After a lack luste performance from Harry Kane & Co, time to pin my hopes on something more reliable.
This solid West Indian Porter from
@dave_77 is a treat for the taste buds.
A deceptive pour with little obvious carbonation that builds up to leave a medium tan head.
Served around 14 degrees the initial aroma was thin, maybe a slight hint of chocolate and brown sugar. The noticeable bitterness was hard to place at first, hop bitterness or roasted barley?
I let this attractive beer stand a while to warm up a couple of degrees. There's a hint of chocolate malt in the aroma and a detectable brown malt flavour but I can't detect anything from the yeast, yes, the yeast stays out of the way - this is all about the malt!
The extra warmth shows this porter off nicely. The chocolate flavour is there throughout but smooth too. A small hint of the 6.2% alcohol coats the tongue, nice body though not sweet, so probably not a British yeast? An assertive dry bitterness is definitely from hops. The malts are smooth and well balanced though detectable in their own right - brown and chocolate malts reveal themselves equally. Later the chocolate takes over both in aroma and flavour, and finally a slight fruity finish from the hops arrives just before the last couple of mouthfuls, evidently due to the rise in temperature.
It's been a pleasure, thanks
@dave_77