Beer of the Week (Vol. XLIX)

Another edition of Beer of the Week brought to you by the faithful folks at Glen Lake Wine & Spirits who can help bring some life into your Easter Weekend.

Some may think it a tad sacrilegious to continue the Beer of the Week series on a day as holy as Good Friday. But there's no reason that beer and Christianity can't be compatible. From the Patron Saints of Beer to the monks who used strong beer to see them through their Lenten fast, Christians and beer have a long history together.

If the monks were looking for a hearty Lenten beer today, they might find this week's beer to be a good fit. From Big Sky Brewing in Missoula, Montana we have Bobo's Robust Porter.

Plain brown bottle. Label is has the standard big Sky look with a less than robust looking scrawny mutt in front of snow capped mountains and big blue sky.

Beer Style: Porter

Alcohol by Volume: 6.2%

COLOR (0-2): Deep black. How much more black could it be? None more black. 2

AROMA (0-2): Roasted malt with some chocolate and coffee. 2

HEAD (0-2): Voluminous, foamy brown. Good lacing. 2

TASTE (0-5): Similar to the smell with roasted malt flavor followed by chocolate and coffee. Some light hop bitterness as well. Medium bodied with a creamy mouthfeel. 4

AFTERTASTE (0-2): Silky smooth and dry. 2

OVERALL (0-6): Porter is one of my favorite styles and this is definitely a good one. Sometimes porters--like a good dessert--can be too rich to the point where they almost leave a sour finish. They might taste good after the first sip, but by the time you reach the bottom of the glass, you've had more than enough. That's not the case with Big Sky's Robust Porter. It's well-balanced and combines fairly strong flavors with a nice smooth finish. 4

TOTAL SCORE (0-19): 16

May all of you enjoy a blessed Easter. And if you gave up beer for Lent this year, may you especially enjoy the end of your long fast.