Lewis & Clark Brewing Company in Helena, Montana

The other day I made one of my biannual trips down to Lewis and Clark Brewing Company’s taproom. I am rarely down there, since I am sort of a Blackfoot enthusiast myself, but I had to get my MBA card punched (I like to think I may be the first one with all of the breweries punched!). I had also recently heard they had brewed this Portage Porter, and it was good. Well like I said, I am more of a Blackfoot guy, and really not that into porters, but this one blew me away. It was delicious. I’m not sure if they still have it on tap, but if they do, get down there and get some.

The Portage Porter came out, and I was more than a little intimidated. It was a dark impenetrable black with a small walnut colored head that dissipated quickly. The rich, full aroma I was expecting was totally absent, replaced by some very light sweet malty tones. Afraid I was in for a bland beer, I tentatively raised the glass to my lips. To my delight, I was presented with a mellow taste of banana’s foster that quickly morphed into a charred bitter mocha with a slightly nutty finish. WOAH! What a flavor roller coaster. The monstrous flavor profile caught me totally off guard. This beer was great, and not overly heavy.

Dark beers generally don’t appeal to me, but I think this porter might be the gateway to a delicious love affair with some new styles. Perhaps my beerbuds have grown, or maybe this porter just showed me the promise there is in dark beers. Regardless, I need to put some time aside to go down and savor a few more pints of this before its gone.