London Porter
Meantime Brewing Company Limited

 

Rerate, 750 ml corked "champagne" bottle, Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 6.5%. Very dark brown colour, nearly black. Moderate beige head. Aroma of roast malts, cold coffee, woodwork and unsweetened cocoa. Moderately roasty and quite dry flavour, notes of mild cofee and dark chocolate, some woody hints too.

Original rating: 750 ml "champagne" bottle, RBESG 2005, Grand Tasting. Dark brown colour. Aroma of roast malts, oak and spices. Surprisingly moderate roasty flavour.

Can't remember if corpulent or bonerhog brought this to corpulent's birthday jam in September 2016. Unlike the others around the golf course, this one was at the hotel before the Primus show.

Pours brown, a lighter brown than your average American porter, although I guess half of those tend to be imperial porters that really blur the already razor thin distinction between a porter and stout, but I digress. Dark red towards the edge, tan head 1/3". Aroma was also a little different, less roast, more akin to brown ale brown malt feels. Thought there was a chance it was going to be one of those 19th century slightly sour porters, but no.

The taste went into scotch ale territory, had an earthier, peaty aspect to it, way more bitterness than this malt bill should be handling. What is that, pipe tobacco? Lower carbonation brings on caramel creek where some acorns fall into the watershed through the forest.

A little bit taken back the scores are so high. Shoulder shrug.

L- Black. 2Cm cream head, looks like it'll hold forever.
S- Leather saddles, the kind the hot bird you fantasised about as a tennager has just effortlessly straddled off.
T- Smokey, peaty. Not huge into black beer, but here we are...
F- Crisp, it's balanced too
O- Too porter/'black' for me, too intense on that dimension. Too mega 'heavy roasty/toasty'.

 

 

 

 

Reviewed in Roger Protz' CAMRA classic "300 Beers To Try Before You Die!" .
Also on the list of "1001 Beers To Drink Before You Die," stay tuned for my review and next tasting.

Meantime represents to me the "Sam Adams" of British craft brewing... really great marketing (see their deal with the mid-level department store that specializes in groceries.) And yet, Meantime also has a love of beer and is still experimenting.

 

 

 

Delicious. But nothing extraordinary. I'd totally have it again

Pours black with medium foamy head. Aroma of roast grains, chocolate. Taste is sharp, whiskey barrel, dark chocolate, espresso. Mouthfeel is just right, smooth and velvety. Lingering dark chocolate on the palate. Nice!

 

This is an exceptional example of the style. Aged 4 years, it still had an exceptional head with a full, thick mouthfeel that was both smooth and creamy. Lots of rost character with hints of coffee and chocolate

 

 

 

11.2 oz bottle poured into a snifter glass, bottles July 2015

A- pours a deep brown color with just a hint of light creeping through, small creamy off-white head retains for a while before settling to a thin film and ring around the glass

S- smoky charred malt with aromas of chocolate, minerals, earthy yeast, caramel, dark fruit & licorice

T- smoky char up front gives robust malty notes of chocolate, minerals, caramel & a hint of coffee, bitter finish with more smoky dark malt on the finish

M- medium body with low carbonation leads to a foamy mouthfeel that continues into a slightly creamy finish

O- classic English style porter that is robust yet drinkable