Beyond the Pale: Pretty little Porter

Ah Porter.  The less popular cousin (and ancestor) of stout.  A lot of breweries make various different flavoured porters that can very widely in consistency and flavour.  Some are good, some not so good, but how many are real representations of "traditional" porter?  And what is "traditional" porter anyways?  It's an interesting question that can cause debate, but I'm not here to discuss the semantics of what makes porter, I am here to talk about whether or not a beer is tasty, and fortunately I have one that is.

Porter is usually a lighter version of Stout, the history of the two styles are intertwined and Stout was originally a stronger variety of Porter.  Beyond the Pale's Pretty Little Porter is indeed lighter and smoother than their "Darkness" Oatmeal Stout.  It pours a proper dark brown, not quite pitch black, but a very dark brown.  The first taste is one of smoothness, not overly watery, but properly lighter than a stout.   The beginning of the sip brings out a really nice and slightly bitter coffee flavour, as the sip progresses you get a nutty and smooth middle before it fades off.  It has a really good early and mid sip balance with a surprising amount of flavour, the only downside is that it sorta fades off into a watery finish.  The bitterness of the early sip is nicely tempered by the smooth nutty middle, and the lightness of it will appeal to those who find stouts too thick and heavy.  The only warning is that at 6.1% it is stronger in alcohol than it tastes, so if you are driving be warned that it may catch up to you.  

It's available in growlers at their brewery, as it is a seasonal I can't guarantee that they have it on draught anywhere, but Beyond the Pale have beer available in a large number of bars and restaurants throughout Eastern Ontario so you may get lucky and find it on tap.  

Alc 6.1% IBU 25

Rating: 4.5 Steins

What you need to know

Brewery Address:
5 Hamilton Ave N
Ottawa, ON
K1Y 1B4

Website: www.beyondthepale.ca 

Twitter: @BTPBrewing

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BeyondThePaleBrewingCompany?fref=ts