Mike Duggan #08 London Porter
Duggan's Brewery

I'm surprised I hadn't reviewed this beer yet, so reviewed on recent visit to Duggan's. Pours an opaque dark brown colour with thin off-white head. Some mild lacing on the glass. Smells of mild chocolate and coffee with the roast, but there is some odd aroma (almost like root beer?) too that I don't remember from before. Flavour has small amount of roasty bitternes with plenty of sweetness. Quite a smooth mouthfeel. Not as good as this was a year ago when they first opened, or my palate has changed. Still nice though.

On-tap at Duggan's Brewery, in Toronto.

Inspect it at any angle you want - no light's getting through this puppy. The winter night's sky and my table's lowly candle can't confirm whether or not the beer's staunch black body may, in better exposure, allow for some highlighting but one thing's for sure: clarity is definitely out of the question. An all engrossing sheet of lace results from its head which, like a shadow in darkened woods, is also tinted quite dark.

The bouquet is a tall, chocolaty smokestack of cocoa and mildly roasted malts. The scent, like all else about the beer, is dry and fairly bitter. It boasts a good dose of sooty roast although much of its character is derived from a non-roasted maltiness, including hints of dark toffee and currant. There is a discernible aspect of coffee but it is subtly suggested and nowhere near as forward as has become commonplace in most North American porters.

And all that flavour becomes even more appreciated in the taste. The taste of a finely conched, high-end chocolate becomes much more assertive, the coffee suddenly turns to espresso and intricate details of shallot and cedar round out what is a very well-attenuated beer. If I were the brewer I wouldn't change a thing. This is delectable.

This has just the right build for a beer its style. The body weighs in at just the right density, there is little to no sweetness and instead a sooty dry bitterness. Carbonation is neither too high nor too low, the water has a stiff carbonate component and the taste is chock full of that rich chocolaty flavour but without the burnt or harsh roasted flavours often found in a stout. I'll gladly have another.

I can say without a trace of doubt that this is one of the best examples of an English-style porter I've tried of any North American brewer. I'd even go so far as to say that this could not only compete alongside, but outscore even, names like Fuller and Samuel Smith. Indeed, when/if this finally does make it into bottles it'll certainly have a year-round seat in my fridge. Until then, let's hope it'll have a permanent seat at the brewpub.

This beer appears black, with slight red edges, and one finger of creamy beige head, which renders some cirrus cloud-like lace around the glass as it recedes. It smells of light roasted chocolate malt. The taste is dry chocolate, sweet roasted malt, and earthy hops. The carbonation is low, the body medium weight and smooth, and it finishes off-dry, the roasted chocolate malt persisting.

A pretty solid porter, full-flavoured and robust.

A: Black with a tan head, good retention & lacing.

S: Chocolate & light coffee, bready malt, hints of caramel and some nice fruity esters.

T: Biscuity malt, chocolate, demerara, light coffee & fruity esters, good bitterness, solid brew.

M: Moderate body is smooth with a pleasantly off-dry finish.

D: A full flavoured porter that's not too roasty. Definitely a good drinker.

rich, winey. Black body, lace dots. A lttle chocolate in the smell, leaves a residue in aroma. Smooth mouthfeel, if not a tad above average.This is more of a sipper, and a glad after dinner dessert complement. Felt somehwta higher a.b.v. than listed. Bang on to style.

On tap at the brewpub.

Pours an opaque black, with some ruby highlights in the corners, very thick and rocky tan head forms, slowly settles to a medium ring around the glass, good lacing and retention.

Smell is real nice, roasted malts, lots of chocolate, caramel, dark fruit, biscuit, dry and grainy, some chocolate milk sweetness, very malty.

Taste is similar, lots of chocolate and light roastiness, biscuit, caramel, brown sugar middle, light fruits, some raisin, solid bitterness in the finish.

Mouthfeel is medium boded with low to medium carbonation. A pretty damn solid porter, reminds me a bit of Fullers Porter, good stuff.

Half at the brewpub on its opening night.

Pours a very dark brown (more so than the stout), with ruby highlights at the edges. A small tan cap provides a decent amount of lace and has decent retention. Decent aroma mixes in chocolate, coffee, sweet malt and husky grains. Flavour has balance written all over it. Decent roast notes find prominence in coffee, but are balanced by delightful milk chocolate notes that give a delicate sweetness. A modest hop bite gives some interest to the finish and combines well with the roast to achieve a lingering bitterness. Medium body and carb seems well suited.

A very decent porter, and one that I expect I'll have many times in the future. The best thing about this beer is the balance, as the flavours won't knock you dead. Decent stuff.