The Porter
Anspach & Hobday

440ml can.
L: Black with a thin head the colour of espresso crema that leaves rings of lacing.
S: 90% cocoa dark chocolate.
T: Espresso coffee, dark chocolate and walnut. Nicely bittersweet.
F: Medium body, a tingle of carbonation and an astringent finish.
O: A extra dry porter with a flavour profile that is heavily roasted so it starts hugely coffee-like and adds more chocolate as it warms. Delicious but, at 6.7% ABV, far more alcoholic than this brewery’s best-selling (and my preferred) London Black.

 

 

Had on tap. Jet black body with a tan head and mild sporadic lacing. Smell features roasted malt with bakers chocolate, roasted malt, earth and light kiss of vanilla. Taste is classical and really pleasant in a warming way: leather, bakers chocolate, roasted nuts and malt, earth, again light vanilla near the finish, and a hint of charred dark fruit. Feel is frothy and roasty first and foremost, malts lead but the body elevates in a dry way by the finish, lighter bodied but so drinkable you don't care.

 

 

L- Inky black with a 5mm fine-bubble tan head.
S- Roasty-toasty, cocoa and molasses.
T- Deeply toasted, roasted coffee towers tall here, pungent and somewhat smokey. Zero out of place.
F- Deep, pungent, forceful profile, ideal for slow sipping on a cold autumn night. I wouldn't suggest this is a refreshing beer, but it's certainly fulfilling.
O- I like it, but then I drink black espresso coffee and hadn't made that connection. I asked my wife to try it (blind), she's a fan of Belgian Trappist beer and heavier English ales; she immediately said coffee was simply too prominent for her. Obviously I'm rating here on my own view, but others might note it perhaps helps if you enjoy strong coffee.
330ml bottle. £2.49 from M+S, BB: 01/08/2021/Batch:056

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BBE Apr 24, 2016 6.7% ABV 330ml bottle from ales by mail

Appearance (Look) = 6%
black/dark red tint, very little head

Smell = 24%
strong fresh chocolate malt


Taste = 40%
starts out chocolate malt, then sweet then a hint of rosted barley astringency I think I'm getting some spicy hops on the top but hard to tell. all the notes are there and are allowed to ring out. Not muddled with too much going on and there is a depth and vibrancy to everything that is going on.

Mouthfeel (Feel) = 10%
solid. not overly thick or carbonated.

Overall = 20%
a perfect porter. exactly on style and is what it should be.

Malty. Burnt. Hoppy finish

On tap poured into a wide flute. The aroma is a blend of dark fruits, some citrus, coffee, and milk chocolate. It pours a deep, dark, near opaque coffee black-brown with an effervescence to it and is topped by a brown sudsy head with a good retention and a mild lace. The taste is a medium sweet and medium light bitter. The thin texture has a foamy carbonation with a medium, roasted body. Roasted grains and coffee are noted with some chocolate and it finishes crisp with a burnt chocolate syrup note that sticks around in the aftertaste with a cloying dark chocolate.