Tasting Notes: Bristol Brewers United: Smoked Porter : Bristol Collaboration 2012

Bristol Brewers United: Smoked Porter : Bristol Collaboration 2012 (England: Porter: 6% ABV)

Visual: Dark brown with a red hue if held to the light. Dustings of vanilla froth coloured head that is more froth than bubbles. The head leaves a coffee cup side like trail as you drink.

Nose: Smoke. Rye bread. Dried beef jerky. Slight roasted elements.

Body: Very malty. Toffee and vanilla at the back. Smoke. A charred undercurrent and occasional liquorice trick.  Slight jelly like fruitiness with pineapple chunks. Slick and thick texture that comes slightly oily.

Finish: Slightly oily. Roasted and with a lot of smoke. Slight medicinal touch. Bubblegum. Still highly malted.

Conclusion: So do many hands make light work, or do too many cooks spoil the broth? Or other clichés.

Also, holy shit, how many breweries exist in one sodding city, and they all managed to get together to make this? Impressive.

The beer really shows the influence of the varied brewers involved.  It feels like new school fruity hops, an old school roasted base, very smooth character, restrained smoke and slight oiliness, all combined into an amazingly easy to drink pint.

Put it all together and, well, I have to say I’m impressed. The flavour is sweet but balanced by the roasted elements and smoke. It’s very BBF in its mix of old and new elements. There is a very solid sweet malt base which they build everything else off. This allows the smoke to be layered upon, and even just the very slightest Island medicinal character in the finish to keep you on the toes.  Very, very restrained though, more a hint that a full element so don’t let that put you off if that’s not your scene. The main elements are the sweet and smooth.

It is a restrained enough beer that you could manage a couple without being sickly, but it is still full of flavour.  It is a sign of the more old school brewers influences that this seems very well designed to take full advantage of the real ale and cask style to give a distinctive full bodied character.

Overall, yeah, if you can try it, do. It is extremely good.  Maybe I am being biased by the fact that it is such a big collaboration, or maybe by the fact that it is such a limited run. I can’t promise I’m not being influenced by that, all I can say is I really enjoyed this beer and I hope you do to.

Background: A collaboration between (deep breath) Bristol Beer Factory, GWB, Bath Ales (Which oddly, is in Bristol), RCH, Zero Degrees and Arbor Ales. That is some serious talent there.  I had to do some ringing around to hunt this down. Many thanks to James, the manager at The Salamander, who contacted me to let me know that it was on cask. (As of today it is available, there’s not much of it so if you want to try it I would advise going right away). Due to not having my camera on me at the time the photos are from a set taken on BBF’s Grain Barge – thanks to my mates for help with that one.

Tasting Notes:Brewdog: Christmas Porter

Brewdog: Christmas Porter (Scotland: Porter: 6.2% ABV)

Visual: A very dark brown to black. Loose bubbles in an espresso style form a head of light coffee brown. No immediately evident carbonation.

Body: Pepper seeds. Bubble gum. Cloyed cream. Milky coffee. Slight dusty chocolate. Orange juice. Warms to a more roasted character.

Body: Bubblegum, lemongrass. Milky chocolate. Bitter, definitely bitter. Tingly. Quite smooth. Slight pineapple. Slight mulled beverage spices.

Finish: Strawberry crème centres. Hops and chilli seeds. Dry hoppy bitterness. Bitter chocolate. Sour dough.

Conclusion: Here is my small acknowledgement that Christmas exists. A review of a Christmas beer. Woo. Yeah don’t all celebrate at once.

This has Alice porter at its base, but has a few distinctive differences. Aside from the obvious note of the extra ingredients that is.  The sorachi ace hop seems to have freer reign in this expression, making the bubblegum and lemongrass more full on. In contrast the cloying elements seem smoothed out, giving a much more easy to drink beverage. Possibly this could be attributed to the coca nibs, but I wouldn’t want to take that bet.

All the special ingredients seem to have similar restrained influences. The chilli hints itself in the occasional tingle, and the spice is moderate, an element of the beer rather than defining it.  Some people I’ve spoken to are not happy about this but I appreciate the subtlety. Its there, but only on examination, which is pleasing and rewards exploration of the beers nuances.

Not a huge jump from Alice Porter but the refinements are appreciated. The extra smoothness is key to making it a much more approachable beer, and the extra flavour means that you spend more time with it once you start. A good combination.  Compared to the overwhelming spice assault to “There Is No Santa” this is far more elegant and enjoyable.  So it has improved the quality Alice Porter, and actually defines well a quality Christmas. By that I mean the Christmas elements are unobtrusive and doesn’t get in my face every sodding thirty seconds. A beer all Christmas organisers should learn from.

Thanks Brewdog.

Background: This beer is based on Alice porter but has orange, cocoa and chilli added.  The base beer used the Sorachi Ace hop which is a favourite of mine, so I presume this beer does too. I am not an unbiased actor on Brewdog despite my best efforts. With the time of year being what it is, I have had far too much home mulled wine beer and the like over the past week or two at Capoeira gatherings. This has left me quite amenable to the mulled styling. I may not be a huge fan of Christmas. So sue me.

Tasting Notes: Brewdog: Alice Porter

Brewdog: Alice Porter (Scotland: Porter: 6.2% ABV)

Visual: Black, solid creamy toffee head of bubbles. Sud leaving and slow to diminish.

Nose: Apricot and chocolate. Milky coffee. Bubblegum. Fresh and fruity against roasted and heavy. Pineapple. Fudge. Roasted nuts.

Body:  Roasted nuts. Cloying texture. Sour dough and cream. Bubblegum underneath. Milk chocolate. Bitter. Light milky coffee. Light grapefruit.

Finish: Roasted nuts. Heavy charring and heavy bitterness. Slight soured elements. Long Lasting.

Conclusion: Oddness upon oddness. The first oddity is the Baltic porter itself. Always slightly cloying and sour, it’s a style I encounter rarely and intrigues me when I do. Second: Sorachi Ace influence. Lets face it, who thought “here’s a heavy roasted porter, what we really need is bubble gum style hops!”. Third, a nose that contrasts chocolate and apricot, fruit and coffee? Not what you would expect to work.

The nose however is by far the best structured part of the beer, as is so often the case. The heavy cloying body by comparison weighs over some of the cobweb fragile intricacies the nose promises.

Still, despite that it’s a great beer that lives up to its tagline of contradiction and manages to hold it all together.  Mad beers are always a friend to me, and this has a definite distinctive charm.  The cloying of a Baltic porter can be an acquired taste, but the joy of eccentricity should be universal. Give it a try, at worst you will find an interesting experiment, at best you will find a damn solid drink of unusual proportions.

Background: I can’t find the source I had for this for this, but I’m fairly sure this beer was made with Sorachi Ace hops which I have recently found an appreciation for.  I’ve been drinking a bottle of this every now and then for the past month and only just got around to actually doing a tasting note.   As always a disclaimer, I am not an unbiased actor on Brewdog beers.

Tasting Notes: Maui Brewing Company: Coconut Porter

Maui Brewing Company: Coconut Porter (USA: Porter: 5.7% ABV)

(Note: I refuse to use their irregular capitalisation of Coconut Porter on general fucking principle)

Visual: Dark black with slight red tinged edges. Brown caramel head as poured, but it vanishes soon. Quite carbonated.

Nose: Coffee, black cherry and chalk just roll out of the can. Coconut macaroons, milk chocolate. Very smooth but potent.

Body: Bitter, chocolate (oh and yes, bitter chocolate), with roasted nuts. Creamy silk, slightly milky.  Black cherry. Slight coconut. Slightly thinner than expected from the nose. Touch of sour in the underbelly.

Finish: Slightly metallic, charring and orange zest. Liquorice. Coconut again.

Conclusion:  So craft beer in a can eh?  Beer in a can is dicey prospect here in the UK, so we have here a Coconut porter from the USA for sampling pleasure.

Now this impresses right from the start, the chocolate, coffee and coconut aroma from the can is thick.  As the liquid bubbles forth on a pour, the toffee coloured head builds, as does you expectations. So far so good, and you are dying for the first sip.

Now the body does not match this wonder, the front especially is very thin.  However all is not lost, for the thickness and slick nature is held at the back, and builds as you drink, forming a damn decent porter.

Whilst the body is super slick, the finish still has an odd metallic tone that I would swear was psychosomatic from knowing it is a canned beer, if it wasn’t for the fact that the rest of the beer being completely clear of its trace.

Now, I wouldn’t drink this beer straight from the can, and I’m not sure if it’s intended to be, but it does succeed in putting a decent balanced porter out, with wonderful roasted and coconut aroma.  It’s just a pity that all the graceful coffee and chocolate flavour hides at the back of the tongue.  A more balanced set-up and it would be fantastic.

Still it’s convinced me to investigate a few more of these canned ales.

Background: For a while I have heard tales of quality craft beer in cans coming from the USA.  Since beer in the UK tends to be viewed as best in cask, followed by keg, bottle then can, this has always seemed odd to my mind.  It helps not that most canned beer here is very poor quality beer regardless of the container it is in.   However after many debates with fellow beer aficionados on how cask is not always best for all beers, and having tried few samples of the same beer in different formats I decided it would be best to investigate this potential new source of quality beer.   This can is the first such investigation.

Drunk whilst listening to the eleventh doctors theme (I think it’s called “Every Planet, Every Star”) from Doctor Who.

Tasting Notes: Daleside: Porter

Daleside: Porter (England: Porter: 4.4% ABV)

Visual: A very dark blackcherry red with a sturdy creamy toffee brown influenced head.

Nose: Coffee with a light roasted air, slight hazelnut and slightly chalky.

Body: Treacle and charring, smooth bitter solid core. Creamy. Blackcherry pie, milk chocolate and toffee.

Finish: Liquorice, charring and bitter chocolate. Very nutty at the end and slight mocha. Milky.

Conclusion:A very creamy porter if coffee and chocolate style. A tad heavy take on the treacle and charring on the front, which makes it hard to get the subtleties initially. But if you stick with it then it seems to smooth out as it goes. The robust body has enough creaminess and smooth texture to make it work.

I can pick flaws, for it is far from perfect. The nose isn’t that strong for a porter, and the balance is often off, but it seems slightly nit picking to bring it up as it weighs in decent, so I wont complain too much.

All in all a big flavour porter for a sturdy pint.

Background: As they are a North Yorkshire based brewery I will admit a bit of bias when it comes to Daleside, as part of the eternal North vs South rivalry. Their Old Legover was a very nice pint, sofar they’ve proved a sturdy brewery. This tasting was done in a pub during a family gathering, so is slightly shorter than usual to keep from starting family feuds.

Tasting Notes: Moor: Peat Porter

Moor: Peat Porter (England: Porter: 4.5% ABV)

Visual: Very dark ruby red with a dusting of off white head.

Nose: Chocolate, smoke, coffee granules and kind of peat like I guess, maybe. Milk and more smoke.

Body: Bitter chocolate, dry malt, chalk. Gritty taste. Sour towards the swallow. Blackcherry. Slight touch of the promised peat.

Finish: Growing charring and bitterness. Slight medicinal at the very end. Lots of dusty elements in the finish, dry and chalky. Treacle and somewhat earthy. Slight sweetness.

Conclusion: An intriguing concept which, unfortunately, leads to a mediocre ale. It plays the range, but feels slightly too gritty to catch the imagination.

The peat styling of the name can kind of be found on examination, but its so fleeting that it could easily be psychosomatic.

A few nice elements, but it comes together in unrewarding ways. Not terrible, but considering what you can do with a porter this doesn’t excite.

Tasting Notes: Quercus: Stormbrew

Quercus: Stormbrew (England:Porter:5.0% ABV)

Visual: Very dark ruby/blackcherry red with a beige bubbled head of resolute sturdyness.

Nose: Lots of milky coffee and some roasted nuts. Ovaltine.

Body: Bitter, slight bitter chococlate. nuttiness. Slight light creaminess and a touch of blackcherry. Touch of treacle.

Finish: Bitter with coffee traces, dusty character. Hard liquorice chunks.

Conclusion: A nice smooth set of flavour, coffee and treacle, all nicely woven together. However, like a shy but talented artist it doesn’t push its talents centre stage. Everything’s there but just slightly understated.

As it is, it’s a lighter, bur flavoursome beer – maybe works out well for when you’re feeling a bit less steady and want a beer that will take care of your weakened constitution.

A soother of a beer, but without the nightcap sleep inducing connotations that often suggests.

Tasting Notes: Pitfield: 1850 Porter

Pitfield: 1850 Porter (England: Porter: 5% ABV)

Visual: Dark black with a thin nutty brown head.

Nose: Coffee, dry, nutty. Slightly milky. Some treacle sweetness.

Body: Fizzy texture, frothy. Huge nuttiness. Charring and sweet treacle. Surprisingly sweet final moments

Finish: nutty, dry and wholegrain flour. liquorice.

Conclusion: Very nutty powerful and sweet. Not big on subtlety, almost over forceful into sickly sweetness. It just manages to hold back from overdoing it.

Not a session beer then, more a weight of flavour dropped directly onto your tastebuds in liquid form. Best to be consumed alongside a hearty meal that can hold up and contrast against the strong flavours within. This will ensure that each mouthful is a fresh experience.

Tasting Notes: Old Chimney: Amber Porter

Old Chimney: Amber Porter (England: Porter: 4.8% ABV)

Visual: Dark reddish brown, fizzy off white head that lasts only a few seconds. Slightly fizzy body initially but flattens out quickly.

Nose: Raw coffee beans, milk chocolate and oak. Hint of black cherry.

Body: Milk chocolate, bitter core. Black coffee touches and burnt elements. Treacle. Slight whitener and oak, black cherry is hinted at but not fully formed. Light understated chocolate sweetness in the undercurrent.

Finish: Dry wheat, charring and burnt ashes. Bitter. Quite noticeable run of coffee beans.

Conclusion: A solid porter, heavier in the flavours shown than most, closer to the elements of a sturdy bitter than the lighter expressions that comes in the creamier porters. A more restrained and understated experience.

A slowly expressive pint, not the best I’ve had but it does the job. The restrained style does make it seem closer to a bitter in a lot of ways as I mentioned, it’s a pint that keeps things close to its chest, but does seem worthy if you take the time to investigate.

Tasting Notes: Nøgne-Ø: Porter

Nøgne-Ø: Porter (Norway: Porter: 7% ABV)

Visual: Dark black, filtering towards bright cherry red at the base. Frothy coffee brown head that doesn’t shift.

Nose: Light toffee, fragrant hops. Slightly grassy, dry. Very milky coffee.

Body: Lots of roasted nuts, rough chalky texture. Bitter charring and chocolate. Crushed grain. Chocolate liquor/chocolate cream.

Finish: Bitter chocolate, very dry. Roasted oats. Lots of ovaltine in this finish. Chocolate cake, raisin. Becomes a milky chocolate towards the end of the pint.

Conclusion: What I took originally to be an uninspired porter with its light nose and mixed early tastes ended up blooming into a slow burn of a porter with chocolate cake richness under the bitter dry body.

It’s a growing experience of a beer that subtly implies its alcohol and hints at flavours early on that only coyly reveal themselves over the full lifespan of the ale.

Impressive then, if not showy, the taste really sneaks up on you, until you suddenly realise how much you’ve enjoyed it