It's a lager, suitably labelled in the new band's livery and presented in the Porterhouse's infuriatingly titchy 33cl bottles. The labelling itself presents a bit of a marketing issue, since the band seem to have based their logo on Heineken's brand. To then apply this to an actual beer is a bit odd, making the craft lager resemble Heineken from the outside. Maybe it's subversive. I dunno.Anyway, I nipped up to Porterhouse North one afternoon last week to give it a go in the surrounds of the newly-refurbished beer garden. The pub wasn't open yet, as it turned out, but fortunately the management were around and Dave very kindly sent me home with some bottles of the newbie to try out.
It is, I suspect, a very close relation of Porterhouse Hersbrucker: a beer I cannot stand on draught but isn't half bad from the bottle. Cara Malt gives it a dark gold colour and a caramel sweetness, while the brewery's signature Galena bittering hop, finished with Nugget and Hersbrucker balance the malt with a fairly intense and complex waxy, grassy bitterness.
I like it. It would have been nice to have in time for summer as the flavour withstands chilling excellently making it a tasty refresher. It's certainly a clear cut above the standard macro lagers, so I don't see how it all went so wrong for Joe here:
(or link)
I picked up a couple of bottles of Porterhouse Red recently, I wonder what other happy delights we have coming this way?
ReplyDeleteNot a big fan of the Red, but then it's not exactly an inspiring style of beer.
ReplyDeleteI am looking forward to trying it next to Starr Hill's Amber Ale, which is labeled an "Irish Red Ale", though I fear it is as Irish as corned beef and cabbage! ;)
ReplyDeleteYou're right - sounds like they missed the boat a little by releasing this about three months too late. Will keep an eye out.
ReplyDelete