Bennetts Classic Black

Brewed by Harringtons Breweries (Christchurch)
Style: Porter
Christchurch, New Zealand

Pours almost black, with ruby edges. Brown filmy head. Aroma is quite nice, burnt malt with some ester fruitiness. Can’t really get any hops which is disappointing. Watery texture, quite clean initially then some roasted malt shows up late. Somehow gets stronger, with a surprising astringent coffee finish. I actually said ‘wow’ when the finish hit, as the flavour is somewhat weak. The coffee finish saved this beer from being very mediocre.

(Bottle 33 cl) Clear, brown with an orange hue and a beige head. Sweetish, hard roasted malt aroma. Medium body with sweetish, hard roasted malts, some bitter dark chocolate and an almost smoky touch. Very subdued bitterness. There’s no reason for the low ratings - this is a very decent, light porter. 010208

Dense creamy offwhite head, dark brown caramel, "smoky" aftertaste,

Black with ruby hues. Coffee head and a toasty aroma but hints at brown paper bags! Dark roasty malt flavours, short but uneventful.

Bottled. Black with firm, beige head. Lemony licorice aroma. Fairly dry with rounded mouthfeel. Notes of licorice and syrup. Low-medium bitterness. Licorice dominates the finish.

Tasted 25/05/2005. 330ml bottle at Neil Miller’s Cellar-Vate tasting. Dark brown, almost black, with an airy, disappearing, tan head. Chocolate, coffee and sugar on the nose. Sweet, sugary, malt flavour up front with a roasty bitter finish. A bit of a carbonation tang and too light in weight. Didn’t stack up at all well against the Speights Porter, which followed.

Black in colour with coffee coloured head, malty aroma. Mild bitter coffee taste but very thin.