99 Bottles of Beer on the Blog - St. Bridget's Robust Porter

It's a cold election evening in Kansas City, and I won't be heading out to the watch party, so it's a fine evening to try a new porter. This time it's Saint Bridget's Robust Porter, by the Great Divide Brewing Company of Denver.

God, I love a good porter, and this is a great one. Tell you what - stop reading this, go out, buy a six pack of this stuff, and come back and taste along with me.

On pouring, you see a rich, almost viscous dark brown. The aroma is chocolate and coffee. The body is full, but not syrupy. The flavor is a beer version of a great chocolate mocha malt. The aftertaste, though, is dry with a pleasant kiss of hop flavor.

Porters got their start in England in the 18th Century, and some believe that the name comes from the burly men who worked as porters in London and appreciated a rich, nourishing beer. Originally, porters were blended from brown ale and whatever else was on tap. Soon, though, the brewers began creating vast quantities of beer brewed with the smoky brown malt available at the time. In 1814, a vat of porter burst in London, killing 8 people and destroying several houses.

I hope to live a long time. But, when my time is up, I hope it's due to a burst vat of Saint Bridget's Robust Porter.