Railway Porter Beer (Honest Brew) By @SpectreUK

I do like a trip on a heritage steam railway. There is one fairly close by in Bridgnorth called Severn Valley, amongst others we've been to dotted about the country. They're certainly not like the commuter filled bustling trains crammed full of grumpy faces on the way to work and back each day. There's something incurably romantic about steam engines and their large settee filled carriage compartments that you can snuggle in and enjoy a decent picnic as the engine huffs and puffs down the line.

This Railway Porter from the Five Points Brewery Company in Hackney, London, reminds me of those smoky steamy days out and about on holidays from the hustle and bustle. Brewed with chocolate malt, malted barley and caramel malt, as well as East Kent Goldings hops, this 4.8% volume beer has the very essence of pudding beer in its dark chocolate and coffee aroma. The thick dark brown almost black porter oozed into my waiting beer glass from the 330ml bottle. The expected malted dark chocolate flavour hit my tastebuds first mixing with the malted barley. Bitterness from the hops followed, and a slight sweetness from the caramel malt, then returning to the chocolate malt and an intense coffee bitterness moving into the aftertaste. I'd recommend sitting down with a bar of dark chocolate, a black coffee and a pint of this Railway Porter to wash them down with. Black as coal, capturing the spirit of a steam age almost passed, but never quite there; this dirty, filthy, oily, lovable rogue of a beer.