When was the last time that Bridgeport Brewing of Portland, Oregon brewed up a batch of Raven Mad Imperial Porter? I can’t say for sure, but it looks like it might have been a few years ago. There is no more mention of it on the brewery website, though I suspect bottles may be floating around out there. Reviews seem to still be popping up on various beer websites.
Now, of course, one will grace the pages of the all-important bruguru.com. That’s because I finally popped my bottle of Raven Mad Imperial Porter. I bought this at Sherlock’s in Kennesaw, GA in early 2012 and I’ve been aging it ever since. I really like to do that with big beers, and of course this one is beg enough at 7.5% alcohol by volume.
Raven Mad isn’t just an imperial porter, mind you. It’s a blend of imperial porter and stout, half of the beer is aged in whiskey barrels and half aged on oak. From the label:
This is a blend of whiskey barrel-aged porter with a batch of unbarreled stout. It has a maximum of roasty malt flavor, hop bitterness, wood/oak overtones and bourbon-vanilla notes.
Bridgeport beers are always a win for me and so many other beer lovers across America. Not only are the beers usually wonderful examples of their respective styles, but they’re a bargain, too. Raven Mad Imperial Porter was no exception at a very reasonable $5.99 for a 22-ounce bomber bottle.
Bridgeport Raven Mad Imperial Porter pours to a jet black color with a huge rocky head of tan foam and a roasted chocolate and vanilla nose. Taking a sip, the beer is remarkably roasty up front, then a little smoky, and all that quickly followed by woody oak, a subtle hint of whisky, vanilla, and at the last a roasty bitterness with a sour finish to cap it all off. This is a very complex beer indeed, and a very delicious one indeed. It definitely benefits from the barrel and oak aging.
And all for just $5.99? It’s a winner, folks. And a no brainer at that. The only think I’m Raven Mad about is that Bridgeport hasn’t brewed it in a while. You need to work on that, guys.
And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.
*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.
(B)=Bottled
(D)=Draft