Okells Aile

Brewed by Okells
Style: Porter
Douglas, Isle of Man

bottle, pours a very dark brown, nearing black, with a medium dark tan head. Roasted malt, molassis, and an assertive hoppiness in the nose. Roasted malt and a bitter bakers chocolate kind of body, some hop bitterness and a little hint of smoke lingering in the finish. Light carbonation, the beer is silky smooth and medium in body. Good brew.

I was immediately struck by then sheer beauty of this as i poured it, the head was a lovely coffee cremer colour with tightly packed bubbles. Coffee, milk chocolate ans a touch of smoke on the nose....could do with more smoke! palate is smooth with a touch of smoke again...there’s obviously no fire because there’s not much smoke! A good beer overall but a bit misleading on the label.

Cask EBF 2008. Dark brown color. Lightly smoked nose. Tobacco leaves and dark chocolate. Smoky, woody notes with dark chocolates and cherries. Lingering smokiness in the finish. Nice.

Bottle. Dark walnut brown with golden highlights and a dense vanilla-tinted head. Very chocolatey aroma, some roast, and faint smoke. Chocolate, burnt malt, coffee, and a nice peaty smokiness woven through it all. Medium bodied. Satisfying bitter finish. Very nice.

Tasted 29/03/2009. 500ml bottle from New World Island Bay. Dark brown, beige foam, lightly smoky, roasted, lightly bitter, fairly well carbonated. A little bit thin, watery and dry for my liking but not a badly made drop.

Bottle (in NZ). Pours black with a large pillowy brown head. A big roasty and smoky aroma, bitter chocolate and oak. Slightly oily palate, but still quite light. The malty flavours are more subtle than I expected, but still plenty of roast. Pretty well put together at 4.8%

Deep and dark nose of cocoa, smoke, treacle and earth. Pours very dark with a tan head and strong lace. Flavour is at first thin, but develops well with dark roast coffee, some toasty malt, and a hint of the crispy edges of vegies from your Sunday roast. Finish is long and runs from bitter to honeyed over about thirty seconds. A fair to middlin’ porter.

500ml bottle. Near black with reddish hints and a big tan head. Aroma of sweet malts, peat, tobacco and a hint of marmite yeastiness. Big, almost vinous mouth feel, with some caramel sweetness, charred malts, some earthy hops, a hint of seaside saltiness and a dry, bitter finish. Very enjoyable.