Under the influence

I'm a bit of a sceptic when it comes to the marketing power of blogs. I find it hard to believe that they really wield any kind of influence over the buying habits of readers, or that they have any noticeable effect on the sales of things which feature in them. However, I can put the pints of The Porterhouse's new black lager which I drank at the weekend solely down to the mention the beer got on Reuben's blog here.

As he says, they've acquired the yeast for this from the brewing research centre at Weihenstephan, and hence the puntastic name PHD. It's a very dark brown colour and rather lacking in the head department. No shortage of flavour, mind: there's a thumping great wodge of caramel and milk chocolate at the front, similar to what you get in Czech dark lagers and not a million miles from Munich dunkel. Soon afterwards it turns much more schwarzbierish, drying right out and finishing on a crisp and roasted note.

Overall it's a very clean-tasting beer and is utterly sessionable as a result, though the big sweetness also rewards considered sipping too. A beer for all seasons: get it while it lasts.