Central Waters - Mudpuppy Porter

Tonights review is courtesy of Central Waters Brewing Co. out of Amherst, WI.  Dunz reviewed their Illumination Double IPA a little while back and found it to be a fantastic brew.  There was a lot of buzz around the city when this Illumination beer was released but I never heard a lot about the rest of their line up.  When I was making my six pack the other day I decided to throw in this Mudpuppy Porter and see how it holds up against the buzz around Central Waters.

The bottle label is standardized across all Central Waters brews.  Aside from their limited releases, all of their bottle labels, that I've seen at least, are yellow with a unique picture that depicts the name of the brew.  Since this porter is named after a mud puppy there is a picture of a strange looking lizard in the middle of the label.  I'm not entirely familiar with what a mud puppy looks like but Ill assume it has four legs and looks like a lizard.

The color is lighter, relatively speaking, than most other porters I've had.  Its almost a dark brown when held up to the light.  Roasted, dark fruits are the first noticeable aromas.  The flavor is more of the same.  A mild yeasty quality blends in with a muted roast and coffee flavor.  The finish is bitter, partially from the hops but I think its more from the roasted grains.  Very smooth and easy to drink.

Overall - This has turned out to be a nice session porter.  The roast character is present throughout the brew and not overdone.  A nice fruity quality from th yeast balances out the roastiness.  A good quality porter, I'd pick up a six pack next time I'm in the mood.