Beer of the Weekend #6: Mac's Blackwatch Cream Porter
The beer this weekend is Mac’s Blackwatch Cream Porter brewed by MacTarnahan’s Brewing Company of Portland, Oregon.
Usually I know what beer I want along before going to the store, but this week I had no clue. I walked into the BevMo! on Beach and didn’t know what I’d be walking out with. Well…I did need Pabst, so I knew I’d buy whatever they had (if the motherfuckers had any). I took my time browsing their selection. I realized what they have on the selves is not as diverse as what they have on their website, so I was stuck buying whatever was there. Boo. I miss Dirty John’s.
I was thinking stout and saw the sixer of Mac’s. I took it to the counter along with an 18-pack of PBR bottles. Oh yeah!
But wait, you say. You were thinking stout but bought a porter?
Here’s a secret about porter: It’s stout. Not only that, stout is porter. The names are interchangeable because it’s the same style of beer. There are minor differences between the two and their varieties, but the main distinction is a matter of personal preference for the names.
Guinness Porter? Macheson’s XXX Porter?
Porters and stouts are both dark beers, but the name porter was primarily used first. Terms such as “extra porter,” “double porter,” and “stout porter” were used to distinguish between the alcoholic strengths of different versions. “Stout porter” was eventually shortened to “stout” and became an equal substitute. One brewery’s stout may be stronger than another’s porter, and visa versa between two other breweries, so there is no consistency or regulation for the usage. Weird, huh? If it’s good, though, who gives a shit what it’s called?
Serving type: Six 12-ounce bottles.
Appearance: Deep, opaque black. I put the pint glass to my lamp and no light came through. A light effervescent head appeared after the pour and dissipated into a thin layer.
Smell: A medium hint of hops and roasted chocolate.
Taste: Mac’s is a cream porter (same thing as a cream stout), which means it contains lactose. But it’s not creamy — at least this cream porter (stout) isn’t. It’s smooth and slightly bitter from a hint of hops and there is a taste of oatmeal. So, why isn’t it an oatmeal porter (stout)?
Mouth feel: Shit. I think I’m going to leave this out next time.
Drinkability: It’s a porter (stout) so it’s not a beer to drink all the time. It’s an exotic beer you should respect and drink slowly. The drinkability is high in one sense but lower in another. It’s not a beer to drink when you’re just sitting around Memorial Day weekend, watching Indy.
Fun facts about Mac’s:
-Portland has more breweries than any other city in the country, and Mac’s pays tribute by placing a rose on the label and carrying case. Portland is “Rose City.”
-On the bottom of the carrying case is a picture of Mac himself, Robert MacTarnahan.
(Sorry for the blurry pic.) Who was he? Probably the mastermind behind the brewing company, yet there is not a word about him. He was born in 1915 and died in 2004.
Done.
Usually I know what beer I want along before going to the store, but this week I had no clue. I walked into the BevMo! on Beach and didn’t know what I’d be walking out with. Well…I did need Pabst, so I knew I’d buy whatever they had (if the motherfuckers had any). I took my time browsing their selection. I realized what they have on the selves is not as diverse as what they have on their website, so I was stuck buying whatever was there. Boo. I miss Dirty John’s.
I was thinking stout and saw the sixer of Mac’s. I took it to the counter along with an 18-pack of PBR bottles. Oh yeah!
But wait, you say. You were thinking stout but bought a porter?
Here’s a secret about porter: It’s stout. Not only that, stout is porter. The names are interchangeable because it’s the same style of beer. There are minor differences between the two and their varieties, but the main distinction is a matter of personal preference for the names.
Guinness Porter? Macheson’s XXX Porter?
Porters and stouts are both dark beers, but the name porter was primarily used first. Terms such as “extra porter,” “double porter,” and “stout porter” were used to distinguish between the alcoholic strengths of different versions. “Stout porter” was eventually shortened to “stout” and became an equal substitute. One brewery’s stout may be stronger than another’s porter, and visa versa between two other breweries, so there is no consistency or regulation for the usage. Weird, huh? If it’s good, though, who gives a shit what it’s called?
Serving type: Six 12-ounce bottles.
Appearance: Deep, opaque black. I put the pint glass to my lamp and no light came through. A light effervescent head appeared after the pour and dissipated into a thin layer.
Smell: A medium hint of hops and roasted chocolate.
Taste: Mac’s is a cream porter (same thing as a cream stout), which means it contains lactose. But it’s not creamy — at least this cream porter (stout) isn’t. It’s smooth and slightly bitter from a hint of hops and there is a taste of oatmeal. So, why isn’t it an oatmeal porter (stout)?
Mouth feel: Shit. I think I’m going to leave this out next time.
Drinkability: It’s a porter (stout) so it’s not a beer to drink all the time. It’s an exotic beer you should respect and drink slowly. The drinkability is high in one sense but lower in another. It’s not a beer to drink when you’re just sitting around Memorial Day weekend, watching Indy.
Fun facts about Mac’s:
-Portland has more breweries than any other city in the country, and Mac’s pays tribute by placing a rose on the label and carrying case. Portland is “Rose City.”
-On the bottom of the carrying case is a picture of Mac himself, Robert MacTarnahan.
(Sorry for the blurry pic.) Who was he? Probably the mastermind behind the brewing company, yet there is not a word about him. He was born in 1915 and died in 2004.
Done.
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