Cinnamon Coffee Porter

Finally...The day has come to crack open one of my most anticipated brews of the year a porter! There is something about a dark rich beer in the autumn months...apple pie, a good baseball game and beer in hand is what autumn brings.

I brewed this wonderful porter in late September with hopes that around this time that it would be ready to drink and share with family and friends. The beer is a true dark porter that I tinkered with just a bit. At the end of the boil i added three cinnamon sticks and finally two cups of a New England coffee staple (Dunkin Donuts) five days after primary fermentation.

Sweet notes of cinnamon and molasses first strike you on your initial taste while the ever present DD coffee bring you closer to the snowy New England coast. One thing i will change on the next batch is more cinnamon perhaps after the initial fermentation. But no regrets with this one!!!

Hard Cider 1 (Tasting)

Finally after more than a month of waiting and waiting and more waiting I finally decided to crack open my very first hard cider, as a brewer I've never attempted a cider but I was willing to give it a go (on a small batch).

Tasting of the cider was shall we say eventful! I opened to bottles and the first notable thing was the clarity, very crisp clear looking sparkling cider. As usual I used coopers carb tabs instead of batch priming (just my preference). There is a noticeable sour after taste but it only hits you in the back end I attribute that to not proper back sweetening but I hope aging will help with that over time. All in all this batch looks very well I can't wait to share with friends and family this month!

Tasty Wit

Another great beer from a regional brewery in Alexandria, VA Port City Brewery. They have a tremendous lineup of small craft beers that truly deliver a crisp, clean flavor for every pallet. The wit delivers a clean crisp taste along with a hint of coriander and orange as a finishing note, hopefully the brewery will grow with regional success and maybe one day we will be blessed with a selection of beers in the Peninsula one day!

Black Silk

During my most recent trip to Alexandria, VA to visit some family I stopped by the Port City Brewing Co. for a tour and tasting, they have been operational for nearly nine months and it doesn't show at all. With a great staff and facility and true knowledge of brewing these will definitely be a staple of beers in my fridge.