Mac’s Blackwatch Cream Porter

Blackwatch is the name given to a Scottish military regiment with a long history. I suspect that while this seems to be an easy drinking beer, one might feel a kick in the seat if you hang with Mac for too many rounds and thus, I think this beer lives up to the motto of the Blackwatch Regiment: Nemo Me Impune Lacessit. (No one provokes me with impunity.)

This is a dandy, dark porter with a robust, noticeable taste that makes me glad I picked up a whole six-pack and sad that I didn’t pick up two six-packs! Once again, thank heaven for Trader Joe’s! Even with the weather here in the desert southwest hovering near 100 degrees, I had no hesitation in pouring the last of my Mac’s Blackwatch into a glass this evening – it’s just not too heavy even for a porter. I hoisted this last of the six-pack in honor of the anniversary of D-Day, June 6, 1944, which where I’m sitting hasn’t yet come, but in the UK the fateful anniversary has arrived. (We’ll never know what they endured, or what they sacrificed and we should thank God for them every day we have the luxury of living in freedom.)

The Tasting

A beautiful pour with dark beer and tan head. Smells a bit of wine in the bottle. Smells of roasted nuts and maybe a bit fruity in the glass. This one’s a keeper and seems to be readily available at Trader Joe’s.

Here’s a link to the brewer’s website:
http://www.macsbeer.com/

Here’s the Roughneck’s Take on Mac’s Blackwatch Cream Porter (I like the analogy/metaphor, whatever.)
http://lagerheads.blogspot.com/2006/07/mactarnahans-black-watch-cream-porter.html

The hooligan’s over at Beer Advocate had nice things to say about Mac’s in general:
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/127/1130
(Though I rate it higher than a B- myself.)

Here’s a nice Wikipedia entry for the Blackwatch Regiment:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Watch