Extra Black
Campervan Brewery

 

beautiful beer, gluten free scottish porter on nitro, a real well made specimen, smooth and creamy on nitro, not feeling reduced at all, and it was awesome to get to drink this right there at the source, a neat little hang they have at the brewery. pretty pour, matte black and sporting a creamy inch and a half of light khaki head with perfect retention, super silky and frothed and pretty, very refined looking, wow. the nose is a little bit understated and its simple in a good way, very darkly roasted but without bitterness or astringency, like great coffee, real dark though, and a soft middle with some bready notes, a hint of vanilla without it ever being sweet, and maybe baking chocolate too, but this isnt a desserty pint, its a drinker. earthy to me, with the yeast about as forward as the roast as well, almost elegant to me, which isnt something we often say with stouts and porters, but here we are. the flavor is similar to the nose, a little more of that sort of mocha complexion, faintly woody to me too, good barley in this, not sweet in the middle at all, and with unique wet minerality, stone and concrete and dark soil, good water chemistry and overall attention to detail here too, and rather robust overall, could pass as a stout for most i would suspect. the nitrogenation is next level, insanely creamy and seriously textured about like a guinness, full and swiftly dry, excellent. that this is gluten free might be important to some consumers, but for me its amazing how much it isnt a factor, in the states so many gluten free beers are missing something, and i know maybe the laws governing what really constitutes being gluten free might be different over there in scotland, but this one will not feel like any kind of sacrifice to those generally underwhelmed by gluten free offerings like myself. really impressive beer from a quality standpoint, love the ferment, the nuttiness, and the suggestions of espresso. could have stayed and drank these all night long, definitely underrated here on BA...

 

Pint on nitro tap from The Guildford Arms, Edinburgh (£5.80):
Thick, Jet black with a 2cm, slightly oversized head that's thick & creamy with good retention. Earthy coffee notes & lighter chocolate without the usual sweetness, some very light milky notes too. Roasted malts & chocolate flavours are strongest without dominating then some toasted malts with a bit more milky chocolate flavours to finish. It's fairly smooth, although there was slightly more carbonation than expected at the start before it settles down.