Driftwood Brewery Black Stone Porter English Porter at 6% ABV (C$6.75 at Sundance Wine Market, 650 ml, no bottle date or best before, reviewed 14-Jan-2016)
Appearance: nearly sold black with clear brown margins, one finger of dense beige head, excellent retention and lacing. (4/5) Aroma: coffee, chocolate, dark roasty malt, tart red berries, light lactic. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, mild bitter, very light tart. (7/10) Palate: medium-full body, moderate carbonation, off-dry finish. (4/5)
Nice. Smooth and chocolatey, dark and rich. Nice dark roast flavours, while staying pleasantly mild – a solid implementation from a solid brewer. In the background, I’m getting a near-lactic smoothness along with an almost raspberry-like tart – which, considering they’re pretty much opposites, is no mean feat. Can’t go (too badly) wrong with Driftwood in my experience, and this is another solid performer, if not quite world-class like Fat Tug, Pilsner Doehnel, or Naughty Hildegard. (Even if it doesn’t make me want to spank a nun. Aw, hell, who’m I kidding? I still want to spank a nun.) (15/20)
7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
