Beer Review: St Peter's Plum Porter

Brewery: St Peter’s

 

Style: Porter

 

ABV: 5%

 

Location: Bungay, Suffolk

 

Aroma: Notes of coffee, chocolate, roasted malt and hints of hedgerow fruits including plums and blackcurrant, with a residual tartness coming through in the background.

 

Colour: Jet black with ruby lacing shining through in the light. A frothy two finger head which persists long after pouring.

 

Taste: A strong almost astringent bitterness, a potent kick of roasted malts dominates the proceedings, followed by a chorus of jammy fruitiness coming from the abundant use of plums in the mix. Sweetness however is somewhat lacking; the mouthfeel is heavy and cloying with lacing present around the glass.

 

Verdict: A good effort for a plum porter, the use of plums in the mix doesn’t dominate and it allows the malt to take centre stage and remind the drinker that they are drinking a traditional porter rather an overly sweet fruit sours that seems to be abundant nowadays. The strong plum flavours neatly dovetail with the dry roasted malt bitterness, whilst the overall mouthfeel is creamy which adds to the drinking experience. Rather easy to drink, though the lack of natural sweetness from the plums and the slight hint of carbonations does affect the detract from the overall quality.

 

Rating: 8/10