Two Pence Porter
Five Seasons Prado

 

 

 

 

A fine English porter, served a bit too cold in a standard pint glass at the Prado location. Clear and dark with ruby highlights. All of the rich dark malt expected, with a proper dose of hops and none of the obectionable aromas or flavors that plague lessor porters. Plenty ofdark chocolate and coffee in the nose. Lingering dark malt flavor with a light touch of smoke and spicy English hops. Creamy smooth with near perfect carbonation.

On-tap at the brewpub.

Pours one shade from black with a one-finger tan head. The head recedes into a thin layer on top leaving solid lacing.

Smells of robust roasted malts with good amounts of cocoa powder. As the beer warms the chocolate aromas smooth out a bit and turn more toward rich semi-sweet chocolate.

Tastes similar to how it smells. Moderately dry roasted malt flavors kick things off and are joined quickly by unsweetened chocolate flavors. Very light hints of char come into play midway through the sip before fading out into a solidly bitter ending.

Mouthfeel is good. It's got a nice thickness with smooth carbonation.

Drinkability is also good. I finished my glass without a problem and could have another.

Overall I wasn't terribly impressed with this beer but see it as a solid stand-by. Worth a shot, especially if you're a fan of the style.

Appearance: Decent clarity to the dark brown crowned with a dense layer of beige foam.

Smell: An earthy nose of dark malts, slightly roasty, and displaying malty notes of chocolate and, to a lesser degree, coffee.

Taste: Robust dark maltiness with the chocolate and coffee carrying over from the aroma. Very minor accents of smoke and vanilla. In the middle there's a slight bitterness, along with further roasty, earthy tones. A bit of chocolate on the drying finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Medium carbonation.

Drinkability: A quality, enjoyable porter that would pair well with a variety of foods but is also a tasty, competent brew that I could down a few of at the bar.

Pours a deep opaque coffee brown with a fairly thick pale tan head. Aroma is like a fine mocha, mainly of roast coffee and slightly sweet chocolate. Flavor again is mocha-like, roast coffee and semi-sweet chocolate with just a hint of molasses. Texture is fairly smooth and nicely fizzy.