Hambleton Nightmare (Bottle)

Brewed by Hambleton
Style: Porter
Ripon, England

It’s looks like coffee with a red hue at the edges. It looks a bit like a red light bar at the end of an alley. Nice economy-it fits perfectly into an english pint. The head caresses the rim, and becomes an outline to the pitched darkness in the center of me mug. Oh hello you dark chocolate bar, you smell like you walked through a grass fire. This beer definitely smells like it’s done some manual labor on machinery, it’s oily. As such, it tastes like a dark roasted,oily coffee bean. My palate’s warming up now. It’s not terribly high in alcohol. Coffee-malt; bittersweet chocolate; molasses-blackstrap molasses. There’s a little ’old horse barn’ in there, kind of musty, a little straw, and leathery. Smells a little like old timber, now. Umm, I’m liking how this opens up. As it gets warmer it tastes like an over-done black forest torte. Actually, I think it’s a little too bitter. A little oily. It pushes my opinion of english porter, and I like that. "Champion Winter Beer of Britian 1997" it says. A one time champion, perhaps. A damn sassy champion, but I think I’d rather split this with a drinking buddy, move slowly through it, then move on to something completely different.

Bottle. Near black with nice head. Very malty, dark chocolate. Soft. Gentle bitter finish.

Bottle. Dark Coloring. Thin White Head. Aroma is Sweet...Like Chocolate and Vanilla... Very Smooth in Flavor. Mild Roasts and Sweet Malts....Some Chocolate.. Pretty Thin on The Tongue with Some Carbonation... Very Easy to Drink and Enjoy...

I love this beer. Dark brown body, smooth, chocolate and vanilla. Very complex. Also had the bottled version which was less exciting but still wonderfull

500ml bottle. Head is initially small, frothy, light brown, mostly diminishing. Body is dark brown. Aroma is lightly to moderately malty (chocolate milk, roasted grain, cocoa), lightly hoppy (flowers, herbs), with light notes of minerals, chalk, and vanilla. Flavor is lightly to moderately sweet, lightly to moderately acidic, lightly bitter. Finish is lightly sweet, lightly to moderately acidic, moderately bitter. Light to medium body, watery/creamy texture, lively/soft carbonation. Unsatisfying, dull.

A decent porter. Very smooth, can taste a bunch of malt. I prefer a little more of a "massively flavored creamy drink."

Pours with a two-finger tan head that fades quickly to just a thin layer leaving an even lace. Deep red/amber color nearly opaque. Light carbonation, medium bodied. Nose is a smokey roast. Starts with a roasted sweetness and finishes smooth with no bitter aftertaste. A good porter too bad it is $6.25 for a 500ml bottle.

The description is a little misleading. I would not consider this to be "massive." The color is very dak and deep. My bottle poured with a relatively small, tan head. The flavors and aromas seem muted. There are hints of coffee, rye and maybe some syrup? The subtle flavor never quiet does it for me. Some chocolate, dark coffee and maybe a little woodiness. This is too thin and not impressive. A good introduction to porters. I would like more roasted smells and flavors. Overall, just underwhelmed by the whole experience.