Note: This is a series I call Caveman Beer Reviews, because I like to drink beer but am a caveman when it comes to beer knowledge. I know only the basics, and do not have a refined palate. I’ll review the beers on price and what they look, smell, and taste like to me.

Beer: KBC (Kennebunkport Brewing Co.) Porter

Bottom Line: A nice, chocolaty-malty beer that’s a few notes short of excellence.

Price: About $1.17 per bottle

My Rating: 4 out of 5

Details

So as I’ve been learning a bit more about beer, I’ve come to see a pattern in that I like porters. They’re dark and tasty, they please me. So the last time I was at Trader Joe’s, I saw this bottle with the big “porter” label, and I picked it up right away.

Seeing that it’s from Maine, I expected it to be good. My logic was that, though I’ve never been to the Pine Tree State, I imagine it to be kind of like Vermont and Oregon: not lacking in hipsters that know how to make beer and how to grow beards.

Origin: Portland, Maine

Alcohol: 5.7%

Looks: A dark glass standard beer bottle with simple, nautical-themed labeling. The biggest word on it is “porter”. I think that was a good design idea, because it led me to buy the bottle. However, the labels were probably low-quality, because they were peeling off from my bottle. The beer itself is a very dark brown color.

Smell: Strong malt smell with hints of chocolate.

Taste: The KCB Porter has an interesting, taste that’s like half malt and half dark (bitter) chocolate. I think the flavors mesh quite well into a pleasing whole. The tastes do not really linger in the mouth, except perhaps a little bit on the back.

The carbonation factor is medium-high, with a little too much gas for my taste. It’s also a little watery.

Overall, I’d say the KBC Porter is quite good, though not excellent because of the slightly excessive bitterness, gaseous-ness and watery-ness. I’d dial each of these qualities down one notch.

Hangover Factor: Nothing out of the ordinary. I’m a male in reasonably good health born in 1983.

Final Thoughts

A pretty solid beer, though not truly a standout. I’d advise buying it if you can get it cheap.