Black Wych
Wychwood Brewery Company Ltd

Black WychBlack Wych
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From:
Wychwood Brewery Company Ltd
 
England, United Kingdom
Style:
English Porter
ABV:
5%
Score:
84
Avg:
3.7 | pDev: 11.35%
Reviews:
110
Ratings:
216
Status:
Active
Rated:
Aug 30, 2021
Added:
Oct 09, 2002
Wants:
  12
Gots:
  43
BLACK WYCH A Dark Mysterious Spellbinding Porter
BLACK WYCH spellbinding porter ,
The Black Wych has cast her spell , start with a measure of
alluring rich dark malt & allow the bitterness to creep in.
This silkily smooth porter is a force to be reckoned with.

Brewed primarily for export.
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Ratings by velkyal:
Photo of velkyal
Reviewed by velkyal from Virginia

4.2/5  rDev +13.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4
Black Wych, described on the label as a "Spell Binding Stout". I am a big fan of stouts, having been brought up by my eldest brother to think of Guinness as the height of manly drinking - thus it was no surprise that my first ever legal beer was a Guinness. These days I steer clear of the Liffey Water, say it quietly but I prefer Beamish of the mass produced Irish stouts - although I am yet to try the O'Hara Stout, but it is high on my list for stuff to try for my birthday weekend in Ireland. But I digress, back to the idyllic English countryside. Black Wych pours dark, very dark, so dark it is practically opaque - I even put it right up next to a light and couldn't see through it. The head was the same colour as comes on an espresso in an Italian café, and boy is this stuff thick. The coffee theme continues in the nose, lots and lots of roasted coffee beans, with a subtle burnt chocolate undertone, which almost smothers a burnt caramel twist. I was excited about this one, and the first mouthful didn't let me down, with the espresso theme of roasted bitterness bursting on to my tongue. However, it wasn't the "velvety smooth stout" that the label promised, it is very dry, perhaps some oats would have smoothed it out. Not that it was bad, just not what I was expecting. This was a very fine pint, one that would go well with bowls of stew and open fires in the middle of winter.
Sep 11, 2008
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.71 by Electros from Canada (ON)

Aug 30, 2021
 
Rated: 4.54 by Daneve76 from Australia

May 26, 2021
 
Rated: 3.75 by Stengelfoot from California

Jun 03, 2020
 
Rated: 4.58 by Anacross from Oregon

Mar 18, 2020
 
Rated: 3.51 by arzt from Germany

Jul 06, 2019
 
Rated: 2.92 by alesinwales from Wales

Jul 05, 2019
 
Rated: 4.04 by WildMaverick1200 from Massachusetts

Jun 07, 2019
Photo of JonnoWillsteed
Reviewed by JonnoWillsteed from England

3.5/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Hot on the heels of a Thornbridge Coco Cocoa, I have hopes this one might be something simpler and better.
L- In evening light it's effectively black. Pours with a 1cm deep tan head, very slowly reducing.
S- Just some mild toasty coffee notes.
T- The flavour follows, quite toasty, even a hint of smoke.
F- But bright enough and at 5.0% to be somewhat pungent yet refreshing.
O- Certainly worth trying if you are a porter fan. There is nothing out of balance or out of place for me to note, just I'm reminded of the rather limited dimensions/profile within which black beers can be brewed.
500ml bottle. BB 31/1/2020
Apr 25, 2019
 
Rated: 3.91 by mizx from England

Mar 24, 2019
Photo of EzkatonL
Rated by EzkatonL from Mexico

3.68/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Slightly watery, not sure I like that.
Jan 24, 2019
Photo of TheBierdimpfe
Reviewed by TheBierdimpfe from Canada (QC)

3.53/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Medium: Capped.
Opacity: Opaque with a very faint copper hue.
Color: Wych Black.
Head: Slightly creamy and foamy light brown.
Legs: Decent with okay swirl reaction.
Smell: Black liquorice/Berries.
Taste: Walnuts/Toffee/Herbal.
Feel: Roasted/Leafy/Earthy.
Body: Slightly creamy and oily medium.
Carbonation: Moderate crisp.
Overall: Pretty good quality porter IPA. More fresh than usual but still kinda dull like a regular porter.

Visual 6/10 - Flavors 7/10 - Sensations 6.5/10 - Balance 6/10 -
Freshness 7/10 - Intensity 6/10 - Complexity 6.5/10 - Appreciation 7/10
Dec 22, 2018
Photo of elnachooo
Reviewed by elnachooo from Spain

3.46/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Cuerpo medio y baja carbonatación. Es de un color marrón oscuro con una perdurable cabeza cremosa. En su aroma se percibe el caramelo, el chocolate y el tostado. En boca es ligera, tostada con sutil final amargo.
Dec 08, 2018
Photo of RichardLeahy
Reviewed by RichardLeahy from Australia

3.49/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
From 500 ml bottle into tall glass. L. Very dark, black body with light tan head. Head is up to an inch on initial pour but settles quickly to a centimetre or so with quite a bit of lacing. S. Not a lot, a slight sweet, fruity note. T. A touch disappointing, some initial fruit sweetness but fades quickly to a dark grain/slightly smoky middle which lingers for a dry finish. F. Quite smooth, lighter than maybe expected. O. I remember seeing Wychwood Hobgoblin advertised in English magazines many years ago before any of these beers were available in Australia. This is the first time that I have tasted a Wychwood beer and, maybe my expectations were high, but a little disappointing. But not bad, and I look forward to trying Hobgoblin.
Nov 20, 2018
 
Rated: 3.48 by Goity from Scotland

Oct 27, 2018
 
Rated: 3.41 by Baviera from Belarus

Oct 04, 2018
Photo of BEER88
Rated by BEER88 from North Carolina

3.43/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Look is dark, smells kinda fruity, taste is dry and bitter roast, feel is medium, overall not bad but I don’t want another
Sep 29, 2018
 
Rated: 3.94 by Neilos from England

Sep 22, 2018
Photo of emincems
Reviewed by emincems from Turkey

3.56/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
almost black. tan, medium sized head. smell is not strong; slighlt roastiness and candy sugary
roasted malts, chocolate, slightly smoked, slightly sweet.
easy to drink
Aug 06, 2018
Photo of flyingpig
Reviewed by flyingpig from Scotland

3.37/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
500ml bottle from Morrison's supermarket (£1.50):
The beer opened with some toasted malts, an earthy bitterness & some chocolate touches alongside a coffee bitterness before some faint dark fruits featured with the nose but were sadly missing come the taste. It was a dark & malty offering with a fairly one-dimensional feel to it which means it's unlikely I'd pick it up again but it was at least an okay beer from Wychwood.
Jul 21, 2018