Bath Festivity

Brewed by Bath
Style: Porter
Bristol, England

Serve in English pint, Stem glass

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Bottle. Nice. Dark dark plum colour. Not too fizzy, actually quite cask-like. Low hoping, earthy, soft, slightly burnt, roasted, toasted, and nice. Beer like what it ’ought ’er be. Dickens and the Artful Dodger would’ve been drinking this stuff. Stuff you’re Imperial IPAs and stuff your Belgium Hodge-Bodgers. This is what’s it’s about (...and I may look back on this post when I’m more sober and wince a bit but I don’t care).

Tasted thiscracking porter in the Last Post, Paisley (JDW) in March 2008. Cask, handpump dispense. Dark ruby black in colour with a thick creamy white head. Fantastic smooth and intense aroma of smokey roast malt and vanilla pods long in the nose. Rich and creamy mouthfeel. Superb lacing throughout. Dark malts give a complex maltloaf and chocolate cookie flavour with creamy vanilla and mocha notes. Slight prickle of hop resins in the dry aftertaste which fades fast as a very vineous, almost smokey peat note slides through. Finish is seductive, smooth and slightly dry with vanilla cream evident. An excellent porter and my favourite ale from the Bath portfolio. For those that liked the bottle - try the cask!

2008-11-08, Göteborg, bottle AP: dark brown, of white head AR/F: roasted malt, coffey, chocolate and liquerice

Bottle. Dark and very smooth, Slight coffee flavour with a robust pleasant mouthfeel. Left no lacing. An all round very well balanced porter.

Gravity, Dover BF. Dark ruddy-brown with a big layer of light sudsy bubbles that last all the way down the glass. Warmly tart marshmellow roast, underlying warm milk chocolate and a nice rough grain. Chocolate flavors that seem more emphatic with the strong current of acidity. Big flavor volume. Lingering chalky finish. This would be really nice with some blue cheese...

[bottle] Sweet and roasty aroma with strawberry, vanilla, and coconut rum notes. Opaque dark brown with a beige ring and wisps. Velvety roasted malt coffee flavour and vanilla with a bitterness from the dark malt. Fruity notes: blood orange, pear, pineapple. Medium body, moderate carbonation, slight bitter finish.

UPDATED: OCT 23, 2006 1. Cask Stillage at the Upper Campfield Market Hall, Manchester 24/01/2002 Dark red slightly fruity and quite rich on the palate. Nice creamy finish. 2. Cask Stillage at the Metropolitan Cathedral Crypt, Liverpool 19/02/2004 Dark strong and fruity with a slightly dry roast malt finish.

Bottle, Tuckers Maltings online store, pours dark in colour, aroma was of burnt molasses and some wonderful subtle spiciness this was replicated in the taste. Once again another very good beer from this brewery.

Any first impressions?
-A sheet of foam stays atop the brown-tinged darkness.
-Molasses sweetness and brown rum announce a fairly malty flavor profile.
-Crunchy chocolate and silky vanilla join the molasses and brown rum predicted by the aroma.
-The low carbonation exhibits the rich maltiness.

What if you dig deeper?
-Brown rum flavors are well integrated.
-A little alcohol warming is felt alongside the roasty dryness in the finish.
-This ravishing novelty porter makes me wish I could taste more of this brewery’s offerings.

On cask at Blackfriars, Inverness.

Bright bottled from cask (gravity dispense) at White Cliffs beer Festival, 2006. Drunk on the train on the way back to London. Quite dark chestnut colour with a ruby tinge. Roasty, smoky malt aroma. Very dry on the palate with more burnt, roasted malt notes and a developing bitter coffee character. Almost like a dry stout, albeit with less body. Fairly full flavoured, and refreshing at the same time, which is a winning combination. Nice one.