I didn’t do an end of the year re-cap, or a favorite beers of the year, or a best new beers/breweries of 2015 article. I do four seasonal best-of articles and thought it would be a little redundant to rehash it all again. That being said, I read a number of these recap articles, especially those written by other local beer writers. I always like to see which beers stood out for others, even if I don’t always agree. These lists also clue me in on some beers that I might have overlooked during the year and gives me a chance to go back and give them a shot. One beer that popped up on a couple different “best of 2015” lists was RiverWalk Brewing Company’s Winter Porter. I have enjoyed a few different RiverWalk beers but hadn’t had a chance to try this one, and now that it’s porter month on Hoppy Boston it seemed like an opportune time. RiverWalk starts with a rich and malty robust porter recipe and then adds vanilla beans and cinnamon sticks for complexity. RiverWalk Winter Porter is available during the winter months on draft and in 500 mL bottles.
RiverWalk Winter Porter pours pitch black with a mild tan head. The scent is a mixture of roasted malts and vanilla. The beer is very malt forward, notes of milk chocolate, espresso, caramel and molasses. The vanilla and cinnamon are present but subdued adding some pleasant complexity but letting the malt flavor shine. The hops are mild, just a little added bitterness and balance. Winter Porter is medium bodied and drinks pretty easy at 6.3% ABV. The finish is clean with some lingering roasted malt flavor. I really enjoyed Winter Porter, I understand why some of my fellow beer writers added it to their best of 2015 lists. I am also really glad that RiverWalk beers are readily available now so I can keep sampling their creations! Hoppy Boston score: 4.5/5.
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