The other day, G-LO stopped over for a quick beer (and then a whole lot of whiskey). I have noticed that he brings a beer to taste, writes up some notes and then passes them over to me. I am beginning to suspect that he is sneaking in a review before a good session of the brown liquor and then passing the notes off to me to post a review. Truth be told, I have slacked off on the writing as the drinking is far more interesting at this point and the dreaded work and family have taken what little “free” time I may have had. In any event, I found amid the empty bottles some notes on G-LO’s latest find from Speakeasy, the Payback Porter. Having just had our Porter-Palooza, I was intrigued by the style and after G-LO’s review of the Big Daddy IPA, I was intrigued by the brewer (Speakeasy Ales & Lagers).

Before we get to my review, here is what Speakeasy has to say about the Payback Porter:

American hops provide a smooth distraction for Payback Porter’s robust strength, which is concealed within the shadows of dark imported malts.

I found the beer to be…

• Appearance: Deep, dark brown with ruby red highlights. Quickly dissipating foam and minimal lacing.
• Aroma
  • Limpd: Sweet, dried cherries, bread and a faint hint of coffee.
  • G-LO: Bittersweet chocolate with medium roast coffee.
• Taste
  • Limpd: A little thin and a bit boozy with a big burnt coffee aftertaste.
  • G-LO: Lightly carbonated with much more coffee upfront than I was expecting, which I am liking. A bit of cocoa comes through in the finish. A touch on the dry side.

ABV: 7.5%

The Verdict

We found that the Payback Porter was good enough that it could have been included in our Porter-Palooza. It is still not in a class with the Founders but is on a par with Anchor. G-LO thought it was in that same class but with more of a coffee and chocolate profile. I thought it was a little more on the boozy side and had a good bit of sweetness that was then cut by the coffee finish.