Beer of the Weekend #301: Fuller's London Porter
Today I want to try the last two bottles in my “black stuff sampler” from John’s. Right now I am leaning toward Back Road Stout, a bottle of which I drank yesterday — conveniently and cheaply off screen, as the MST3K crew would say. (I took tasting notes in my trusty steno book, which will need to be replaced soon.)
The brown bottle lunch for today is Fuller’s London Porter, brewed by the Fuller, Smith & Turner P.L.C. of London, England.
I have checked as best as I can and verified that I have never sampled London Porter before. Having officially reviewed 300 beers, it is getting hard for me to remember, off the top of my head, which beers I have and have not tried. I need to make a master list to consult before my weekly beer run.
Serving type: 330 ml bottle. (I decided not to spell the volume amount anymore. Screw it. “Three hundred thirty ml” does not look good.) The “BEST BEFORE” date is “ 04 JUN 12.”
Appearance: Straight pour into a pint glass. The color is black but not opaque; light passed through when I held it to a window that receives no direct sunlight. Two fingers of dense, tan head dissipated to leave a cappuccino-like lacing with creamy bubbles, a ring around the edge, and a lacing on the glass.
Smell: More toasty than roasty. Dark chocolate, cocoa, toffee, toasted caramel, molasses, black licorice, and brown sugar. A hint of coffee gives it a little bitterness, and there is also dark fruit cherry and perhaps black raspberry.
Taste: The taste has a much stronger roasted character than the smell led me to believe. Lots of coffee and roasted malts. As the taste buds adjust, flavors of dark chocolate, cocoa, toffee, and molasses emerge. The roasted character continues to be the backbone, though. As it warms, flavors of dark fruit (cherry, plum, black raspberry) emerge as well.
Drinkability: The flavor and aroma are well crafted and true to style. Though I expect a much thicker body, I think it does the job.
Fun facts about London Porter:
-Style: BA classifies it as English Porter.
-Price: $2.49/bottle at John’s Grocery in Iowa City.
-Serving temperature: 50-55ºF.
-Alcohol content: 5.4 percent ABV.
-Food pairings: BA recommends barbecue, Latin American cuisine, earthy cheeses (Camembert, Fontina), chocolate, beef, shellfish, smoked meat, and grilled meat.
The Quiet Man’s grade: A-.
The brown bottle lunch for today is Fuller’s London Porter, brewed by the Fuller, Smith & Turner P.L.C. of London, England.
I have checked as best as I can and verified that I have never sampled London Porter before. Having officially reviewed 300 beers, it is getting hard for me to remember, off the top of my head, which beers I have and have not tried. I need to make a master list to consult before my weekly beer run.
Serving type: 330 ml bottle. (I decided not to spell the volume amount anymore. Screw it. “Three hundred thirty ml” does not look good.) The “BEST BEFORE” date is “ 04 JUN 12.”
Appearance: Straight pour into a pint glass. The color is black but not opaque; light passed through when I held it to a window that receives no direct sunlight. Two fingers of dense, tan head dissipated to leave a cappuccino-like lacing with creamy bubbles, a ring around the edge, and a lacing on the glass.
Smell: More toasty than roasty. Dark chocolate, cocoa, toffee, toasted caramel, molasses, black licorice, and brown sugar. A hint of coffee gives it a little bitterness, and there is also dark fruit cherry and perhaps black raspberry.
Taste: The taste has a much stronger roasted character than the smell led me to believe. Lots of coffee and roasted malts. As the taste buds adjust, flavors of dark chocolate, cocoa, toffee, and molasses emerge. The roasted character continues to be the backbone, though. As it warms, flavors of dark fruit (cherry, plum, black raspberry) emerge as well.
Drinkability: The flavor and aroma are well crafted and true to style. Though I expect a much thicker body, I think it does the job.
Fun facts about London Porter:
-Style: BA classifies it as English Porter.
-Price: $2.49/bottle at John’s Grocery in Iowa City.
-Serving temperature: 50-55ºF.
-Alcohol content: 5.4 percent ABV.
-Food pairings: BA recommends barbecue, Latin American cuisine, earthy cheeses (Camembert, Fontina), chocolate, beef, shellfish, smoked meat, and grilled meat.
The Quiet Man’s grade: A-.
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