Tasted this at the Paisley Beer Festival on the 209th April 2017. Cask, gravity dispense. Black ruby in colour with a creamy buff head. Rich malty aroma with strong overtones of mocha coffee long in intensity. Smooth creamy mouthfeel and good lacing. Dark malt complex gives a moist maltloaf backbone with sweet flavours of treacle toffee, mocha coffee, chocolate brownie.There is a definite hop prickle present in the aftertaste but this gradually fades in the mouth. Finish is sweet and seductive with coffee cream to the fore, followed by creamy fudge and old leather. This is a cracking porter and one of my favourites from the festival.

Donker bruin bier met een goede beige schuim kraag. Ruikt naar chocolade, koffie, metaal. Smaakt geroosterd, laurier, koffie, chocolade.

Ziet er goed uit, ruikt best aardig. Lekker dik mondgevoel. Nasmaak valt beetje tegen.

Bruine, bijna zwarte kleur met een goede kraag. Ruikt koffie, vanille, mout. Smaakt vol, koffie, mout, bitter.

My Bottom Line:
This Porter’s excellent malt profile develops crunchy chocolate and smooth roast, as a few vanilla accents are met by bitter hop leaves.

Further Personal Perceptions:
-A sheet of foam tops the blackness.
-Carbonation was a tad higher than expected. Would love to try it on tap.
-Malts are the star here, and they don’t disappoint.
-The body is smooth and bubbly.

Bottle.

Bottle from O’Brien’s, Athlone [120316]
Pitch black, frothy dirty tan head, some lacing
Aroma of rich dark malts, soft savoury notes, mellow roast, bit meaty, some soy
Taste of rich dark malts, soft mellow roast, some sweet dark malts underneath, bitter dark chocolate, savoury, soy, rich moreish flavour
Palate - Soft carb, medium body, soft sweet. Finish as main flavour, soft sweet, mellow roast, rich dark malt linger
Overall - Far better than the Max I had earlier - very nice porter. Better than the Joe coffee porter. Would be great on cask.

On draft at Irish Beer + Whiskey Village, RDS, Dublin Ruby black with tan ring. 3.75 Ash, black cherry, and licorice. 4 Sticky anise, some char, raisin, fig, and carob, then earthy hop end. 3.75 Medium, round, chewy. 4 How does this do with coffee - that’s the question. Though it’s a bit heavy and black for a porter, the notes are in the right place. Ultimately, though, too sticky and somehow lacking. 3.75

Bottle from McHughs. Jet black with a tan head. Aroma is toasted malt. Flavour is vanilla, oat, chocolate. Dry roast sweet finish.

Draught. Almost pitch black with a smooth lasting foamy nitro looking light brown head. Aroma of chocolate, caramel, vanilla, dark fruits. Taste is of milk chocolate, vanilla, oats, lactose, hint of liquourice. Smooth oily mouthfeel, soft carbonation.

Bottle from mchughs. Pours deep black with frothy tan. Nose is milky chocolate, toast, roasted malt, molasses, lactose, hazelnut, earth, peat. Flavor is sweet milk chocolate, toffee, brown sugar, molasses. Dry earthy, sweet aftertaste. Full body. Light carbonation. Really tasty.