Telegraph Brewing Company - Stock Porter

Telegraph is a small brewery in Santa Barbara.  I know very little about them.  Probably not the best second sentence of my blog, right there.  Their website merely tells us that they find pleasure in copper, and then there are a bunch of overused craft beer-y terms, like handcrafted and small batch.  Their beers show up in San Francisco with some regularity, though usually only one or two at a time.

I've tried two beers from Telegraph before this porter.  About two years ago, I had a glass of the Reserve Wheat Ale and loved it.  On the other hand, their California Ale was just ok, though good, I guess, for a California Common/Steam Ale (a style that seems to stick around because it has an interesting history; plus, it's hard to say anything bad about Anchor without seeming like an ass).  The Golden Wheat Ale tends to sit around on the shelf at local beer stores.  On to the review...

This Stock Porter is a rather good beer.  I wasn't expecting much, but it's making me believe in Telegraph's nonsensically earnest self-description.  So, high marks.  However, it's not a standard porter.  They describe the beer as being made according to the old technique of blending a stronger barrel-aged beer with a fresh, lighter version.  That sounds good, and, happily, it tastes as good as it sounds, though perhaps not as you might imagine.

The flavor is dominated by fruity dark malt notes.  It smells sorta like a light, sour plum wine blended with warm caramel.  There's also a perfumey chocolate aroma in there.  It's light on the hops and closer to English versions of the style than American.  That style-defining ashiness (style-defining for me, anyway) is mostly absent, or, maybe, just really well done.  The fruitiness is somehow reminiscent of ashy roasted malt, though I can't quite put my finger on it.  I'm going to chalk it up to barrel-aging magic.  The flavor is lightly sour with some fruit and caramel sweetness.  The finish is particularly fruity with some pleasant acidity.

I'm not great at picking out specific ingredients, but this beer probably leans toward lactobacillus.  The sourness is yogurty, and there's no real funk to speak of.  Some oakiness come through, particularly in the drying vinegariness.  Most likely, the flavor is entirely too clean to be historically accurate, but it's a nice, safe version of history and probably tastier for it.

The liquid is a very dark brown that appears to have ruby highlights when held up to the light.  The head is beige and aggressively foamy.  Carbonation is relatively light, and the beer has a very smooth feel.  It's a rich beer, full of interesting flavors and fun to drink.  This might not appeal to most folks, particularly if they're looking for a standard porter, but it's good stuff and manages to deliver on its historical promises more than most beers with similar hooks.

Anywho, I would definitely recommend buying Telegraph Stock Porter, if you're open-minded about styles and enjoy fruity barrel flavors.  I picked it up at a nearby Whole Foods, and it's a great deal at $8 or so for 750 ml.