“Coffee and chocolate come together in this brew. Our Black Marlin Porter is the perfect beer for a mocha mashup. The addition of coffee and cocoa plays perfectly off the roasty, chocolaty flavors of this English porter, while a hint of vanilla smooths it all out. It’s full-bodied, but not too sweet; try it for breakfast…or dessert.”
Served in a beer tulip. This big fish pours an impenetrable black complexion that takes a full two fingers in head. It steadily retracts and deposits a thick and soapy lace as it ebbs.
The nose is heady but well balanced with good uplift from the mocha component. The cocoa and coffee is nice and direct with the roasted, nutty and subtle creamy accents pushing up in support. Undertones of marshmallow, meringue and rocky road add a subtle but gorgeous layer of moreish sweetness to the aroma.
The mouth feel is passive and surprisingly accommodating for what presents as such a brawny beer. A nice, silky texture meets a mild-moderate body with a somewhat energised Co2. Not bad.
The mocha flavours come on nicely upfront. They’re we’ll backed up too – nutty, roasted and slightly earthy malts are bolstered as it flows through the mid. Flashes of that creamy vanilla lead in to a silky and effortless finish which offers decent length in the tail.
It’s extremely difficult to expect anything sub par from Ballast Point, these guys continually roll out excellent beers and this is just another example. It just further confirms their position as one of America’s best craft brewers.