Flossmoor Station Big Poppa Imperial Porter

Beer:  Big Poppa Porter (BPP)

Brewery:  Flossmoor Station Brewing Company

Date: February 8th, 2014

Style:  Porter

ABV: 10.0%

Similar To:  Founders Porter, Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald Porter 

Description:
Mrs. Beer has returned from her travels and the whole family's off to visit the grandparents on the South Side today.  As luck would have it, a college buddy's also in town for the weekend and we've decided to meet down at the Flossmoor Station Restaurant and Brewery, located about 20 feet from the Flossmoor Metra station.  This venue works well for both of us, because it's close to where my friend teaches on Saturday morning and is also on the same train line that has a station about 4 blocks from the grandparents' house.   Ostensibly, we're meeting up for a beer swap, I'm delivering Goose Island Bourbon County Stout and getting the hopefully soon-to-be-reviewed Founders Kentucky Breakfast Stout.  Closer to the truth is that I'm looking forward to having a couple of beers, shooting the sh*t, and hopefully reviewing one (or more) for 3B3D.  As luck would have it, the first beer I tried was one of their seasonal brews, BPP, a strong start to the evening in more ways that one.

First Impression:
Pours black with little carbonation and no visible head by the time it reaches the table.  Very faint medium brown lacing circles the tulip glass.

Smell:
Coffee, and lots of hops.  Some underlying chocolate, malt, and strong alcohol.

Taste:
Big coffee taste and hoppiness, with that expected big alcohol finish.  Some background sugary sweetness which helps to balance this brew.   It's that strong finish which helps distinguish it from many other porters.

On the Palate:
Rich on the palate with low carbonation.  Quite warming going down.

Why You'll like It:
A very big porter, likely to appeal to fans of imperial stouts, and even barley wines.

...and why You won't:
Though 10% ABV is no longer overwhelming by current standards, if you're used to other porters, this one may be a bit outside of your comfort zone.

In Closing...:
Hanging out with old friends and meeting new ones:  Check.  Easy access by public transportation to good beer (and food):  Check.  The aforementioned good beer:  Check.  An enjoyable time was had by all.

Rating: 3 1/2 Stars (out of 5)

That chick behind the bar is totally checking you out.