In August I wrote here about Meantime Coffee Porter. It was bottled then, but tonight I had the misfortune to have it on draught, courtesy of our old friends JDW.
I wasn't keen on the bottled version, but I didn't know, dodgy though it was, just how lucky I was that time. It wasn't nearly as bad as the cask version which is overwhelmingly like filter coffee dregs. It is dreadful. I couldn't finish my half. Avoid at all costs.
Just my opinion of course and that's all I have to say about it.
I don't know whether I've been unlucky but the beers I've had this year have ranged from the downright ghastly to dull. The only decent ones I've had were the Gouden Carolus, the Black Wattle and the Alton's Pride - my favourite so far. I think the worst one suffered from a moment of cellar madness so I won't name it, out of fairness.
ReplyDeleteI tried the Porter last week and it was indeed awful.
ReplyDeleteC'mon NAM - spit it out as you probably did with the beer - name names!
ReplyDeleteTheir other Porter, is kick arse. Stick to that one. That's one of the best Porters I've ever tasted. I'm a tad pished this evening on fine ale a tad of The Balvenie 17 year old New Oak. So, I don't know if their other Porter is called London Porter? Sort that one out Talismann, and update me.
ReplyDeleteTheir excellent 'straight' porter is indeed called London Porter and comes in 750ml bottles.
ReplyDeleteI like the Coffee Porter, both bottled and cask. But then I like coffee (and coffee-flavoured chocolate creams etc.) so I suppose I would. It's obviously a very divisive beer!
I've got one of the straight porters at home. Must try it sometime.
ReplyDeleteTandleman, I wouldn't name it because it was thin, watery and had a soapy taste. It was either truly awful or someone in JDWs hadn't pulled the lines through, which only occurred to me after I'd left - foaming at the mouth, obviously. I'm afraid I know where my suspicions lie and I'll try the beer again if I see it.
ReplyDeleteI'd been to the Marble Arch the night before, too -- from the sublime to the ridiculous.
I was hugely disappointed by the cask Coffee Porter. Not yet tried the bottled version but will try one this weekend... and hopefully find the cask version again as well and see if I just caught hold of a barrel end.
ReplyDeleteWe found an old bottle of the straight Meantime London Porter that had been hidden at the back of the stash for more than a year the other night and enjoyed it *a lot*. It had mellowed amazingly and become rather soft and sweet tasting.
ReplyDeleteShame the cask coffee didn't work out. They're not a brewery that does cask conditioning much, are they, so perhaps that and a combination of their ever-evolving (that is, occasionally botched) recipes have conspired against them in this case.