Emergency porter

Browsing in Sainsbury's for easy-going trainbeer that would be drinkable at room temperature, I picked this bottle of own-brand London Porter. It's from Shepherd Neame and comes in their distinctive flask-shaped bottle, accentuating its blackness through the clear glass.

The ABV is a not-so-casual 5%, and it fizzed a lot on pouring, thanks to the lack of chill. The Shepherd Neame house character is very apparent from the aroma: a sweet sherry tang and a not-unexpected skunky twang.

The flavour was an improvement. While the Sheppishness never fully went away, the chocolate and liquorice came to the rescue, shouting loud enough to cover any unpleasantness. The herbal quality of the latter lasts longest, giving it a bitter-sweet quality without any dry roast. Its texture is lighter than I'd expect from the strength.

This wouldn't be my favourite porter ever, but at £1.50 it works perfectly satisfactorily as a distress purchase. All the same, I'll be trading up the extra 30p for a bottle of Guinness Foreign Extra Stout the next time I'm in this situation.