Hey gang! Sorry if I have not posted in a while, but I've been busy with some things in my life, including some big personal changes. So now, I'm back to blogging with a short but sweet review on one of Port Brewing brews, Hot Rocks. Port Brewing just recently expanded its distribution towards the East Coast, and this was the first one I bought from them.
The Hot Rocks is a Marzen-style lager, which will make it darker, richer and smoother than most lagers. for those who don't know, Marzen is Bavarian for "March", as in when this beer was brewed for, hence the full name of "Marzenbier." This beer was only brewed from late September to late April, and was saved for the summer (like Biere de Mars were), or saved for Oktoberfest, where they were at their greatest strength, in terms of flavor and complexity. This style of beer is most commonly associated with Oktoberfest, to stand up the briny saltiness of sauerkraut, or the spices of the various meats that were aplenty for the event. Anyway, enough of the history lesson, let me get to this beer.
Upon, first pour, the Hot Rocks lager pours dark and smooth, just like a good Marzenbier, with hints of red. Upon first sniff, you can smell heavy malts, some smoke, and some grains, particularly barley. Now for the taste. As I sipped it, I can taste the malts, with hints of some minerality, nice bready funk and well grained goodness. The mouth feel was clean, big, and smooth. Towards the end, you can taste some roasted nuts and oak. This beer is solid, and worth it. Food pairings: Besides Oktoberfest fare like sausage, liverwurst, and sauerkraut, pot roast would do fine. For these cheese heads, some Monterey Jack. Enjoy! For more information, go to : www.portbrewing.com
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