Embrr Rye Porter

There are a lot of benefits that come with hosting semi-annual beer and cheese events. Chief among these is that there is often a King's ransom in leftover cheese that becomes the property of the house, through a combination my guests' generosity, sloth, or inebriation. In a similar fashion, leftover beer is a major perk, particularly when it involves something that is typically unavailable at Toronto liquor stores. Enter Embrr Rye Porter, a product of Ithaca, New York's Ithaca Beer Co., left in my care and stewardship by my great pal M.T.

Embrr is a dark brown ale that pushes the boundaries of black. It pours forth from its 355mL bottle with a handsome layer of tan suds. As with some wacky American ales, the percentage is not listed--a behavior entirely unheard of North of the Border. To my nose, Embrr packs a hearty, slightly sweet, malt driven scent with mocha notes and the promise of some bitterness. The flavour proves to have a lot of the touchstones of a classic porter: malty heft, molasses elements, and a whisper of coffee and chocolate. Less evident than I hoped for are rye notes. If it wasn't listed on the label, I'd never know there was the grain involved in the making of this ale, though seeking it out pointedly, I was able to detect a few spicy fingerprints under the Java notes of the finish.

While Embrr might not be a quality exemplar of rye flavours, it is definitely a tasty and agreeable ale. Rich and robust, with an interesting taste palate, it certainly agrees with me.

Rating: 8.0 out of 10.