Trash Panda Porter

The only thing one needs on a miserably cold day in April characterized by snow and freezing rain (other than a nice, peaty scotch) is a nice coffee porter. Enter Trash Panda Porter, a brew “seasoned with cold steeped Ethiopian beans”. Born in Toronto to The Six Brewing Co., Trash Panda is a 6% alcohol porter. I picked up a massive 750mL oil drum of a can from the bottle shop attached to the brew pub. The beer inside poured with a deep mahogany colour, topped with a thin flourish of off-white head.

Trash Panda has an agreeably rich aroma that straddles coffee and chocolate notes. The flavour is refined and enjoyable, though it is less emphatic than I’d have asked. The beer has coffee elements in good measure, as well as some malty tones and a touch of cocoa, but it could have been more bitter and ballsy. The mouthfeel was a bit on the thin side for a porter, but not distressingly so.

I thought that Trash Panda was a pretty good beer—not game-changing or innovative, but certainly pleasant. As I said, it would have been a stronger effort with a greater emphasis on hops and unbridled java bitterness. The 30 IBUs listed on the can just aren’t enough. Still, TP tasted nice, if a bit mild. It certainly brought me a little cheer on a brutal “spring” day.

Rating: 6.5 out of 10.