Hill Farmstead Everett

The Everett is a representation of a Robust Porter. This was the last beer I sampled at Three Penny in Montepelier after the Hill Farmstead Columbus & Lawson's Finest Double Sunshine. This one had a particularly barrel-aged aroma and flavor but their website leaves out any indication of this procedure. I must say the alcohol was starting to catch up at this point. Thanks to Kristine for driving home after a great experience at the Taproom.

Alcohol Content: 7.5%
IBU: ?
Malts: Pale, Caramel, Chocolate, Roasted Barley
Hops: Columbus

Price: 7$ - less than a pint
Medium: Served in a large Hill Farmstead wine glass

Aroma: A strong complex malt character overwhelms what I believe to be a light earthy hop aroma. The sweet malt backbone consists mostly of chocolate and roasted aromas with some coffee and smoke. Bittersweet malts complement the smokey and roasted aromas well.
Appearance: Very dark/ opaque. Server poured for a creamy mocha head with bubbles lingering on the surface. Good head retention and lots of creamy mocha lacing around the glass. Some dark garnet tints appear when looking at the last few drops (or tilting the glass up towards the light).
Flavor: At first a rich bittersweet chocolate character with supporting smokey flavors. Hop bitterness is very low and does not fully support the malts. I also sense a hint of vanilla & oak, possibly from barrel aging but I'm not sure of this. Definitely malt dominated from start to finish in that it feels very thick/ sweet - low attenuation. Finish is medium-sweet.
Mouthfeel: A full-bodied ale with lots of residual sweetness - somewhat cloying. Carbonation feels moderately low. A pleasant alcohol warmth finishes with the sweet malts.
Overall Impression: The strong roast of chocolate and coffee is too rich for my liking. A Robust Porter is open to interpretation by brewers so its hard to say how appropriate it is for the style. However, I would have liked to see more of a hops presence. There's no such thing as a bad beer but there are many better ones than the Everett.