Old Slug Porter
RCH Brewery

Old Slug PorterOld Slug Porter
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From:
RCH Brewery
 
England, United Kingdom
Style:
English Porter
ABV:
4.5%
Score:
85
Avg:
3.77 | pDev: 10.88%
Reviews:
108
Ratings:
140
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Nov 20, 2021
Added:
Jan 14, 2002
Wants:
  4
Gots:
  3
In the old brewery we had a problem with slugs getting into the brewery. As the beer leaves a trail down the glass as you drink it like a slug, that's how the beer was named.
A delicious traditional porter with a full bodied taste of chocolate, coffee, blackcurrant and black cherry with a good aroma. A near black colour with a good white head when served through a tight sparkler.
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Ratings by Cedromar:
Photo of Cedromar
Reviewed by Cedromar from Massachusetts

4.2/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5
Served on Cask at the Moan and Dove:

A: Dark brown, very nearly black with a light, fluffy head.
S: Had a bit of a cold at the time, but some fruity notes were detected.
T: Wonderful taste of cocoa powder and some coffee
M: Too watery for my liking.
D: Overall, I liked it. Would make a good session beer.
Dec 28, 2007
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.75 by paulish from New York

Nov 20, 2021
 
Rated: 4.37 by Daneve76 from Australia

Jun 07, 2021
Photo of maddogruss
Reviewed by maddogruss from New Jersey

3.39/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
Had this from a cask.

A: pours a dark brown/black body with small, light tan head with nice retention and lacing
S: pretty roasted, subtle coffee smelling beer
T: tastes pretty roasted and slightly bready; nice, slight chocolate aftertaste
M: a little light but very smooth; medium bodied
D: nice mouthfeel and taste combo; pretty solid beer overall
Nov 18, 2020
Photo of Ozzylizard
Reviewed by Ozzylizard from Pennsylvania

4.03/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 4
$ 8.68 (Including tax and deposit)/500 mL bottle ($ 0.514/oz) at Alkies, Massena, NY. Reviewed 8/2/19.
Undated bottle. Stored on shelf in store. Traveled in my ice chest, then refrigerated overnight in hotel refrigerator before being served in a hand washed and dried shaker.
Appearance – 4.5.
First pour – Light amber, clear.
Body – Dark brown, opaque. When held to the light, deep red amber.
Head – Large (Maximum 10.7 cm, aggressive center pour), light tan, medium density, average retention. While the head was contracting, it formed a frothy cap which then retracted to a four mm crown and a complete rocky cap. A large amount of three-dimensional lacing remains on the glass.
Lacing – Very good. Drooping partial rings of tiny to small bubbles, connected by medium columns and having tiny stalactites. See also above.
Aroma – 4 – Cocoa powder and a bit of coffee, a bit weak.
Flavor – 4.25 – Flavor is subdued with a coffee, cocoa powder and a hint of cherry. Slightly bitter. No alcohol taste or aroma (4.5 % ABV), no diacetyl, no dimethylsulfide.
Palate – 3 – Medium, almost creamy, soft carbonation.
Impression and interpretation – 4 (- 0.25 point for having an undated personal container.) Very tasty English Porter, easily sessionable.
Aug 02, 2019
Photo of GuyFawkes
Reviewed by GuyFawkes from Illinois

4/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
From old, undated notes. Poured from the bottle.

Black liquid, purple at the edges when held to the light.

Nice white lace; strong lacing throughout.

Nose of cherry & red wine; odd for the style. Dark fruits galore.

Medium mouthfeel, bordering on thick.

Raw grain flavor up front; dark fruit on the back end.

Totally unique. Extremely smooth. Notes of oak creep in. Not sure I want one all the time but an interesting beer.
Jun 18, 2019
Photo of GreesyFizeek
Reviewed by GreesyFizeek from New York

3.25/5  rDev -13.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
This one pours a nice dark black, with a full frothy head, and a bit of lacing. Looks right on.

Smells like chocolate, old coffee, slightly tart dark berries, and slightly oversweet maltiness.

This isn't bad per se, it's just not very good, either. It's definitely thin, which doesn't help, and the slightly tart finish, like rotten berries, is not pleasant. It's a bit chocolatey, but the main malt character is just sweetness, which is disappointing and non-complex.

This is kinda thin and watery, with a normal level of carbonation.

This is fairly disappointing- I was expecting a rich traditional porter, and I got some weird shadow of that. It could be old, I didn't check the date, but this is definitely not something I'd recommend anyway. Maybe they should try brewing it without slugs?
Mar 14, 2017
 
Rated: 3.54 by Ppin from England

Apr 06, 2016
Photo of Jugs_McGhee
Reviewed by Jugs_McGhee from Colorado

2.78/5  rDev -26.3%
look: 3.25 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.75
Brief impressions from a bottle reviewed live in Kuopio, Finland:

A: Pours a healthy khaki head with ample frothiness an cream punctuated by a soft even consistency. Has a soft sticky look - right on the money for an English porter.

Body is a predictable opaque black. True to style. No yeast is visible.

A standard porter appearance, with notable head retention (~9 minutes).

Sm: Chocolate malt, cream, a hint of blackcurrant (when I look for it, per the label; otherwise I'd figure it for some kind of berry), and dark malts. Malty sweetness dominates. More of a rich chocolatey aroma would be superior, and its absence of roasted barley is disappointing. Additions of coffee, hazelnut, vanilla, etc. would also help.

Still, it suggests a balanced beer with a pleasant taste. Very inviting, even if there is ample room for improvement.

I find no oats, yeasty notes, overt hops, booze, off-notes, or black cherry. The label's claims of "nutty, woody flavours" and "honeyed toffee" go unsatisfied.

TASTE: The shallowness of the chocolate malts is highly disappointing, and feeds into the generic malty sweetness that dominates the beer - almost eclipsing the otherwise pleasant blackcurrant character. There's zero roastiness here, and it could do with more cream. All in all a shallow simple brew with only a passable balance. Not a gestalt brew, but it does have limited cohesion.

The build is rather basic. Very much a no-frills porter.

TEXTURE: Medium to full-bodied. Somewhat creamy. Overcarbonated. Smooth and wet, but not silky or velvety. Typical thickness for a porter. Not too heavy or overbearing.

Decent execution in terms of mouthfeel. It's a shame there isn't much in terms of flavour for this texture to support.

OVERALL: It's a fair attempt at a porter, but it falls far short of the greats in the style. Definitely drinkable, but lackluster nonetheless. Not a beer I'd buy again at Finnish import prices, nor would I say it's worth trying. But you could do worse, and I do like it for what it is. An average porter is a likable porter...

Low C (2.78) / AVERAGE
Jul 25, 2015
 
Rated: 3.2 by Fdevries from Netherlands

Nov 24, 2014
Photo of jazzyjeff13
Reviewed by jazzyjeff13 from England

3.69/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
A 500ml bottle with a BB of July 2014, so it's a bit out of date. Purchased a while back from the York Beer & Wine shop. Here's hoping it's still alright....

A: Poured into a dimpled pint mug. Bottle conditioned. A very dark reddish-brown hue that appears utterly black in the glass. Yields a large head of creamy beige foam that lasts for a few minutes bofore settling as a patchy surface layer. Nice lacing.

S: Aroma of roasted malt with hints of chocolate, coffee, burnt grain, mild molasses, subtle dried fruit, earthy yeast and faint stewed leaves. Tasty.

T: Tastes of roasted malt with a dry, bitter finish. Notes of dark malt, mild burnt grain, coffee, a touch of chocolate, subtle molasses, faint dried fruit, earthy yeast and stewed leaves. Well-attenuated, followed by a lingering malt-driven bitterness upon swallowing.

M: Mouthfeel is smooth and dry, with soft carbonation and good body. Somewhat astringent, accompanied by an aftertaste of dark malt, mild coffee, yeast and bitter stewed leaves.

O: A solid porter that goes down a treat. Looks great, while the aroma and flavour possess a satisfying blend of roasted malt, coffee, mild molasses and earthiness. Good bitterness but not excessive. Nice body. Worth sampling if you come across it.
Nov 15, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by Jonny41 from Maine

Oct 10, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by KevinRailton from England

Jul 01, 2014
Photo of FLima
Reviewed by FLima from Brazil

3.88/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Dark black color with red highlights and a thick beige head with good retention and leaving lots of laces.
Nice roasted malty aroma with notes of chocolate, charred wood, cocoa powder and licorice.
Flavor of blackcurrants, bread crust, wood, roasted malt, coffee, mild tangy citrusy, figs and cocoa powder. Dry and bitter aftertaste.
Light creamy body with good carbonation with tiny bubbles.
Benchmark for an English Porter. Tasty with a nice roastdness and very sessionable. Let it warm and you will be rewarded.
Jun 07, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by jaydoc from Kansas

Dec 29, 2013
 
Rated: 3.75 by BillRoth from Maryland

Dec 07, 2013
 
Rated: 3.75 by mrfrancis from Kentucky

Jul 09, 2013
 
Rated: 3.75 by Slatetank from Pennsylvania

May 24, 2013
 
Rated: 3.75 by zenithberwyn from California

Apr 06, 2013
 
Rated: 3 by jonathaniler from Florida

Feb 07, 2013
Old Slug Porter from RCH Brewery
Beer rating: 85 out of 100 with 140 ratings