Butte Creek Brewing - Organic Porter

This porter pours a gorgeous reddish-brown color topped with a big, robust head of khaki foam. In the aroma department, there are some impressions of sweetness along with abundant notes of toasted bread and caramel, with a light roasty tone. We picked up a spicy hint through the center of it all, along with a light undercurrent of dark fruit, and some zesty hop notes. On the palate, expect a very approachable interpretation of a porter that’s very smooth and round from start to finish, with a roasty coffee-like character that comes through moderate until the finish where it seemed to us to build as it lingered with a nutty char quality. Look for the hops to really brighten the beer with floral and zesty citrus notes (more so than many other porters which can sometimes brood into an over-the-top level of roast/char). Powerful but friendly, this porter makes a good pairing with grilled meats and other hearty meals, or, as the brewery recommends, bangers and mash. It would not be out of place alongside a dessert like chocolate cake or coffee ice cream drizzled in chocolate sauce or caramel. Cheers!

Butte Creek Brewing began in early 1995 when friends Tom Atmore and Bill Beeghly decided to follow Sierra Nevada’s lead and open a new brewery in Chico, CA. Number two brewer at Sierra Nevada, Roland Allen, jumped over to join the new enterprise as brewmaster. Originally named Chico Brewing Company, the trio changed the name of their new brewery to avoid conflict with Sierra Nevada, which was claiming the right to the name Chico in regards to brewing.

After leasing a building and constructing their brewery, production began in May of 1996. But, it was in 1998 that they made the fateful decision to release their first organic beer, which also was one of the first in the nation. Due to the success of this and other subsequent organic beers, Butte Creek transformed their entire beer lineup into a 100% organic product line over the next few years, becoming one of the very few such brewing companies in the US to do so. Then in 2009, with their lease up in Chico, Butte Creek partnered with the iconic Mendocino Brewing Co. to begin production at their top of the line facility in Ukiah.

Butte Creek currently produces four year-round brews: Pilsner, Porter, Pale Ale, and IPA. For more info, visit them at www.buttecreek.com.