OHanlons Original Port Stout

Brewed by OHanlons
Style: Stout
Whimple, England

Muddy brown body,with crimson edges... big, ruby-tinted tannish head, softly crumbling, leaving lace. Sweetness is immediate in the nose, and I get the port right off, ....cognac and cherries, too. Such a delight. Brisk, hoppy attack at the fore, sweet and fruity, with a solid, full body. Beyond that, it’s an unfussy, easily enjoyed stout. Any typical stoutish associations are hidden behind the full flavor of the port, the brandy, the cherry, the grape.... Rather mild in the mouthfeel, after the novelty of the port infusion...not very outstanding, but a pleasant diversion, a neat after-dinner treat. Me, I prefer stout-flavored stouts, but this was quite nice, and I’d recommend it for special occasions or sharing with friends.

nice enough beer but could do with a flavour injection. Sweetish,lightly roasty and very easy drinking. All in all a decent brew.

Bottle at DBF2005. Rich roasty aroma, very nice. Jet black body, with a small creamy head. Roasty flavor, vague presence of the port flavors. Decent stout.

Original Rating May 21, 2005: Black color with a medium head. Good flavor of malt, roasts, and chocolate with a slightly bitter finish, but the aroma was literally non-existant from this beer. I also didn’t pick up on the port. I might try it again in case this was a bad bottle, but disappointing. 5/4/6/3/13 Black color with a thin to medium head. Very light aroma of chocolate. Strong roast and chocolate malt. A little almost-pine flavor. Dry finish. The port still isn’t there. Great concept, but it needs more than a splash.

Bottled. Dark brown coloured with a beige head. Aroma of dish washer and herbs with roasted notes. Roasted flavour with notes of soap and coffee. Dry finish of coffee. Unfortunately I can’t detect the added port - if the brewers have to add any foreign ingredients to their beers, then done so it can be detected. This one is waste of port and beer !

Bottle... Very dark ale reveals a clear ruby color when held to bright light. Mid-sized, frothy, khacki head. Terrific retention. The mild nose is lightly vineous with a tiny note of brown sugar. The flavor is nondescript, but not offensive. Perfectly balanced, but way thin. Watery with fizzy carbonation. Short, crisp, dry finish. I’m not a huge fan of this one. Not much to it.

Nice black color with rich head. I can barely smell the port in the aroma; it seems as if to mask a harsh, peaty tannery smell with a wild cherry cough drop. Very hoppy, somewhat medicinal flavor -- nice hoppy finish. Very good stout mouthfeel. Ok beer but somehow it might be a better "mixed drink" to take a port wine and add a shot of stout ...

Black, beige lasting head. Mild malty aroma, chocolate? Uncomplex flavour dominated by overpowered hops. Plums and tobacco? Some underlying malty sweetness. Licorice? Dry finish. Watery palate.