Fellow beer enthusiasts, I give you…..Reformation Stark Porter. Why “Stark” porter you ask? The beer has nothing to do with Tony of Iron Man
fame or Sansa fromGame of Thrones. Nor is the beer particularly strong (Stark is the German word for strong). Instead, Reformation describes this year-round staple offering as “A Stark Contrast to the Noise of Life.”

Stark Porter is also described as a “refreshed porter”, and it’s made with coconut (what refreshes better than that tropical delicacy?). I can tell you that a 32-ounce growler from Stout’s Growlers here in Canton certainly refreshed me. This is my first time trying this beer in fact, although I have enjoyed a cask conditioned version brewed with vanilla.

The brewery says of this beer:

Stark is a handcrafted Robust Porter. Black in color, moderate aroma of toasted coconut and roasted malts in the nose. Flavor is medium roast, hints of chocolate sweetness, and a mild sweet finish. Medium bodied with a moderate amount of carbonation that focuses on creaminess over fizziness. The wonder of this beer is the coconut incorporated to accentuate the roasted malts. At 5.5% ABV, this is an everyday beer that begs you to share the moment a little longer. Best served at 45-50F.

Reformation Stark Porter has an alcohol content of 5.5% by volume, I paid $9.75 for my growler at Stouts.

Reformation Stark Porter pours to a light black (not opaque) color as holding it up to the light it becomes a dark brown in color with rays of light peeking through. The nose is hard to resist, lush as it is with notes of dark chocolate laced with soft suggestions of coconut. Did I mention the pillowy tan head?

I take a sip, because after sniffing this beer it would be hard not to do so. Soft chocolate notes peak through, a bit fudgy as the nose suggested but also quite roasty. The coconut is there and although subtle at first, it really comes out more as the beer warms and eventually permeates. A dry roasty finish rounds the whole thing out, but the more you sip the more the chocolate and coconut remind me of a liquid Mounds bar here.

I’m not sure I’d call this a robust porter (it seems more a brown porter to me), but it straddles the line for sure. That does not change my love for this beer, it’s truly delightful for a chocolate and coconut fanatic like me. Why not try it yourself and see if you too don’t love it? I think you will.

Update 5/10/2018: Stark Reformation Porter on a nitro pour at Taco Mac! It's smoother and creamier and chocolaty with a hint of coconut. Heavenly!

Update 4/16/2020: Swung by Reformation brewery in Woodstock for some beer, including a six-pack of Stark Porter. We've been on Coronavirus lockdown for about 6 weeks now and I wanted to throw some business Reformations' way; curbside to go service made that possible. Popped a can this eveing and it is as smooth, chocolaty, and refreshing with light toasted coconut notes as it has ever been. Deliciousness for $10.00 a six-pack.

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

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