I'm trying to keep the number of categories I use low, and I'll not include "Black IPAs" here, as they can come into other categories, so, to the darker milds, porters and stouts. I've had many stouts and porters I have enjoyed, but shan't be including in my 'best of', eg at previously reported Albatross beer festivals in Bexhill: the Deeply Vale Breakfast Stout or DV8 (4.8%), which even had a bitter finish, or the powerful and very dark 7.3% Flipside Russian Rouble...
So, to the 2 milds that stand out for me, and both the brewers first enticed my attention with their good session bitters. Whim Ales (website) of Derbyshire have been brewing since 1993, using a 10 barrel plant, and originally caught my eye with their 4% Hartington Bitter. Whim Magic Mushroom Mild (3.8%), though, is a dark mahogany ale made from roasted barley and crystal malt. It is full flavoured for such a strength, with the roasted barley prominent in the aroma, and a hint of coffee and chocolate malt flavours, so complex, and smooth at the finish.
The second mild comes from Dudley in the West Midlands, where they have been brewing for 99 years, Holdens (website), whose crackin' 3.9% Black Country Bitter first caught my attention. Holdens Black Country Mild (3.7%), though, is a deep chestnut-red, and uses amber, black and 'caramalt', and fuggles hops like their bitter. This is a very tasty mild with hints of fruit from the fuggles, and narrowly wins my vote; this is how a mild should taste!
The second mild comes from Dudley in the West Midlands, where they have been brewing for 99 years, Holdens (website), whose crackin' 3.9% Black Country Bitter first caught my attention. Holdens Black Country Mild (3.7%), though, is a deep chestnut-red, and uses amber, black and 'caramalt', and fuggles hops like their bitter. This is a very tasty mild with hints of fruit from the fuggles, and narrowly wins my vote; this is how a mild should taste!
Sorry for not discussing porters more, but I place the Fullers London Porter (5.4%) head and shoulders above the rest, and I've had quite a few! The West London 'regional' brewer (website) excels at providing a perfect version of a porter; porters originally being brewed in the 18th century for the porters working in the markets of London. Rather than the fizzy stuff that now comes from Ireland, the London Porter is a fitting tribute to this style of ale and its place of birth.
Fullers use brown, crystal and chocolate malts for their London Porter, and fuggles hops; you'll notice a tradition of using this English hop in darker brews, and for good reason! London Porter is dark and rich, with bitter roasted malts coming through, hints of chocolate, coffee and biscuits, and a smooth dry finish, pretty damn good. Not so easy to find on draught, though still good in bottle, but if you get the chance to drink the cask-conditioned version, do so, I always do, and I love pale hoppy bitters!
Fullers use brown, crystal and chocolate malts for their London Porter, and fuggles hops; you'll notice a tradition of using this English hop in darker brews, and for good reason! London Porter is dark and rich, with bitter roasted malts coming through, hints of chocolate, coffee and biscuits, and a smooth dry finish, pretty damn good. Not so easy to find on draught, though still good in bottle, but if you get the chance to drink the cask-conditioned version, do so, I always do, and I love pale hoppy bitters!
Stouts? I have reduced the final comparison to 2 'chocolate' stouts and both, like the London Porter, can also be enjoyed from a bottle, but are superb from the cask. Youngs (website), sadly now a pubco, their beers being brewed by Charles Wells... Anyhow, Youngs used to brew the best of this type, their Double Chocolate Stout (5.2%), made from pale, crystal and chocolate malts, and fuggles and goldings hops, together with chocolate essence and dark chocolate. I first drank this as a cask ale at the Cask & Cutler (now Wellington) in Sheffield. The first time I tasted it in London was at the old Brewery Tap on the corner of the Ram Brewery in Wandsworth, sadly now unused, the pub and brewery...
It was in Wandworth that I found out, from a Youngs employee, that the first time the Double Chocolate Stout was brewed, the Head Brewer sent a colleague out to a local confectioners to buy heaps of chocolate bars to add to the brew, it was that experimental! Chocolate is still added, but now in Bedford, and I haven't seen this excellent beer in a cask for quite a long time now, sadly. Whatever, there is only one way to describe it, it tastes like chocolate, and it tastes like beer, proving that beer and chocolate can go together, it is awesome!
Many other brewers have also tried to emulate the 'chocolate stout', and Saltaire (website), who have been brewing in Shipley, West Yorkshire, since 2006, brew a very decent version. Saltaire Triple Chocoholic (4.8%) uses chocolate malt, and cocoa and chocolate essence, to produce chocolate goodness in a beer! Strong chocolate aroma and flavour, with a hint of coffee and toffee, and a slight bitterness coming through at the finish, a very nice one...
So, quality beers all, and, if the Ram Brewery was still brewing cask-conditioned Double Chocolate Stout, I am sure it would be a neck-and-neck finish with the London Porter... Sadly, it is unlikely I'll ever be able to enjoy the Youngs again. Happily, though, I can announce the Fullers London Porter as the winner of this blog and its categories, from the Chiswick Brewery (above), cheers to them!
It was in Wandworth that I found out, from a Youngs employee, that the first time the Double Chocolate Stout was brewed, the Head Brewer sent a colleague out to a local confectioners to buy heaps of chocolate bars to add to the brew, it was that experimental! Chocolate is still added, but now in Bedford, and I haven't seen this excellent beer in a cask for quite a long time now, sadly. Whatever, there is only one way to describe it, it tastes like chocolate, and it tastes like beer, proving that beer and chocolate can go together, it is awesome!
Many other brewers have also tried to emulate the 'chocolate stout', and Saltaire (website), who have been brewing in Shipley, West Yorkshire, since 2006, brew a very decent version. Saltaire Triple Chocoholic (4.8%) uses chocolate malt, and cocoa and chocolate essence, to produce chocolate goodness in a beer! Strong chocolate aroma and flavour, with a hint of coffee and toffee, and a slight bitterness coming through at the finish, a very nice one...
So, quality beers all, and, if the Ram Brewery was still brewing cask-conditioned Double Chocolate Stout, I am sure it would be a neck-and-neck finish with the London Porter... Sadly, it is unlikely I'll ever be able to enjoy the Youngs again. Happily, though, I can announce the Fullers London Porter as the winner of this blog and its categories, from the Chiswick Brewery (above), cheers to them!
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