Lake Louie Brewing is a fairly new, established 1999, brewery in the South-Western Wisconsin town of Arena. Primarily Known for its independence as well as its ability to procure some fine craft brews out of a very small space.
Tommy’s Porter: 5.7%abv Suggested drinking temperature (I would say 7-10C 44-50F).
Lake Louie Tommy's Porter
When I noticed there was no label detailing the alcohol content I searched and searched the internet-my only quick reference for such things. Unable to find the answer I looked to the Lake Louie website and called the contact number. To my surprise it was answered by master brewer and owner Tom Porter. He took the time to not only mention that the beer was around 5.7%abv but to fill me in on further details of the beer: Alcohol levels change in the winter due to the particular yeasts and how they ferment differently in different temperatures. his opinion is that any higher alcohol and the beer would “dry out”. This beer is labeled as an “English Porter” but he says it has been “Wisconsinized” or made less astringent with a milder coffee flavor, or lack of bitterness, as well as adding black malt and a moderate hop to even things out.
My own opinion is what you are reading for, right? Most of what Tommy has said is satisfactory to me. As it was consumed directly from the bottle, I was unable to determine the headiness of the beer. Should we use previous porter’s as an example we will note that most have a light, airy, tan (cola-like) foam to them-that dissipates quickly. Additionally there is a dense, not so intense, carbonation. Flavors are definitely nutty, dark, and coffee-like. I was surprised mostly by how sweet the beer was, especially as it warmed in the bottle-leaving the tongue slightly coated. It is a drinkable beer that, in my opinion, would get forgotten behind other porter’s in its class.
The Beer Crusader Experiment 