Harveys Porter (Bottle)

500 ml bottle - pours the colour of tar with a toffee coloured head that coats the inside of the glass. Aroma of dried fruits, some spice, plum, roasted barley, coffee. Flavour has that and more - more cinnamon, dry hazelnut character, espresso bitterness. Slightly sour as well. Thick, chalky mouthfeel. Dry, bitter finish. Very good porter.

I enjoyed this from a bottle called Tom Paine’s Original Old Porter. Poured to a used motor oil black, with medium tan head that dissipated soon and left some lacing. Aroma was a strong and pleasant malt chocolate-caramel that lasted for most of the drink. Flavor was a very tasty mix of malt chocolate, caramel, vanilla and a hint of coffee. This all led to a well rounded finish that was long, almost a little too sweet, and very warming for a beer with only 4.8% abv. This would make a good winter warmer.

275ml bottle from the brewery shop. Pours black with a tan film. Roasted coffee aroma with some nice herbal hints. Palate is a bit thin though it does have a creamy finish. The flavour is robust with a nice balance of coffee & chocolate notes with fruity hints. Overall, this is an easy drinking porter, but perhaps not a true classic to seek out.

A Mes rate: 50cl bottle from Kris Wines. Black/brown with a swifly dissipating tan head that settles to a bubbly film. Caramel malt aroma with a bit of vanilla and chocolate. Decent chocolate malt flavour that is let down by obvious cardboard and metallic notes. Was much worse when first opened, but now it has had time to settle it’s mellowed to something drinkable and quite enjoyable. Bitter chocolate finish with some very slight hops showing. Nice creamy mouthfeel which is almost worth a ’4’.

Drank at Royal Oak 13 August 07. Strong taste for the abv. Pitch black, firm body, small head. Distinct coffee and roasted malt. Not the best Porter.

[Bottle from Ron] Roasty, fruit, house character, dried fruit, tobacco, dundee cake, full, vinous notes, touch of tarness, dry, roasty. Most delicious.

275ml bottle from brewery shop. Black with faint ruby edges, thick tan head. Excellent almost peaty malt aroma. This is thick and unctious. Thick heavy tarry roasted malt aromas. Seriously this beats a lot of porters/stouts and impy stouts with bigger reputations. All the intense flavours, but no ridiculous massive hops on finish. This is awesome. Menthol, eucalyptus. Drank at room temperature on Lewes to Ashford train with the Inspiral Carpets.

Bottled as Harveys Tom Paine Original Old Porter. Poured a clear garnet-tinted cola brown with a short-lived cap of beige head. Aroma picked up sweet, roasty cocoa, dark fruit skins, brown sugar, and molasses.. light herbal accents. Flavor found layers of roasty dark chocolate and cocoa, plums, dark fruit skins, and molasses with a mild, grainy herbal bitterness... very tasty! A hair shy of medium-bodied with wonderful layering of flavors.. left a long, sweet, cocoa and raisiny finish. Just a lovely brew all around!