I'd Walk 10 Miles for my Leghumper!
Jun 21 '01
The Bottom Line Thirsty Dog Brewery's Old Leghumper is a delicious dark porter, and one of my all- time favorite beers!
Living in a state like Ohio, we have few opportunities to drink beer brewed fresh at a craft brewery or brewpub. Ohio ranks seventh among the 50 states in population, so you would think that the state would have dozens and dozens of breweries and brewpubs, but it doesn’t. Ohio lags way behind when it comes to serving up freshly brewed beer (and many other things, too!). Only Cleveland has a respectable number of breweries (6 of them, I believe), but even Cleveland’s number is low, when you consider the size of the metropolitan area.
Great beer is one of the life’s finest treasures. When a new brewing establishment opens, beer enthusiasts like myself are quick to schedule a visit and purchase a sample “platter” of beer. In my area (Dayton, Ohio), we have only three breweries in the entire metropolitan area of 900,000 people. The nearest one to my residence is also my favorite one. It’s the Thirsty Dog Brewery, a restaurant/brewpub located just a few miles down the road from my house, in the Dayton suburb of Centerville. Thirsty Dog brews about seven beers year round, and several more on a seasonal basis. They typically have about 10 to 12 beers on tap, at any given time. It’s beers and food center around the canine theme. The beer I’m going to review is my favorite Thirsty Dog beer, and also one of my all- time favorites. It’s called Old Leghumper, a dark porter.
Characteristics of This Beer:
Old Leghumper is a dark, rich, full- bodied porter brewed with roasted chocolate malt. This beer is very dark in color- almost black. Poured into a clear glass, no light can penetrate its dark, rich body. The foaminess is very good, and the aroma is one of sweet, roasted malt.
Tasting a glass of Old Leghumper is like a religious experience. The sweet, roasted malt covers the palate, along with flavors of coffee, chocolate, nuttiness, and a touch of creaminess. There’s some hop taste in the finish, but not very much. The brewers keep the hops at just the right level to ensure that this product doesn’t have any harsh, bitter bite to the finish. The bitterness level of this beer is only 24 IBU. That’s just right for this beer. At this level, you can taste some hops in the background, but the emphasis remains on the sweet malt. This divine combination of flavors will fill your body and soul with happiness and joy!
With a great beer like this, all five of your senses are stimulated. You see the beauty of a nicely poured glass of this beer, with its dark body and nice head of foam. You smell the wonderful aroma of sweet malt. You hear the sound of the carbonation as the bubbles dance throughout the malty mixture. You feel the bubbly sensation inside your mouth. And finally, you taste the delicious roasted, chocolate malt as it covers your palate with pleasure!
Where Can This Beer be Purchased?:
If I’ve piqued your curiosity, you should know right now that this beer is not easy to find. Thirsty Dog products are available only on tap, at one of its three locations in Ohio. Besides the Centerville location, there’s also one in Canton and one in Copley, Ohio, which is near Akron.
Beer can be purchased to go, in a half- gallon jug; a 2- liter growler; or a 3.3 gallon keggy. The jug is the least expensive option. You have to pay for the jug up front, which is less than $10, then you can return whenever you want to for a fill- up of your favorite Thirsty Dog beer. The cost to refill your jug is currently $6.95 and the price is uniform for all of the beers. The growler costs more to purchase, but it offers the advantage of superior protection from the elements (like light) and it does a better job keeping the beer from going flat. With the jug, you don’t have much time to finish your beer before it loses its carbonation.
Food Compatibility:
Old Leghumper is a great beer to drink with red meat dishes, hamburgers, and barbecued ribs. It goes well with sweet desserts, too, especially those that contain chocolate and/or nuts. But I think it’s best to just drink this beer all by itself. Why let the taste of food interfere with something this good? Drink the beer solo, so that you can savor the great taste.
Final Thoughts:
Old Leghumper is an outstanding porter. It won a Bronze Medal in the World Beer Cup, in 2000, in the robust porter category. Robust is the truth! This is a very rich, full bodied beer designed for the lover of fine porter. My rating for this beer is 5 stars out of 5! I wouldn’t change anything about this beer product.
Back when tobacco advertising was legal on television, one of the popular slogans was that a man would walk “a mile for a Camel”. Only a mile? Big deal! I would gladly walk 10 miles for the taste of Old Leghumper. It’s a good thing that this brewery is a safe distance from my house. I need all the barriers I can find, to keep me from spending too much time and money on such a delicious, tempting beer product.
If loving great beer like this is a crime, then I’m guilty of multiple felonies. Take me away, lock me up, and throw away the key........
Just make sure I have an unlimited supply of Old Leghumper, to keep me happy!
For more information on this product, visit www.thirstydog.com, on the world wide web.
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