Otter Creek Brewing Company - Stovepiper Porter

Otter Creek's Stovepipe Porter is a traditional porter that is available year 'round. It is a deftly balanced beer that represents the style very well, presenting a bold spicy smokiness that is followed by a light roasted coffee finish, with a slightly herbal hop aroma. It is quite nearly black in color, with garnet highlights. While it's good from start to finish, our panel most admired this beer's remarkable balance between roasty, smoky elements and the crisp, surprisingly clean finish. This brew is excellent with a hearty stew or as a complement to mild or dark chocolate, or just an afternoon libation.

The Otter Creek Brewing Company is located in the beautiful little college town of Middlebury, Vermont. They shipped their first keg of beer back in 1991, which has us wondering, are the kegs at local college parties filled with Otter Creek brews, and if so, is it too late to go back to college? Clearly, local demand grew quickly; in just four years they outgrew their original site and moved into a 15,000 square foot, state-of-the-art brewery. Their original brewery was conceived of in 1989 by Lawrence Miller, an avid homebrewer. Middlebury was chosen as the brewery site as much for its quality of life as for its excellent water obtained from the pristine Otter Creek River (hence their name). Larry knew from extensive travels and studies throughout Europe that good quality water would be critical as he developed his brand of beers, each brewed with a focus on old-world brewing methods. In a move that made them the largest producer of certified organic beers in the nation, Otter Creek began a partnership with the Panorama Brewing Company in 1998 by producing Wolaver's Certified Organic Ales. The Panorama Brewing Company was founded by Morgan and Robert Wolaver in 1997 and was inspired by the Wolaver family's farming history. Their rich farming heritage spans three generations-right back to the early 1900s when Robert and Morgan's grandfather, Oliver "Wolly" Wolaver, began farming the family's land in Tennessee. For nearly 100 years the Wolaver family has cultivated a harmony with nature and embraced qualities such as hard work, pride and respect for the earth, which explains their drive to engage in sustainable farming and brewing. In May of 2002, the Wolaver family purchased the Otter Creek Brewing Company, but Otter Creek remains a family owned Vermont company and produces all Otter Creek and Wolaver's brands for distribution throughout the country. For more information about the brewery and scheduled tours, call (800) 473-0727 or check out their web site at www.ottercreekbrewing.com.