I believe this is the first English beer I'm reviewing. This beer comes to us from the Samuel Smith Old Brewery in Yorkshire, England. Too bad you can't get this in a six pack. I picked up a four-pack, though, and it was a bit pricey – but well worth it. To be quite honest, this was a tasty beer.
Pour: Initially appears jet black in color with a 2-fingered tan head that's frothy and has good retention. If you hold it up to the light, however, it reveals the true color of the beer...a very, very dark ruby red color. Beautiful presentation.
Smell: Coffee notes are the star of the aroma...and very strong. Mixed along with chocolate malts, molasses, a little bit of whiskey, and some dark fruits. Complex and appetizing.
Taste: As with the smell, you get coffee, coffee, and more coffee flavor. The coffee is supported by a semi-sweet chocolate malt backbone, mixed along with a little bit of whiskey smokiness, some syrupy sweetness up front, and some dark fruit flavors. The hop bite at the back is moderate. Leaves a lingering coffee taste in your mouth. Bold flavor, and an absolutely delicious beer.
Mouthfeel: Moderate to full bodied, creamy, and low in carbonation. Smooth as velvet. Spot-on.
Drinkability: Very easy drinking, goes down very easily, and somewhat quaffable. Not too heavy or too filling.
Final Notes: This beer blew me away. This was an excellent porter all the way around. Coffee, whiskey, and chocolate are the front-runners in this beer. Its bold flavor will stand up to even the heartiest of meals...would pair well against barbecued/grilled meats and vegetables, seafood, even would be a great companion to a Burns' Night potluck. Also great drank as a before-dinner aperitif. I'm going with an "A" on this one.
Comments (4)
Porter is a really good kind of beer. Guiness doesn't compare to that.
I could never get down more than 2 porters at one evening. But it was always for the taste of the porter. The coffee/chocolate taste.
The one time I downed 3 porters was a life changing event. I won't elaborate more.
@PeterATL@xanga - Oh this beer is the bomb, let me tell you.
This a strange beer. It is really really good so it is hard to figure out why Porter completely died out by 1940 in England, not to be revived until 1978. Samuel Smith's had not made it for 50 years when it revived the style in 1979.
Now this sounds like a beer I could really enjoy. I'm going to have to keep an eye out for this one now. Thanks for this!