“Brewed for the early risers, who sacrifice sleep and warmth for a the first meeting of the day aboard a wave to shore. Added in 2013 to the Port Brewing year-round lineup, Board Meeting is an amplified Brown Ale, brewed with liberal additions of coffee from local San Diego roasters, Ryan Brothers and cocoa nibs sourced from famed San Francisco chocolate maker TCHO. Deep coffee flavor gives way to layers of bitter dark chocolate and a creamy vanilla body.”

Glassware: English Pint.

Appearance: Dark brown pour… bordering on black with some very faint cola highlights. Short brown head which quickly fades so there’s very little lace as we go.

Aroma: It’s funny coz it actually smells better further away from the nose. Sitting idle on the table we get the gorgeous coffee and cocoa then right up under the nostrils we get a slight bitterness and a hint of syrupy sweetness. It does also offer a bit of roast, mixed spice, vanilla and aniseed/licorice so it ain’t all bad! It’s actually a pretty damn good aroma.

Flavour: Wow it all comes together here. Big punchy coffee notes, bitter chocolate/cacao, roasted nuts, a flutter of vanilla sweetness cutting through as well. Sugary dark fruits like raisin and dates enter the fray and lead in to a mildly roasty finish with coffee, chocolate and a very delicate hint of ash on the outer.

Mouthfeel: Just enough meat on the bones. Mild-medium body, slightly oily texture. Co2 is spot on for the style. 8% ABV is well hidden too.

Overall: It’s one of those times where the beer was so close to a 10/10 but still so far! If they were to tweak the aroma and thicken up the body there’s no reason why it couldn’t be the perfect Brown Ale.