On Tap is a regular column featuring our recommendations on the most-unique, new draft-beer offerings from local pubs.
Our Recommendation: Boulder Shake Porter
Where: The Pour House, 116 N. Pottstown Pike, Exton, PA
I’d been wanting to check out The Pour House, the latest restaurant concept by the same folks that brought us PJ Whelihan’s. Labeled as “A Better Beer Bar,” The Pour House has taken over the Exton location where Cheeseburger in Paradise once operated. The Pour House also has a location in Westmont, NJ.
Like PJ’s, The Pour House features a great selection of beer, both on tap and bottled. The food menu consists of shared plates and an assortment of burgers. Black and white photos of classic rock ‘n roll bands such as The Who, The Rolling Stones and The Clash line the walls, and music from the ’70s and ’80s played throughout the night.
With thirty-one beers on tap, there’s much to peruse on the beer menu. The menu is nicely laid out, noting all the essentials such as a state of origin, ABV, ounces and a description. I’m also a fan of having prices on the beer menu, which The Pour House does. There’s been a few incidents recently where after ordering and drinking a craft brew off a menu which did not list prices, I felt a sense of sticker shock when reviewing the bill. I was thrilled to see pint prices at The Pour House were reasonable. Several of the craft pumpkin beers were listed at $4, and the most expensive tapped beer was a Timmermans Pumpkin Lambicus at $7.50. The bottle selection is also impressive.
After careful consideration, I ordered a pint of a beer I’d not heard of before—Boulder Shake Porter.
Boulder Beer Company is Colorado’s first micro-brewery and, although they started in 1979, their Shake Porter was just released in October, 2013.
This porter pours a dark black with very little head by the time it reached our table. The first sip was all about the chocolate, which floated up to my nose. There was a lingering sensation of coffee. The porter is not very carbonated, giving a nice creamy sensation on the tongue. At 5.9% ABV, this is a little high in alcohol to be considered a sessionable beer, but it definitely makes for a good dessert beer.
If you are looking for a reason to check out The Pour House yourself, consider their Smuttynose Brewing Co. Tap Takeover on Thursday, November 7, from 6 to 10 p.m. Featured beers will include Clusters Last Stand, a collaboration between Smuttynose and Stone Brewing, as well as their Pumpkin, Rye IPA, Baltic Porter and Brewer’s Choice on cask.
