“This dark, mahogany coloured ale was a favourite with the workers in 19th century London. Our Porter is well balanced between malt and hops with subtle notes of chocolate and coffee resulting in a smooth and very drinkable dark beer. Eighty Eight Robust Porter is unfiltered and bottle conditioned for maximum taste and enjoyment.”
After drinking and reviewing every one of Dave’s (head brewer) beers it’s difficult not to be a little biased as every single one of his beers are delicious! This is the last of his core range that we are still to review, so here goes. Served in a beer tulip. The dark cola pour arouses a 1 finger tanned head that gradually reduced and held tight at about 3-4mm. Laced quite well. Very rich and comforting aroma of coffee, dark chocolate, licorice, dark malts, leather, acetone and a slight suggestion of unripened cherries coming through. Good depth and complexity on offer here. In the mouth it’s full bodied with a creamy/frothy texture. Carbonation is mild-moderate. The fore flavour is treated to a combination of roast, cocoa and slightly tart cherry. As the fruity sweetness fades, roasted malts, hops, subtle coffee bitterness and hints of chocolate build through the mid delivering a mildly roasted finish with suggestions of coffee on the back palate. Great length too, the espresso flavours seem to get more dominant between sips. 6% ABV is spot on. Really nice porter. Good body, plenty of roast and a nice density to boot. A firm candidate for a perfect winter warmer with a juicy steak and a roaring fire.