Lovibonds Dark Porter

Lovibonds Dark
Style: Porter
Alcohol content: 4.8%
From: Henley Upon Thames, England, UK
Purchased from: Waitrose, Windsor
http://www.lovibonds.co.uk/

The brewing bug bit Jeff Rosenmeier in 1994 after tasting a friend's home made stout. Jeff couldn't believe the result and bought brewing equipment, soon discovering a hidden passion. Jeff moved to Henley-on-Thames in 1996 and fell in love with the beauty of the area. He continued to develop his brewing skills while taking a keen interest in the town's rich brewing tradition and the up and coming craft brewing movement.

In June 2005, Jeff decided to make his passion his day job, leaving behind a successful career in software engineering. He set up a small brew plant on his property and began piloting his flagship beers on a small scale. Jeff said, "I started delivering beer in small quantities to a few free houses in Henley and Reading and I was really encouraged by the response of our first customers".

The inspiration for the Lovibonds name came when Jeff was viewing a site in Henley for the brewery, which had previously been home to John Lovibond and Sons, Brewers and Merchants. Jeff said, "We were discussing the uses of the building through its history and the existing tenant handed me a lovely antique Lovibonds bottle. I loved the name and was impressed by the respect that the brand had locally, and so Lovibonds Brewery was formed."

Colour: Dark as the night sky with a thick white or slightly tanned head on the pour. Like all good porters, this head stays with you thought out the life time of this beer.

Aroma: On the nose you are all most over whelmed by notes of rich Arabica coffee mixed with rich hints of dark chocolate. If you really get your nose in the glass you can pick out very faint hints of liquorice. Personally I really dislike liquorice as it reminds me of the black jack sweets I used to get given at school. Oh those painful memories! Hopefully the beer won't taste lie them otherwise its going straight down the sink.

Body: As with most porters, this drink is quite heavy and thick. It certainly is a very slow sipper. Rather oddly, this beer leaves no stickiness as on the that after its drunk.

Taste: Due to the heavy use of dark malts in the making of this beer, rich smoky coffee flavours are abundant. It is almost like some one has lit a fire and the smoke has permeated into the drink itself. This has produced a very robust taste which may put off someone who is new to this style of drink. There are also faint hints of dark chocolate with a slight acidic or mineral aftertaste. This mineral quality comes from the hard water that can be found in the area around Henley upon Thames. This beer would be the perfect accompaniment to a rich creamy British Stilton. Lordy my mouth is watering already.

Similar to: http://beefsbrewery.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/left-hand-brewery-black-jack-porter.html
Different to: http://beefsbrewery.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/brewdog-dead-pony-club.html

For the latest news on reviews follow me on twitter @beefsbrewery