London Porter

The Meantime Brewing Company, Ltd.
London, England

Available: AZ, CA, CO, DC, FL, GA, IL, IN, MD, NC, OH, PA, VA, WI

Comment: Meantime Brewing Co. takes it’s name from Greenwich, where it is located. Seven malts go into Meantime’s London Porter, helping recreate a recipe of 1750.

Alcohol (wt.): 5.17
Alcohol (vol.): 6.5
Color: n/a
Bitterness: n/a
Original Gravity: n/a
Final Gravity: n/a
Malts used: Brown, black and chocolate
Hops used: Fuggle

The long-sought answer to the eternal question of how to differentiate a porter from a stout may well reside within this beer. Mahogany brown (not black), it has a rich and nutty, lightly roasty, softly sweet aroma that entirely befits a beer of its disposition and 6.5% alcohol strength. The body is perfect for a porter, gently sweet but never sugary, with notes of roasted malt and faint smoke balanced by plummy fruit and dark chocolate emerging at the finish. This is an ale I’d be delighted to serve on its own or with a steak dinner, or even a roasted leg of lamb.
- Stephen Beaumont

A corked and royally presented porter! I am intrigued. Deep copper color. The aroma is memorably cocoa and caramel malt with a suggestion of hops. Flavor succeeds in delivering on our expectations. If this is the “original porter” the Brits were importing during our Revolutionary War, they should have won! (What happened?) My bottle is fresh and lively. Perhaps in the 1770s, imported London porter lacked the freshness of today’s offerings. This is one porter I would cherish. A privilege to drink. Skillfully made. My wallet is yours.
- Charles Papazian

The tall, dark, handsome corked bottle seems to announce an event. Perhaps a coronation? The pop of the cork is faint, the beer russet-brown. A tan head rises and recedes. The aroma is very British—hops, mint, caramel, hard candies, sherry, and wet iron. The palate shows dark fruit up front, a brisk zing of bitterness, a quick wave at some malt, and a slightly acidic sign-off. An interesting, complex interpretation of porter. Not historical (as claimed), but very tasty. Melt some Stilton on your steak.
- Garrett Oliver

Stephen Beaumont
Author of five books on beer and a leader in educating bar and restaurant staff on beer, Stephen Beaumont is also the co-owner of downtown Toronto's beer cuisine restaurant and bar, beer bistro.

Charles Papazian
Author of the New Complete Joy of Homebrewing and president of the Brewers Association, Papazian is the leading voice in beer making.

Garrett Oliver
Internationally recognized brewer and expert on traditional beer, Garrett Oliver is the Brewmaster of the Brookly Brewery and the author of The Brewmaster Tale.

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