Wapping Smoked Porter

Bottled at RBESG 2007. A deep red beer with a brown head. The aroma is sweet with notes of butter, caramel, and vegetables. The flavor is sweet with ontes of butter, malt, and caramel, leading to a dry bitter finish - something is wrong here.

Bottled at RBESG ’07. Near black. Coffee and licorice up front. Dry and lightly smokey, salty a bit thin with vague metallic notes. Salty minerally finish. Good, but with some shortcomings.

Clear very dark brown ale with a small off-white head. Tartish blackberries are more obvious than the smoke in the nose, but as it warms, peaty, ashes-like notes peak through. Ultimately, it is precisely what it claims to be, but never going for the extraordinary and the base porter feels quite simplistic.

Cask (handpump) at the Baltic Fleet, Liverpool, April 2008. Good and dark, with a creamy head. The smoke is sufficiently evident in the aroma to add a twist to the burnt malt, without being so strong as to overwhelm. Switches more to powdery chocolate and roasty character on the palate. Nicely bitter finish but retains a smooth, easy drinking mouthfeel. Very nicely balanced. Enjoyed this so much I had two.

Cask (handpump) @ Mill Hotel, CH1, Chester. Clear dark red brown color with a small fizzy, fair lacing, fully diminishing light brown head. Aroma is moderate malty, dark chocolate, burnt, smoke, licorice, vanilla. Flavor is moderate sweet and light bitter (smoke / burntmalt bitter) with a long duration. Body is medium, texture is creamy, carbonation is flat.