Bridgnorth Porter (Co-op) By @SpectreUK

I picked this Bridgnorth Porter not only because I fancy a pudding beer after my rather tasty lamb steak dinner earlier, but also because Cinabar and I had a day out in Bridgnorth in early February before this terrible virus took hold in this country and we had to lockdown. We had a good day out, where I enjoyed my favourite Full English Breakfast at a garden centre on the way there and then we wondered around the shops, what was left of the castle and went down and back up the cliff railway. It was a chilly day and we stood by the river for a while watching it flow by. It is a good recent memory of our last day out together. I'm certainly hoping that it will be safe enough for us, and also everyone else out there, to have days out like that in the not too distant future.

This Bridgnorth Porter was produced by the Hop & Stagger Brewery, in Shropshire. At 5% volume this dark porter boasts chocolate malt, dark fruity hops and a hint of sweet caramel, presumably from caramel malt. Bridgnorth Porter won the silver medal at the International Brewing Awards in 2019. It states on the bottle that its best served at room temperature. I know that there is some contention in various countries about the temperature of our beer, but just think; cold foods and drinks are less flavoursome than when they are hot or at least warm. So if you want a more flavoursome beer, don't keep it half frozen in the fridge, and I personally never… EVER add ice to liquor!

On opening this Bridgnorth Porter I was immediately struck by the deep strong smell of chocolate malt and the rich fruitiness from the hops. Gosh, I am going to enjoy this porter, I can feel it in my aching bones. They're aching because I'm still doing huge amounts of exercise to rehabilitate my knee and shoulder and also keep my weight down, but only in the kitchen. I used my free weights earlier and do around two hours of mat exercises each morning. I find I burn enough calories to keep my muscles and also not put on any access fat whilst eating a balanced diet. I usually have tuna after weights for its high protein content, but my toasted bacon sandwich with two fried eggs, as well as pork scratchings and crisps on the side on a Friday is quite a treat!

On taste this Bridgnorth Porter oozes dark chocolate malt to start with, and then the sumptuous fruitiness from the hops wrapped lovingly around my tastebuds. There is an underlying sweetness from the caramel malts, which enhances the fruity flavour of the hops. This sweetness from the malts and that deep fruitiness is then followed by a roasted coffee flavour which mixes with the hoppy fruitiness and the velvety chocolate malt into the aftertaste. Well, I was looking for a pudding beer tonight following my glorious lamb steak meal and also to celebrate a good day out from a while ago, and this Bridgnorth Porter certainly hit the right spot.