Brewed
by the Harviestoun Brewery, in Scotland, this 6% volume Traditional Porter is
packaged in a 330ml bottle and branded as one of Tesco’s Finest. The label
states that this porter is a “Modern twist to a 19th Century
classic”, claiming it has rich chocolate and coffee flavours. This beer
certainly has a chocolate smell to it on opening, but with only a hint of
coffee, which suited me after the last coffee beer I tried. The ingredients
included barley, hops, and yeast, but there was no reference to coffee or
chocolate, which made me wonder how the brewers may have exploited the taste
from the barley and hops. This Traditional Porter has a smooth dark, almost
black, texture that reminded me of the chocolate stouts I have tried in the
past. Indeed the beer initially tasted like a mild chocolate stout, giving me
that warming filling feeling a good rich stout can lend to. The early chocolate
hit was then balanced by the bitterness from the hops and a hint of coffee. The
affluent dark chocolate flavour with the bitterness and mild coffee followed
through to the aftertaste, leaving a pleasant tingle in my mouth and making me
wish the bottle had been a little larger. This is a gloriously strong porter,
of which I will definitely hunt out again. It would go equally well with a meat
and gravy meal or for an after dinner treat with a side of dark chocolate.
Indulge in this Traditional Porter; after all, it’s one of Tesco’s Finest!
By Spectre
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