East vs West, Porter Showdown

During the summer my beer of choice is generally a hefeweizen or if I'm lucky enough to hit up a McMenamins happy hour, their Ruby Ale (one of the best beers ever [made with 42 lbs. of Oregon raspberries]), however, for one of those cold winded evenings where the chill blows through the valley, or if I'm just feeling like being "one of the guys", I thoroughly enjoy a solid stout, or the stouts easy-going cousin, the porter.  My hubby-bear is all about the IPAs and stouts, but I often like to take a step back and only bring 3/4th of a loaf with my meal.  A porter is ideal for these occasions where you might want full flavor, but don't need it to overpower everything else you're putting in your mouth.

[side note] try your favorite porter with some chunky tomato bisque and salad or grilled cheese.  It's sing-along awesome!

So, as a fan of the porter, when a free Ninja Porter, brewed by the highly regarded Asheville Pizza and Brewing Company, was placed before two tipsy bears, my jealous bias was grateful for the opportunity to compare and contrast this unsuspecting challenger with the home-grown Porter from McMenamins Brew Pub and Restaurant. 

 I did not take either of these photos unfortunately but the one to the right is the Ninja Porter from the Asheville Brewing Company, while the one to the bottom/left is McMenamins' Porter

  Although later Bipolar Bear and I found out what an amazing Brewery the Asheville Pizza Co. is, this was our first introduction and I have to say, it fell short, especially after all the hype.  We found that the Ninja Porter's name is fairly apt as we never did encounter any real flavor.  For a dark beer it was surprisingly thin and empty yet with a bitter edge.  For me it was more of a chore than an experience to drink a full pint.  The McMenamins Porter, however, is creamy and toasty yet without undue bitterness or overwhelming bread-like qualities that many dark brews possess.

Without a doubt, although few beers are on par with the Asheville Pizza and Brewing Company's Fire Escape Ale (with real jalapenos!), their porter fall greatly short while the McMenamins' Porter soars among their other choice beers.  Today the West wins out, paws down.