“Murray’s ‘Frankie’ Best Extra Porter was created in our Bobs Farm ‘laboratory’ through chemistry and alchemy! This beast-size bottle contains the richly dark brown spectre of roasted chocolate and full bodied maltiness from British Maris Otter base malt. An extra helping of East Kent Goldings hops perfectly sutures the balance of this monstrously good winter warmer.”
Served in an English pint. Deep brown in colour with a short beige cap that reduces to a halo. A decent lace is managed despite the lack of head.
It smells like a traditional English Porter and the ingredients definitely back up that assumption. There’s plenty of roast about it but the nutty and kinda earthy notes really bring the central character. Mild coffee and chocolate notes are detectable along with undertones of spicy aniseed and vanilla bean. Traditional with a twist..maybe.
The flavour packs quite a punch. The alcohol (7% ABV) is the first subtraction from our initial thoughts of a traditional porter. Although in saying that there’s plenty of earthy hop and malt flavour, nutty and bready overtones and a suggestion of toast and mild coffee that develops nicely. A healthy display of bitterness rounds it out and adds length on the back palate.
The texture was somewhat light and effortless with medium body. Slightly raised bitterness with active co2.
We’d admit we’re a little conflicted here. We feel that at its core it wants to be a traditional porter but the boosted ABV and what seems like slightly heavy-handed hopping appears to clash a little. Can’t take points away from it because it still is a well tasty porter but it’s neither here nor there for us.