Brown Porter
Bellwoods Brewery

'Black Porter' would be a more accurate name for Bellwoods' Brown Porter, their attempt at a more traditional malty, only mildly roasty dark beer. Hard as I try I'm unable to detect a single highlight or patch of clarity. Let's face it: this beer does not want to be seen through. Its head is equally resolute; not only won't it subside but the lacing it tacks on seems just about permanent.

Bellwoods brewed this for "those who want a break from hops" but somewhere amidst the milky cocoa bean and roasted coffee aromas I can still detect a trace of leafy, resinous hoppiness. Malt definitely runs the show, don't get me wrong, but true to form for this brewery left nothing particularly understated.

And that goes for palate too. It may be called 'Brown Porter' but it's part 'Robust Porter' too. It's a dual citizen beer, one that does have some reserved, mild nuance about it but also delicious, bold flavours of semi-dark chocolate, singed grain and its accompanying light smokiness, and even suggested hints of black currants and coffee. Leave it to Bellwoods to make a boring style so exciting!

Without being brash, this recipe offers bonafide flavour while still maintaining the balanced composure and easy drinkability of a typical "English" offering. While this brewery is most famous for having a heavy hand, they obviously possess a soft touch too. To make a proper brown porter impresses me far more than a DIPA or fruit sour - Bellwoods is a heavy metal band that can also do acoustic medleys.

Brown Porter is an unimaginative name but, like most all Bellwoods offerings, it's obviously brewed with a great deal of inspiration (to say nothing of skilled hands and high quality ingredients). It's not unprecedented for this brewery's plainly named and quietly released beers to show up later under official publication. If that's the case here there's not much to change. I'd leave the recipe as is.

Nearly jet black, one finger of tan head with some lace. Smell is roasty with anise and chocolate, herbal and generously hopped, pretty straight forward, hoppy porter execution. Tastes is roasted malt and cold coffee, anise and herbal flavours and a fairly big hoppy/roasty bitterness, some lingering chocolate as well. Light-medium carbonation, light-medium bodied. Overall its a bit lighter and not quite as robust and flavourful as I normally would like, however I'm sure this is still in infancy and will see some tweaks before it arrives in final forum but as is it is simply just OK.

 

 

 

 

 

This is a very straightforward porter, which is sorely needed in Ontario. Roast malts with a slight smoky flavour, chocolate and a bit of caramel. Robust but not heavy. The finish is a bit sweet and dries the mouth a bit. Quite tasty- a very solid porter. Whether in a slightly tweaked form or as is, I hope this beer gets brewed with some regularity as there are no good, readily available Ontario porters that come to mind.

New release at brewpub. Good drinking malty base.