The Jersey City Independent"

A few months ago, I had the pleasure of reviewing cookies from Jersey City’s Feed Your Soul. This weekend, I got the chance to get drunk on them in the form of Cookie Jar Porter, the newest beer in the Brooklyn Brewery’s Brewmaster’s Reserve series, inspired by Feed Your Soul’s Honey Oatmeal Raisin cookie. Brewed with many of the same ingredients as the oatmeal cookies it was based on, along with an 8 percent alcohol by volume made it sound like the perfect winter beer: strong, and dark with a warming alcohol finish.

I’ve been anxious to get my hands on it finally ever since I heard about its unveiling on Jan. 21. Unfortunately, the distribution in New Jersey is limited and absolutely no Jersey City bar could get any. And since Brewmaster’s Reserve beers are not bottled, and only available for limited release, I finally stopped waiting on Jersey City get with the times and trekked under two rivers to the Brooklyn Brewery in Williamsburg, dropping by the bakery to stock up on cookies along the way.

With the brewery a short walk from the Bedford stop on the L train, the commute was less than an hour. I hustled my way to the bar area and introduced myself to brewer Dan Peterson. He poured me a Cookie Jar Porter into a snifter and I and asked him, a few nerdy beer questions, like what he thought makes Cookie Jar stand out from other American porters.

“The cookie aspect,” Peterson replied. “The ingredients it’s made from: brown sugar, cinnamon, whole bean vanilla, raisins. The balance between porter and oatmeal cookie.”

He recommended the beer be served in a snifter or other stemmed glass ware for the aromatics. Also, he reassured me that I’d come to the right place to try it: the Brewmaster’s Reserve series, along with Brooklyn Brewery’s fancier beers, are still made in Williamsburg (while the high volume bottles like the Lager are made upstate.) After telling me that he didn’t know when or if it would be available in New Jersey, and that no, I couldn’t work there, I found a picnic table and sat down to drink by myself.

It was nearly black, like espresso, and an aggressive pour gave it a thick, coffee-colored head. Similarly, a strong coffee and chocolate malty aroma came off of it, with a slight whiff of cinnamon, alcohol, and something I couldn’t put my nose on: was it licorice? I finally put some in my mouth.

It was served a little too cold, at about 42 degrees, but still the first thing that hit my taste buds was bitter dark chocolate with a slight raisiny finish. There was no standout hoppy taste, and no alcohol taste present, which is impressive considering that it has such a high content. The oatmeal-cookie flavor wafted through my mouth as an aftertaste — faint, exotic for a beer flavor, but pleasant. As it warmed, the complexities of the flavors became apparent. At times, raisin and vanilla got stronger, at other times, cinnamon. The warmer it got, the more the oatmeal cookie flavor came through. The alcohol wasn’t noticeable until the end, when I was a little drunk, and it added a nice heat. All in all, it had nice bitter chocolately taste. The mouthfeel was creamy, and thicker than most American porters, and had a light, delicate carbonation that I enjoyed.

I also tried it with the Feed Your Soul Cookies, and while the oatmeal was all right paired with the beer, the Cocoa Loco — a chocolate cookie with white chocolate chips — was amazing. The different chocolate tastes complemented each other amazingly and I’ll never drink coffee with chocolate cookies again.

All in all, it’s a respectable American porter. It’s a good example of the style, yet it has its own personality. I plan on back to the brewery to drink more of it while it lasts, which could be as little as one more week (WAH!). Because the Brewmaster’s Reserve is limited, they’re only around for about two months, and the porter’s going fast.

Yesterday I spoke with the brewery’s New Jersey distributor, Mike Ferry. He told me that while the Brewery will expand the line the future, unfortunately, the Cookie Jar Porter’s running out. There are two locations in the Garden State that carry it: Andy’s Corner Bar in Bogota, and Bistro 55 in Rochelle Park (and they might even be out of it by now). Other than that, some of the Whole Foods in New York City will sell you growlers, and a select few fancy beer bars have it. But I recommend trying it at the brewery while you can. I’ll see you there.

And Williamsburg, you’re welcome (for the cookies that inspired one of the best beers in your neighborhood).

Brooklyn Brewery
79 N. 11th St.
Brooklyn, NY
Hours: Saturdays 12-8 pm, Sundays 12-6 pm