Brains Dark

Welsh brewers, Brains have been brewing their dark ale since the 1920s.  I think that's pretty impressive that an ale has been in continuous production for so long and I couldn't wait to try it.

It's a very dark brown ale with a semi-tight frothy beige head that disperses slowly to leave a thin layer.

The smell is not what I was expecting at all.  In addition to the malty fragrance that I was expecting, there's also metallic notes of copper coins and a very fragrant, slightly soapy fruit that reminded me of lychee.

The flavour is delicious: malt and sweet dark fruits with hints of treacle, chocolate, liquorice and coffee, followed by a dry, nutty finish.  No flavour takes over and they all work beautifully together.  It has a good medium body and relative soft carbonation to produce a silky smooth mouthfeel.

Although the smell is a bit weird, it makes up for it in the taste.  I loved how the treacle, chocolate, coffee and liquorice flavours developed as I was drinking it and I hardly noticed the slightly odd smell after a few mouthfuls.

I'd be more than happy to have a Brains Dark again so Ale Be Seeing You!

Brewed by Brains Brewery, Cardiff
4.1% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4/5

Find out more at Brains Brewery

Darwin Original Flag Porter

 

When I read the story behind Darwin's Original Flag Porter, I just had to try it.  This porter is brewed to a 19th century recipe using yeast salvaged from a sailing barge that sank in the English Channel in 1825.  The barge was carrying bottles and casks of porter and as the bottles were sealed with wax, many of them remained intact when they were brought to the surface in 1988.  The yeast contained in the porter was cultured and brewed to produce Flag Porter. 

It does make a stunning looking porter when poured into a glass.  It's a very dark brown ale with a ruby tinge and a small, loose beige head.  The head disperses quickly to leave a patchy foam that congregates around the side of the glass.

The smell is absolutely amazing: it is very malty with notes of liquorice and treacle.  It's definitely what I would call a dark and delicious smell and it's right up my street.  All of the aromas transfer to the flavour with the malt, liquorice and treacle combining along with a slightly spicy flavour to produce a light, refreshing ale with a dry finish.  It's a very well balanced ale that just nudges over into the sweet category but doesn't feel over-sweet as the liquorice flavour develops.  

I was torn between wanting to guzzle it all and savouring the small (330ml) quantity I had in my glass.  I ended up savouring it and really felt the liquorice flavour developing with each sip, the only downside being it ended up feeling a bit flat and watery as it's very softly carbonated to begin with.  

I wasn't surprised to see it stated on the label that Original Flag Porter is featured in the book 300 Beers to Try Before You Die and deservedly so; it's not just a lovely porter, it has such an unusual story behind it's conception.  Original Flag Porter, Ale Be Seeing You again and I wholeheartedly recommend other beer lovers to try it.

Brewed by Darwin Brewery, Sunderland
5% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4.25/5

Find out more at Darwin Brewery

Birra del Borgo KeTo

KeTo is a porter from my Birra del Borgo variety pack of ales.  KeTo is a very dark brown almost black colour with a frothy light brown head that disperses rapidly, leaving a thin layer.  

Oh what a mouthwatering aroma!  It's VERY malty with hints of liquorice, chocolate and coffee; it's almost like you get a different aroma with every sniff.  Just like I was surprised with the taste from Cortigiana, KeTo also had a big surprise up its sleeve, namely a distinct smoky flavour.  Now usually this would make me retch as nobody likes to experience what I can only describe as licking an ashtray, but with KeTo it mixes surprisingly well with the sweet malt and hint of bitter chocolate.  The tobacco flavour is definitely there but it's not overpowering and works well with the complex flavours.  I also detected a slight spiciness that reminded me of cola.

It's very smooth and full bodied, as you would expect from a porter and it's so softly carbonated that each mouthful gives your tongue a little tickle.  Although it feels like quite a light porter, it packs a surprising punch at 6.5% ABV.  With the adventurous mix of flavours, it's something quite different and one I'd definitely recommend trying.

Brewed by Birra del Borgo, Italy

6.5% ABV

My rating:

Find out more at Birra del Borgo