[A Beer a Day] Cutthroat Porter | Odell Brewing | Fort Collins, CO

I don't feel especially talkative today, so to reflect my mood, I'm going to present a beer that really speaks for itself.

First, I'll let you know that Odell is far and away my favorite Colorado brewer.

That sounds like a fairly insignificant statement considering Colorado is a state roughly the same size as Alabama and South Carolina, and smaller than Massachusetts, Tennessee, and Maryland.  However, Colorado also happens to be the beer mecca of the universe, so this is like saying Gary Oldman is my favorite actor in Hollywood.

Odell makes very straight forward, principled beers.  They make a wheat, they make an IPA, they do a pale ale, an amber, and a porter**.  None of those beers are infused with strawberries, or pecans, or rose hips; or aged in whiskey oak barrels or inside of small Laotian boys -- nope, none of that shit.

Now, I'm not saying that all of those things aren't delicious additives (maybe not the Laotions -- but we'll have to wait for Brew Dog to tell us at some point); I celebrate the entire flavor catalog, however, at times we as beer fans get so lost in the muddle, that we forget what an honest pint of beer tastes like.

Cutthroat Porter is exactly what Odell brewing represents.  When I first opened the bottle and took a anticipatory taste, I was actually puzzled that I did not have to wade through layers and layers of flavors.  I had honestly forgotten what a true porter actually tasted like.  It was perfect.

Cutthroat Porter has all the qualities of an authentic London porter -- one of the world's great styles -- with heaps of roasted malts, a hint of fresh brewed coffee, and a swirl of cocoa.  Its a dark beer that drinks light and it wouldn't be too difficult to soldier through an entire six-pack during the moguls event at the Sochi Olympics.

And here is the really, really good news:  Austin just landed one of Odell's brewers, who moved to our shire to open up what is essentially going to be a Pizza Port clone.  That is win-fucking-win on so many spectacular levels.

Additionally, the rumor on the webernet is that Odell will enter the Texas market in due time.  Now, normally, I would dispel those rumors until I saw a Facebook picture of cargo ready to be shipped to The Great State from Fort Collins, however, this is the same source that broke the Ballast Point and Alaskan news.  So, you know, giggity.

ABV: 5.1%
Acquired: New Mexico
★★★★★★★★☆☆
 
**Sure, at times -- like any other US brewer -- Odell will get a bit cray with a small-batch series, but nothing that is even THAT over the top, really.