Muddy York is doing a porter. Hopefully as the season turns I'll start to see that on tap. I enjoyed their Diving Horse pale ale so let's hope they have a strong line up across the board.

Winter is Coming
Posts: 69
Joined: Sun Sep 27, 2015 10:42 am

Post by Winter is Coming »

1. Innocente - Charcoal Porter
2. Black Swan - Porter
3. Barnstormers - Parachute Porter
4. Highlander - Smoked Porter

also LoB Mocha Porter, Nickel Brook Maple Porter, Flying Monkeys Acadian Groove and of course Cameron's Obsidian.

midlife crisis
Beer Superstar
Posts: 2009
Joined: Thu Jan 08, 2004 7:00 pm
Location: Toronto

Post by midlife crisis »

Two best in Ontario that I have tried are definitely Clifford and GLB Plain. Some other good suggestions here -- I'm intrigued in particular by the Black Swan and Innocente and am going to go out of my way to get hold of those sometime soon. And did Teichart Smoked Porter (one off w Amsterdam) ever get commercialized? It was great too.

User avatar
alsiem
Posts: 130
Joined: Sun May 03, 2015 9:16 pm

Post by alsiem »

Disguised a trip to see a Shakespeare play, I will be making a trip to to Black Swan and Innocente. Thanks.

User avatar
Kish84
Bar Fly
Posts: 602
Joined: Thu Mar 25, 2010 7:41 pm
Location: Kitchener

Post by Kish84 »

alsiem wrote:Disguised a trip to see a Shakespeare play, I will be making a trip to to Black Swan and Innocente. Thanks.
I would go to Block 3 before I'd go to Innocente. Mind you I haven't been to Innocente in quite a while. I did just have Guilty Conscience over the weekend, still not a fan of it.
"There's always money in the banana stand."

User avatar
alsiem
Posts: 130
Joined: Sun May 03, 2015 9:16 pm

Post by alsiem »

I went to Black Swan on the weekend. I tried a few samples and did enjoy the porter. I brought home a liter container that I haven't opened yet. Early indications were good. I also really enjoyed the IPA sample. Amazing what really fresh hoppy beer tastes like.

As a note on the Charcoal Porter (Innocente), it seems that may come to the LCBO (check out the coming soon thread).

beerstodiscover
Bar Fly
Posts: 624
Joined: Sat Dec 21, 2013 12:16 pm
Contact:

Post by beerstodiscover »

So far this season I've enjoyed both Innocente Charcoal Porter and Collective Arts Stranger Than Fiction Porter.

There was an odd dank hop note in a December batch of the Innocente, which I did not enjoy. An earlier bottling was much better without this flavour.

I am a big fan of Stranger Than Fiction. They nailed the soft mouthfeel and it has a wonderful balance of sweet chocolate/coffee notes. This will be a regular purchase for me.

Also I very much enjoyed GLB Harry Porter and the Cherry Hoarder.

Nice to have some new local porters to try!
Last edited by beerstodiscover on Mon Jan 04, 2016 4:41 pm, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
jeremyg
Posts: 316
Joined: Wed May 06, 2015 4:57 pm

Post by jeremyg »

the recent batches of lost river baltic porter have been fantastic

User avatar
alsiem
Posts: 130
Joined: Sun May 03, 2015 9:16 pm

Post by alsiem »

The Charcoal Porter is a good one. Very interested in the Stranger than Fiction. Looks like this style is finally gaining some traction. Wonder what the sales numbers are like for the style.

Note to porter enthusiasts, avoid the Labatt Porter available in Quebec. It has a weird syrupy sweetness, almost like Ribena ?, which is not pleasant.

Post Reply