Here’s another beer that I picked up this summer on vacation in Charleston, South Carolina: Holy City Pluff Mud Porter from Holy City brewing of North Charleston. This is my second beer from Holy City; after having a bad experience with their Pecan Dream Brown Ale I decided to give them another try. That beer was passable, but most of the cans I bought burst and were over-pressurized.
I do love a good porter, so I was looking forward to this beer. How would it fare? First, lets see what Holy City says about it on the can label.
Pluff mud [plÅff-mÅd], noun, A mixture of dirt and water indigenous to the marshes of the South Carolina Lowcountry, with a distinct odor that’s endearing to locals, but off-putting to tourists and redcoats.
Our second flagship beer was an effort to bring the American Porter style to the Charleston market proper, while also making a beer that stays appealing as the mercury rises. We think we’ve succeeded in Pluff Mud Porter. It presents (and smells) like a classic porter, with subtle chocolate notes and a silky finish, but the medium body and tame ABV keep it refreshing at all times. Enjoy this throughout the year, in or out of the marsh.
Holy City Pluff Mud Porter has an alcohol content of 5.5% by volume and runs $9.99 a six-pack in cans, not too bad actually. They call it an American porter, but I prefer to classify my porters as brown or robust. This is definitely a brown porter if you ask me due to the body, although the flavor leans to the robust side.
Holy City Pluff Mud Porter pours to a jet-black color with a thick spritzy head of bubbles that quickly fade and a soft roasty chocolate nose. Taking a sip, the body immediately strikes me as rather thin, though the flavor is not lacking. The beer is quite roasty and very chocolaty and finishes with a roasty bitterness. I am enjoying the flavor, though the thin body is detracting from my overall satisfaction.
Tasty enough, with a little more body this could really be something special.
And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.
*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.
(B)=Bottled, canned
(D)=Draft