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Verdant Brewing Company

 

440 ml can, from Seven Cellars. ABV is 5.8%. Black colour, large tan head. Aroma of piney hops and roast malts, hints of chocolate and mild coffee. The flavour is fairly dry, with the same elements as the aroma, some citrus too. Moderate bitterness.

Pours a deep, dark brown coloration with a large, creamy, lasting head. Smells of bready, roasted, slightly caramelly malt. some chocolate and resinous, citrus hops, with hints of grapefruit and pine. Taste is an excellent balance of bready, roasted, slightly caramelly malt and resinous, herbal and slightly fruity hops, with notes of chocolate, lighter coffee, grapefruit and pine, as well as hints of licorice and tobacco. Finishes with a medium bitterness and some roasted malt, chocolate, grapefruit and pine lingering in the aftertaste. Soft mouthfeel with a medium body and carbonation.

An excellent "East India Porter" that kinda reminds me of a Black IPA with its great balance of roasted malt and fruity hops, although it is perhaps just a tad more heavy on the malts than your average BIPA, with some lovely chocolate and lighter coffee and licorice notes that are balanced against the lightly fruity grapefruit and resinous pine accents just perfectly, with a fantastic body and mouthfeel for the ABV as well. Unfortunately I can't manage to get my hands on Verdant all that easily here in Germany, but from the few beers I've had by them so far they have easily established themselves as one of the absolute top UK craft breweries in my mind.