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Every week, we take a look at a craft beer brewed in Florida. Follow #FloridaBeerFriday for more reviews of Sunshine State brews. Get out there and #DrinkLocal.
Florida Beer Friday is here again, and I'm heading over to my favorite beer store to pick up a six pack of Coppertail Brewing Company's Night Swim, an unabashedly rich porter.
Porters are a beer style that can easily get people confused. Mostly in the debates about what differentiates a porter from a stout. Vigilant beer scholar Martyn Cornell gives a good historical explanation of the two styles on his blog, and comes to the conclusion that there really isn't a difference at all. One of the only things that can be counted on is that a porter or stout will use a degree of dark roasted malts (kilned at high temperature to give a large degree of toasting), and containing 'dark' flavor compounds.
Tampa's Coppertail Brewing Company's Night Swim is an entry into the field of beers called porters, and makes its way into our neck of the woods via 12 ounce bottles.
Like taking a dip in the pool after dark, it's a smooth affair and feels oh-so-good. Pouring into the glass, it emerges with a dark and velvety flow, producing a well maintained dark brown cap of foam. Aromas are pretty big roasted and chocolate notes. Smells decadent and dessert-like. The mouthfeel is moderate and brings forward notes of nuts, chocolate, pine, spice, and dark roasted coffee. It's thinner than the aroma suggests while providing a bit more bitterness than a typical porter.
At 6.2% ABV, it's in the standard range for American porters.
You can find Night Swim at most standard craft beer stores, as it's widely available in Broward and Palm Beach counties. It will be in six packs of 12 ounce bottles.
Doug Fairall is a craft beer blogger who focuses on Florida beers and has been a homebrewer since 2010. For beer things in your Twitter feed, follow him @DougFairall and find the latest beer pics on Clean Plate's Instagram.