Bobo’s Robust Porter is a limited release American Porter brewed by Big Sky Brewing Company in Missoula, Montana. ABV stands at 6.2%. The following is our team review of this beer:

Michael: It pours a deep, dark, earthy brown with faintly purplish edges. The head is like a topping of soil and dissolves quickly into the brew. There is a bitter smell, wrapped around earthy scents, almost like a pile of rocks and dirt. Its pleasant, but intense, all covered in a thin coating of smoke and dark chocolate. It tastes thin and dry, drifting into something a bit sour and ending with a bitter linger. A little alcohol on the finish as well and while the mouthfeel isn’t that of a silky smooth stout, it’s definitely enjoyable enough. Grade: B-

Tom: I was met with hints of oatmeal, dark chocolate, coffee, and deep roasted grains that provided a bitterness all their own. With a thick creamy head and heavier mouthfeel it seemed more Stout-like. If you have had Big Sky’s Slow Elk it was very similar. Velvety, rich, and chewy are good descriptors. The aftertaste was laden with classic coffee highlights common to most Porters. Side Note: while over at my house one afternoon, Noel and I called the brewery to ask who “Bobo” was. We were told there are a thousand different answers, but that he was basically a Chihuahua. Grade: B+

Taylor: Hard to review this roasty, toasty porter without thinking about the raccoon that interrupted my photo … just chillin’ on my balcony in the middle of the day, he was probably hoping for a sip of Bobo’s. The color of this brew was the most impressive … super duper dark and thick, like what would come out of the oil pan of a Mack truck that’s just driven coast to coast. Smells of those quintessential roasted malts, coffee with hints of chocolate. Nice big-bubble brown head which laces down the first third of the glass. Taste is bold, mildly carbonated. Of a richness that necessitates some kind of hand-rolled tobacco product as a companion. Finish had a bit of tang to it, not sure what that was all about. Was it robust? Yes. Was it life-changing? No. Grade: B

Noel: Ever since I was introduced to Big Sky’s Moose Drool brown ale a few years back, I’ve been a fan of this Montana brewery. And knowing that most of their beers pay tribute to the local wildlife, imagine my surprise to find this limited release porter with a crazed chihuahua on the label. Not quite the first animal that comes to mind when I think of the American west…or America in general (although Tom and I did call Big Sky and they confirmed that Bobo the chihuahua is a bit of a legend around those parts). But while the beer itself isn’t legendary… it’s still quite awesome. Incredibly black, mildly carbonated, smooth, and with loads of “espresso-y” and “mocha-esque” malt from start to finish; it lives up to the “robust” adjective. Grab some chocolate, a cigar, and enjoy. The legend of Bobo…maybe? Grade: A-

ABV: 6.2%

Final Grade: B