Flag Porter 1825 Original

Brewed by Elgoods
Style: Porter
Wisbech, England

Deep red-brown pour with a ring of head. Light aroma of roasted malt and fruity sweetness. Flavor is a bit of malt, chocolate, coffee and fruit. A bit thin on the palate. The most interesting thing about this brew is the story behind it.

APPEARANCE: This beer as poured into a standard pint glass had a small brown head, about 1cm, which dissipated fairly quickly. The color is nearly opaque, showing deep ruby when held to the light. No cloudiness present. AROMA: Malt with a sweet, dark chocolate aroma is dominate, No hops noticed. FLAVOR: Medium plus carbonation, lighltly sweet dark chocolate at the front and continuing through the finish, where a light bitterness and percieved tartness lend to a nice dry finish. Other than mild bitterness, no hops flavor was noted. PALATE: This is not a heavy beer. Could be a bit thicker to suit me, but not all bad. OVERALL IMPRESSION: Very drinkable. The chocolatey aftertaste makes me want another sip. The lighter body allows this one to be quaffed easily. Overall I recommend this lighter bodied porter as a good example of an English Porter. Serving type: bottle

I have a confession to make. Please do not judge nor begrudge me, but I have a huge gap in the beery library of my mind when it comes to England. How can this be?! While I have partaken of many a fine English brew, when compared to my much longer list of about every other country which produces a large amount of beer, England sadly lags behind. It most certainly is not a personal choice, but mostly a matter of availability. For whatever reasons be, English ales, bitters, and brews are hard to find where I live, dare I even say in America. Considering our heritage of beer owes a great deal to England, that is rather sad indeed, so I was rather blessed and pleased to find an English porter which I had never heard of, much less drank. Easiest beer buying decision I have made in a long time.
My Flag Porter came to me in a rather unassumingly plain bottle which, as I reminisce, I wish I had kept, especially for the small historical blurb on the back label. What is done is done though, and I would rather focus on the beer herself as she gazes most fondly at me from her glass confines. A rich brown with black hues, she is albeit rather clean and clear with the surrounding light having little difficulty gazing through. She is topped by a soft tan head decorated with large loose bubbles which linger long after the head disappears. Soft and creamy notes of fresh milk chocolate, raisin, and juicy sweet prunes tickle my senses and seduce me into the first of many quaffs. A very clean, albeitly thin mouthfeel and body. Definitely not as heavy as some porters, a lingering bitter lemon presence keeps the finish of my Flag Porter alive and vibrant while a gentle blend of milk chocolate, prunes, and raisins mingle. As she warms and I near the end of our time together, even more sweet prunes make their presence known, but not much else in this solidly simple brew changes. Flag Porter is a very sessionable porter indeed.
I was initially expecting a heavier porter than I got, but after I took a step back and reevaluated my perspective, I rather enjoyed my Flag Porter. She wasn’t mind-blowing, but instead opting for simple is best, a sure-fire guarantee to get me and anyone else coming back for repeated moments together.

Poured deep, almost black with amber highlights and an off-white head. Lots of toasty and buttery malt on the nose. Definitely stood out as an English counterpoint to the American versions of Porters. Almost more stout-like. There was mild, leafy hops that lost power towards the sweet, roasted flavors of the malt grains, also other vanilla and peppery notes.. The finish had a little coffee in it.

Bottle purchased at College Liquors in Grand Junction, CO. Pours a dark black with a medium and creamy beige head. The aroma is very nice; lots of dark fruits, some coffee and roasted malts. The taste is smooth and nice; initially sweet, some nutty and roasted flavors, lite bitter chocolate and lots of smooth milky aspects. Quite nice and very quaffable.

Pours a thick opaque black colour with a very thin tan head. Little carbonation in this beer, but that’s ok. Almost silky smooth on the palate, dark fruits, licorice, smoke and hints of bourbon on the nose. Taste is rich, very full and enticing. Great beer :)

(Bottle). Malt and roasty aroma. Very dark reddish brown body, small brown head. Mild malty flavor, some roastiness. Body is too thin. Mild but lasting finish. Not obnoxious, but not overly impressive.

Clear reddish brown with a thin tan head. Pass me the rice, I smell some soy sauce. Strike that, the malt is roasted and there’s some chocolate in there too but the aroma is a bit too salty for my liking. The taste mirrors the smell, perhaps my bottle is infected as I’m not use to detecting soy sauce in my beers (though they might improve on a pale lager you’d get at a Chinese restaurant). The body is lightly carbonated and it finishes dry.