The Port Brewing Company's
Hot Rocks Lager is brewed in the old German Stein Bier tradition, a style that is pretty uncommon these days. The brewers literally use red hot granite to create a super-boil that imparts a nice caramelized tone to the beer. Hot Rocks is a nice dark lager, reminiscent of Newcastle, but with a bit more character. The nose has some great maltiness, and is awash in sweet caramel notes. On the tongue, there is a nice toastiness, with sweet caramel, dark chocolate, and coffee notes. You'd think that the hot granite they use in the brewing process would impart a really noticeable flavor or at least a smokiness, but alas that's lacking (to me anyway). The head dies quickly and gets sort of big-bubbled and lacy. The mouth feel is really great, and this beer is super drinkable. It's a seasonal release and is only available in the Spring/Summer so stock up.
