Bellfield Dark Sky Porter

 

This is a beautiful dark and fruity porter from Scottish brewers, Bellfield.  It's very dark, almost black, and it has a small, loose and rapidly vanishing tan head.

It has a mouthwatering aroma of roasted malt, treacle, chocolate and coffee with a hint of juicy red fruit.  It tastes as good as it smells too; it's sweet and fruity with notes of chocolate, treacle and caramel with an unusual and interesting coffee and tangy berry finish.

With low but firm carbonation and a full body, it has a smooth but tingly mouthfeel that made it really pleasant to drink.

It's a lovely fruity porter with a delicious sweetness that reminded me of candied fruit.  I have a sweet tooth so I really liked it and Ale Be Seeing You again.

Brewed by Bellfield Brewery, Edinburgh
4% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4/5

Find out more at Bellfield Brewery

Harviestoun Old Engine Oil

 

I've wanted to try Harviestoun's Old Engine Oil for quite a while and I'm pleased to say that it did not disappoint.

It's a lovely velvety black coloured ale with a tight tan head that hardly budges.  It has a mouthwateringly sweet aroma with notes of malt and treacle and I couldn't wait to dive in for a taste.

Roasted malt and sweet treacle combine to produce a well-balanced ale.  Hints of chocolate add a tang of bitterness to the finish.  It's medium bodied and softly carbonated to give a velvety smooth mouthfeel.

It's a dark and delicious ale so it's a bit disappointing that it's only in a 330ml bottle.  I loved the roasted flavour and the chocolate finish is sublime.  I think it's well labelled as a 'Black Ale' as it feels like it's not quite a stout and not quite a porter, but a mighty fine black ale.  I loved it and Ale Be Seeing You again!

Brewed by Harviestoun Brewery, Alva, Scotland
6% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4.25/5

Find out more at Harviestoun Brewery

Durham Brewery Black Bishop

Despite being midday, it's cold, wet and dark outside so it made sense to have something cold, wet and dark inside: Black Bishop stout brewed by Durham Brewery, one of my local breweries.

It's bottle conditioned and the label warns of sediment, so I poured carefully but left a good 2cm in the bottom of the bottle as I could see the dusty sediment approaching the bottle neck.  Black Bishop is jet black with only a hint of russet brown when held to the light at a certain angle.  The head is reasonably tight and dark beige coloured and shows no sign of dispersing, leaving thick lacing as you would expect from a good stout.

Delicious aromas of dark chocolate and roasted coffee make this a stout that I couldn't wait to experience.  Hurrah - I was certainly not disappointed.  The bitter mix of chocolate and coffee has an added smokiness that made this stout stand out from the rest.  I think smoky flavours are difficult to judge: too much and it tastes like an ash tray and too little might as well not be there at all.  Durham Brewery have got it just right like Goldilocks.

The perfect amount of carbonation results in a full bodied stout that, although lighter and fizzier than its most famous cousin, makes me happily declare that Ale Be Seeing You Again!

Brewed by The Durham Brewery, County Durham

4.1% ABV

My rating:

Find out more at The Durham Brewery

Schwaben Bräu Das Schwarze

It's so unusual to see a beer with a bottle top these days and you get a satisfying pop like a champagne cork as you lift the bar to release the lid.  There is a lovely malty chocolate aroma as this jet black beer is poured into the glass.  It has an initial substantial frothy beige head that changes to a thin later of foam but it isn't really strong enough to cling to the glass and result in any lacing.  

The malty taste is the first thing I notice and ticks the flavour box for me.  There is a rather pleasant sweetness that lingers in the aftertaste, almost like burnt toffee, caramel and dark chocolate.  As with all pilsner style beers, it is very fizzy and leaves you with a tingly, prickly tongue.  Due to the intense carbonation, it does feel rather thin and pop-like but I can forgive the lack of body due to my appreciation of the taste.

I probably wouldn't go out of my way to buy another one, but if I saw it on the shelf it might just find its way into my shopping basket.  An unusual black beer that I'd say is well worth trying.

Brewed by Schwaben Bräu, Stuttgart, Germany
4.9% ABV

My rating:

Find out more at Schwaben Bräu

Meantime Greenwich Black IPA

How unusual - a Black IPA!  No surprise that it is black as coal and resembles Guinness, but with a thinner more bubbly head.  It smells very malty and fruity. 

The taste has a slight smokiness to it with a slightly sweet toffee aftertaste.  It is quite bubbly like an IPA but my brain expected smooth like a Guinness.  It is really unusual as you can see a pint of stout but taste a pint of burnt toffee fizzy IPA.

Quite strong at 5.7% ABV, it slips down a little too easily and is well worth trying for those people looking for something a little different to a regular IPA.

Brewed by Meantime Brewing Company, London for M&S

5.7% ABV

My rating:

Find out more at Meantime Brewing Company