The Swill: Sea Dog Riverdriver Porter
The Still: Sea Dog Brewing Company
Portland, Maine
http://www.seadogbrewing.com
The Drill: American-style porter with natural hazelnut flavor added, 12oz bottle, 5.6% ABV
The Spill: There are bad porters (see the Road Dog below), and there are good porters. This one falls in the good category, at least according to this drinker's palate. Rich and malty, dark and roasty, it's everything an American porter ought to be. Add to that the sweet, toffee-like flavor of hazelnuts tiptoeing delicately in the background and you have quite a treat for lovers of bitter and sweet alike.
Says Bill: I discovered this brand almost by accident, shopping for other people. I was out buying beer for another Frank cookout, and sought to please the masses by including some foo-foo stuff. Sea Dog makes a blueberry wheat that I'll blog about in the future, and the quality of that one made me want to check out their darker stuff.
Refill?: If you're like me, you like a hazelnut flavor in your coffee. And if you're like me, you like a coffee flavor in your beer. Needless to say, if you're like me, you'll want to drink this: 4 taps out of 5.