JAMES LILLIN
Staff Writer
It was one of those strange, gray days in Fredonia. The air was somehow both chilly and humid, the rain neither pouring nor drizzling, as a slight fog moved along the streets.
The warm atmosphere inside of Ellicottville Brewing Company is always a welcome reprieve from the outside world, and it was doubly so that day. With a wonderful wooden interior, a kaleidoscope of liquors and beers behind the bar and a pleasant smell wafting from the kitchen downstairs, I was definitely looking forward to trying whatever it was the bartender had in store for me.
This week, Matt, the bartender, poured me a glass of Foglifter — their medium-bodied porter.
With an ABV of 5.8 and a 32 IBU, this smooth, bitter porter was just what I needed to lift my spirits.
The color was, at first, a lighter brown, reaching a hue like dark chocolate as the head began to settle.
After taking my first taste, I was struck by the strong, piercing coffee notes. There was a faint hint of a very dark chocolate in the background, but the bulk of the taste was pure dark-roast coffee.
They say if you like a beer, go to the source. When I was in Edinburgh at the end of December, I went on a pub crawl with some friends and we happened across a bar serving a special edition of Guinness called Guinness Smooth. It lived up to its name. Its consistency was so smooth that it was honestly disconcerting, like liquified cashmere.
Drinking Foglifter is the closest I have come to reliving the texture of that stout in Scotland, but if I had to compare, I’d say that I prefer Foglifter.
Perhaps it’s owed more to my personal taste, but the balance of the light carbonation and the medium-body of Foglifter was a much more pleasant and flavorful experience. The flavor may be less complex than some porter enthusiasts are looking for, but the main notes of the beer are bold and uncompromising.
I have never had a lightly carbonated, black cold-brew coffee, but if I had, I suspect it would be an eerily similar experience to Foglifter, sans the pleasant notes of alcohol. The head was smooth and tan, clinging firmly to the sides after a sip, and I never tired of the deep, pleasant coffee notes. The beer is more bitter than an average porter, but never has any of the upsetting or acidic notes that would accompany a similarly bitter coffee.
Those seeking to pair Foglifter with foods should look towards smoked and barbecued meats, or richly sauced dishes that can stand up to the strong flavor of the porter. It would also work very well as a dessert beer, begging to be paired with any rich dessert that has coffee, cream or chocolate as a featured element.
Verdict: Strong, smooth and simple, Foglifter is a bold coffee-forward porter that is perfect for a stuffy day.
4/5
