Next Round: Hey, porter

Like many beer geeks, I love the hoppy ales. But occasionally I get a thirst for something different.

Never fear, I'm already working on my next flight of hop-driven delights, however, lately I've been exploring porter.

My first introduction to the style came more than a decade ago from Boulevard Brewing Co.'s Bully! Porter, which it continues to produce today. I still recall the roasted malty flavor of the dark brew.

Recently, New Belgium Brewing Co. brought out Portage, its own edition of the classic porter, as a seasonal beer to bridge winter and spring. An opaque pour, Portage greets you with a nutty, mocha smell. It's not too heavy and, at 6% alcohol by volume, very drinkable.

Porter has a colorful history that New Belgium specialty brand manager Lauren Salazar details in a YouTube video. In 18th-century London, a pub master created a beer that became a favorite of the porters who moved goods from place to place, thus it earned the name "porter."

New Belgium had been more focused on sour beers, Belgian styles and hoppy ales over the last few years and decided "porter was a style that we hadn't really tapped," brewery spokesman Bryan Simpson told me. "It's kind of fun to do something on the maltier end of the spectrum and that was part of the decision process."

The beer got its name from the fact that many brewery employees carry their kayaks along the nearby Cache La Poudre River this time of year as the snow melts and fills tributary.

The goal was "a very straightforward, beautifully-crafted porter, but very true to style," Simpson said.

Porter, he said, is "one of those almost forgotten styles, but when you take a moment to step away from those really big hoppy beers it's just really a counterpoint to what is going on in craft these days."

Mid-Atlantic Brewing News editor Greg Kitsock recently opined on porter as "something you take for granted, like a comfy easy chair or a well-worn sweater," in The Washington Post.

If the dark — but not dank — porter style is unexplored territory for you, here are a few recommendations to ease your search:

Bell's Porter: Cola-colored with subtle nuttiness and a bit of a carbonated bite.

Founders Porter: This classic take on porter has a strong malt character that mellows as it warms (6.5% ABV).

Heavy Seas Deep Six: An inky dark brew that offers a hint of smokiness and a coffee aftertaste. Stronger in taste and alcohol (6.8%) than the Portage.

Terrapin Liquid Bliss Chocolate Peanut Butter Porter: Another entry that is slightly stronger (6.7% ABV), but creamy with whiffs of chocolate and a nutty follow-through.

Wolaver's Alta Gracia Coffee Porter: Porters naturally have coffee notes, but this 5% ABV winter seasonal made with Vermont Coffee Co. fair trade organic Dominican coffee has the aroma, taste and aftertaste, too.

Shake Chocolate Porter: Another one for chocolate lovers, this Boulder Beer Co. porter (5.9%) uses chocolate wheat and cacao nibs for its dark chocolate milk flavor.

Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald Porter: Winner of multiple major awards over more than two decades, this is a hearty example of the American porter (5.8%).

Ballast Point Victory at Sea: The San Diego brewery has concocted a boozier Imperial porter (10%) that will also please fans of strong stouts. With vanilla beans and coffee beans used in the making, Victory at Sea would be right at home flowing over a bowl of ice cream.

Next Round will take a regular look at new and recently released craft beers. And if there's one on your radar, or if you have suggestions or questions, contact Mike Snider via e-mail. And follow Snider on Twitter: @MikeSnider.