Meantime Brewing London Porter

Yes it is odd to be drinking a dark beer in the middle of November, but the weather has been that odd lately I figured why not.

I love Guinness, and as soon as I popped the cork I was swimming in an aroma of Guinness like characteristics. There is that distinct burnt and smokey aroma that comes only with the darkest of stouts and porters but there is also a sweet sticky aroma that I just can't put my finger on. The aroma is very strong and appealing, but to be totally honest I probably couldn't seperate this from a Guinness if in a blind test - they seemed that similar to me.

From a looks perspective, what can you say. For a dark beer it is impressive. There is a red/ruby hue to it when held in the light, the head is fluffy and cloud like, although there is a dark tint to it. There is a minor lacing, but it certainly isn't convincing. Overall, it looks like any other dark beer.

As soon as I tasted this I knew I wanted more. It is surprisingly refreshing and not overly bitter, which is what I expected. The mouthfeel is quite light, almost like a pale ale but with very low carbonation - almost flat. The flavour is very malty with plenty of burnt, roasted and smokey flavours mixed in for good measure. Very little bitterness in the aftertaste, and leaves an almost dark chocolate flvaour in your mouth - think Old Gold or similar very dark chocolate.

I've read other reviews of people commenting on tasting coffee, or espreso, but it is far too sweet for me and I couldn't make the connection to coffee.

The only negative is a slight oily feel to the mouth after you've swallowed and in between sips. Some might like this, but it was a minor turnoff for me. For me and my taste, if they could drop this I'd certainly score this beer up a half mark, or a whole mark. The flavours were excellent, just the mouthfeel let it down a little for me.