Sea Dog Brewing Company - Hazelnut Porter

Sea Dog’s Hazelnut Porter is brewed with an infusion of natural hazelnut flavor to complement the roasty flavors emblematic of the porter style – a pairing that makes sense given the popularity of hazelnut coffee. We found that this interesting approach to a porter does indeed work out quite well. An attractive brew, it offers up a deep, dark brown color with garnet hues at the edge of the glass when held to the light. The hazelnut aroma is most certainly apparent, along with underlying coffee notes. There’s a lightly sweet creaminess implied by the aroma, as well, with a vanilla-like hint. On the palate, this porter presents a good roasty malt base with notes of toasted caramel and coffee grounds, all overlaid and complemented by hazelnut. Residual sweetness is mild to moderate, maybe finishing a bit drier than it starts, and overall we found it quite balanced on the palate. Try it alongside a New England-style pot roast. Cheers!

Sea Dog Brewing Company was founded in 1993 by Pete Camplin in the old seaside town of Camden, Maine. Being in the construction industry as a restorer of old buildings, and being a passionate homebrewer since his college days, Pete surprised no one when he decided to build a 240-seat brewpub and microbrewery out of an old run-down shoe factory. Inspiration for the name came from his dedicated sailing companion, his dog Barney. Though Barney has long since passed on, he lives on as a mascot on every Sea Dog label.

Camplin and Sea Dog Brewing Company opened up a second location in 1995: a 540-seat restaurant and brewery in downtown Bangor, along the scenic Penobscot River. A few years later, in 2002, the brewing company came into the ownership of entrepreneur Fred Forsley and famous master brewer Alan Pugsley. Pugsley (a Brit whose work with numerous brewpubs and smaller breweries, as well as his well-known Shipyard Brewery, makes him one of the more influential brewers of the craft beer renaissance in the U.S.) and crew have continued Camplin’s vision of brewing a full portfolio of tasty handcrafted ales to be served with great food in a fun atmosphere. Currently, there are three Sea Dog brewpub locations: the aforementioned Bangor location, as well as one in Topsham at a wonderful spot on the Androscoggin River, and one near the Maine Mall in South Portland.

For more information about the Sea Dog brewpubs, call (207) 871-7000 or visit their website at www.seadogbrewing.com.