Brewer Q & A (Issue 22)

94 Rating – Wasatch Brewery – Polygamy Nitro Porter

Responses from Wasatch brewmaster Jon Lee.

Who came up with this beer's recipe?
We’ve had Polygamy Porter in our lineup for quite a number of years, and I can’t really give credit to one particular person for its creation. However, for the push to get a nitrogenated version, I’ve got to give credit to Wasatch founder Greg Schirf. The original Polygamy Porter was released in the winter of 2001 and quickly became a hit. We’d always thought that it would be great with the creamy head of a Nitro beer so we invested quite a lot of effort into the release of this 6.0 percent ABV nitrogenated version of the Polygamy Porter. 

What’s your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, etc.)? 
This is really a “full package” type of beer. I love the creamy mouthfeel of the nitro beer and the malt flavors that are present due to the low carbonation. There is also a nice fruity hop character that plays well in the background from the Willamette hops we use for aromatics.

Where does this beer’s name come from? 
This was a tongue-in-cheek name that was thrown out at a weekly planning meeting back in 2001 with obvious ties to some of the early history of Utah. It’s a funny name that resonated so we stuck with it and made it our own!

Is this your "desert island beer?"
Yes, absolutely!

Is this your "desert island beer?"
Super creamy nitro, scrumptious roasted malt, subtle fruity hops. Delicious! 

Do you know a story – or have a personal story – that revolves around this beer?
While nitro beers have been a staple on draft for a number of years now, getting them into a package is quite a bit different. We’re one of the very few breweries nationally that has been able to do this successfully and we are quite proud of what we have accomplished. Figuring out how to do it was one of the most difficult projects that many of us had worked on in quite some time.