Port's Truck Stop Stout

We had visitors from the South for past the week and the beers I served and recommended were a Tour de West Coast IPA - Stone, Alpine, Russian River, Alesmith and more.  The West Coast (and my) craft beer obsession has not engulfed the South, so they'd not had too much exposure to the big hoppy beers we expect and sometimes take for granted in San Diego.  We took them to The Linkery on St Patrick's Day for the farm-to-table dining experience, and of course some good beer.  The Beer Rovette and I wanted corned beef and cabbage in honor of St Patrick's Day, and The Linkery was serving it up.  

In the spirit of the holiday, I took an IPA detour and ordered Port's Truck Stop Stout, a dry Irish stout that I thought would be a courtesy nod to my fractional Irish heritage.  I was expecting a forgettable beer and a quick return to The Linkery's IPA offerings, but was instead floored by Truck Stop.  What a treat.  It was served on Nitro so it came with a rich, thick foam.  I was immediately struck by Truck Stop's smooth drinkability.   I am not a fan of the term or classification "session" beer (if you like a beer drink it and don't complain about the ABV), but it's easy to envision drinking multiple Truck Stops over an evening in a smokey, noisy Irish pub.  Truck Stop's roasted malts gave it a taste of coffee.  It was not at all bitter, either from roasted malts or hops.  It was a dry beer, so each drink begged another.  The alcohol was low, like 4%, so nursing this beer is not an issue.  The ubiquitous Guinness Stout dominates this category, and if you're like me and base your non-imperial stout decisions on mediocre Guinness recollections, you're cheating yourself.   This is a far better beer than Guinness, with its smooth initial taste and satisfying finish.  When was the last time Guinness caused you to raise your eyebrows?  I am looking forward to trying other non-imperial craft stouts.