Harveys Tom Paine Original Old Porter - Harvey & Son Ltd.

Greggy

Minnesota

3.78/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A- Pours a fluffy light tan head about 1.5 fingers in head. It leaves some lacing on its way down. The body is brown with dark ruby highlights.

S- Almost a creme brulee like nose. Big caramel, vanilla, large fresh roasted coffee, dark roasted malts, and a touch of smoke.

T- Starts out with an almost tart dry chocolate and bitter hop component then moves into a slight chocolate and residual hop finish. This is very much, like the name implies, an old english porter, but it didn't have to much character to me.

M- Very smooth with low carbonation.

D- It's to bad the taste wasn't as good as the rest of this beer as it'd be pretty sessionable. As it is though, I probably wouldn't have it again. I could see this being much better fresh.

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2008 20:48:10 | More by Greggy

orangemoustache

Illinois

3.93/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a deep brownish/mahogany with a tall but average foamy,brown head that leaves nice lace as it disappears.The nose is sweet like carmamelized fruit,hint of chocolate malt as well.The taste is a nice blend of bitter and sweet chocolates along with dark fruits most notably prunes and a subtle sourness that is faint enough to be an asset and not a distraction.Some hop pressence on the finish has a slightly drying effect,along with a grittyness that helps give a fuller feling than the actual body which is a bit thin and low in carbonation.A very nice beverage for a cool May evening,or any evening!

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2008 04:52:01 | More by orangemoustache

careforapint

Virginia

3.6/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

I gave this only 3.5 for taste because of it's uniqueness. This is not a bad thing, just not a brew that I could drink more than one of. It pours beautifully into the glass like the color of dark molasses and the aroma is just as intriguing. Slightly sweet for a porter, but what I found so unique is that it almost had a Worcestershire sauce flavor...which works! I agree with other reviewers that this is almost a winter warmer. The strong flavors make it seem stronger than 4.8%. I wasn't sure if I liked this when I had finished, but I ended up buying another bottle and I'm glad I did!

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2008 06:11:22 | More by careforapint

n0315

Michigan

2.68/5  rDev -30.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

chocolate mile like head, not to much buts its a porter so its ok. Almost solid black in appearance.

A very strong taste, bitter I suppose a taste of coffee. Honestly the mouthfeel I felt was thicker than most porters. Burnt chochlate also a taste that I get somewhat.

This is honestly something I would not drink most of the time. Not bad for a try or two, but nothing special.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2007 17:34:14 | More by n0315

cookin420

Maine

3.05/5  rDev -20.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

16.9 poured into a pub glass.
Very little head here, enough for a porter, though. Head is the color of chocolate milk.
The beer is not quite black. Almost, except for a ruby tint.
Smells sweet and very malty. Chocolate malts create a strong coffee note, bitter nose from the choc. malt but no hop aromas at all.
The first few sips taste too sweet. Porter should be sweet but a lingering, sticky-sweet aftertaste is what I'm getting. It mellows well though, to a decent balance of malt and an oaky, coffee-bitter and spicy hop (though faint).
Mouth feel left a lot to be desired. Thick but not creamy. the amount of unfermented malt leaves the beer syrupy.
A slow sipper, this is fairly drinkable but set aside an hour to do so.
A moderately satisfying porter but tastes and feels a bit raw to me.

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2007 03:26:36 | More by cookin420

kimcgolf

Georgia

4.38/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I enjoyed this from a bottle called Tom Paine’s Original Old Porter. Poured to a used motor oil black, with medium tan head that dissipated soon and left some lacing. Aroma was a strong and pleasant malt chocolate-caramel that lasted for most of the drink. Flavor was a very tasty mix of malt chocolate, caramel, vanilla and a hint of coffee. This all led to a well rounded finish that was long, almost a little too sweet, and very warming for a beer with only 4.8% abv.

This would make a good winter warmer.

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2007 12:32:29 | More by kimcgolf

goethean

Illinois

4.93/5  rDev +28.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Served in a tulip glass. Pours opaque black; slightly fizzy; no head.

Rich, vinous, fruity aroma.

Soft front. Slighty dry, complex roasty fruity estery typically English-ale flavor (similar to Young's beers) in the middle. Medium body. Subtly funky finish -- chalky, perhaps? No hops bitterness or flavor detectable.

I did not detect the chocolate or coffee flavors that other reviewers did.

At 4.8%, it offers a far more complex and satisfying experience than most session beers. However, its painful price tag prevents it from becoming a habit.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2007 03:58:30 | More by goethean

gueuzeonhigh

Maine

3.9/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

As I understand it, Porters appeared as the result of mixtures of different beers so perhaps the style has a broad definition of what the beer should really be. I've taken a Porter to be a "near stout".
This Porter poured a dark brown almost black opque with a mild tan head. The head was short lived and some minor lacing on my glass. The scant nose left me inhaling thinking something evaporated before I completed the pour. The nose was a precursor for what the flavor would be-- it had many of the underpinnings that I've come to expect from Porters but left me wondering where the flavor went. What I could discern was a touch of ale with toasted malt, some hints of caramel. The flavor dissipated quickly with a fast finish.
The mouthfeel was that of a mild but smooth minimal carbonated drink.
I consider that the drinkability was above average because of the low ABV and rather mild carbonation.
Unfortunately this porter left me wanting a stronger flavor stance.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2006 06:13:22 | More by gueuzeonhigh

sacrelicio

Minnesota

4.3/5  rDev +12%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

This is a great porter. It looks good, with an opaque brackish brown body accented with ruby edges. It smells great, with vanilla, brown sugar, cream, and nuts. It tastes good, with cocoa, coffee, and tart fruits. Even a little peppermint. Nice. The mouthfeel is good, nothing too special. But nice. The drinkability is great, with a reasonable ABV and a medium body making it refreshing and sessionable.

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2006 03:13:39 | More by sacrelicio

Dogbrick

Ohio

3.78/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Sample at AleFest Dayton (As Tom Paine Porter): This beer is a very dark brown color with a thin beige head and spotty lacing. The aroma is chocolatey cocoa and burnt malt. Medium-bodied and dry with roasted malt and chocolate flavors. The finish is sweet molasses and chocolate. Better than expected overall.

Serving type: bottle

09-07-2006 20:59:40 | More by Dogbrick

ColoradoBobs

Colorado

3.83/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

500 ml bottle on sale at Wilbur's in Fort Collins, CO, for $1.99.

Moderate pour into my pint glass produces a thin choco-tan head over a dark-brown not-quite-opaque body with reddish tinges around the edge: as you would expect from a porter.

Smell is caramel malt, chocolate malt, espresso, not too strong, but pleasant enough.

Taste is burned malt, roasted malt, toasted malt, and some chocolate espresso. Nice taste.

Mouthfeel is a bit thin for a porter, but then this is an ENGLISH one, so what did I expect?

Drinkability is high, especially since the ABV is only 4.8%.

I'll pick this up again, but only if it's on sale again. Not worth the regular price of $3.99, IMHO: there are many better brews on which one could spend 4 bucks for a half liter.

Serving type: bottle

09-05-2006 01:56:50 | More by ColoradoBobs

maddamish

Tennessee

3.7/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Smell: Grape and a hint of whisky

Taste: This is basicly whiskey without the kick. When I was drinking this beer, it suprised me how much character it shared with a shot of whiskey. I swallowed and braced for the expected bite. I was plesently suprised when it did not come. There is also a date/celery aftertase that is not unpleasent.

Notes: Not a bad little beer but not what I personally want out of a porter. With that being said, it stands on its own as something unique and enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

08-04-2006 15:37:22 | More by maddamish

bruachan

Rhode Island

3.68/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

a winking lizard tour beer that's been hanging out for some time
nice, stout bottle with a pic of good old time paine

it's a solid looking brew. totally opaque black with a khaki head that retains itself well, releasing scents of molasses, licorice and a hint of the soy sauce aroma that suggests some passage of time. ever-so-slightly spicy as well. the flavors are dark and sophisticated, with a smoky finish to the smooth (but light, actually) mouthfeel. no hop flavor but some apparent bitterness for balance

Serving type: bottle

07-29-2006 15:19:33 | More by bruachan

Kookiekwan

Florida

3.65/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

This beer pours black has a thin filmy almost non-existant head, with very little retention. The aroma is of roasted coffee/toffee with a hint of butterscotch. The flavor is sweet roasted coffee, very smooth mouthfeel. Even though its only 4.8% I could still taste the alcohol in the finish.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2006 22:03:16 | More by Kookiekwan

Mebuzzard

Colorado

3.5/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured into pint glass.
No head to speak of, very disappointing. Black body, looked very smooth.
Smell of a bit of coffee and roasted malt, some chocolate
Taste of coffee, roasted malt and powder cocoa.
Thinner than it looked. Flavors were weak and aftertaste of alcohol spoiled the flavors that were present.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2006 22:29:42 | More by Mebuzzard

delicious

Vermont

4.25/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a wide, 500mL bottle.

Opaque, very dark brown color, with a foamy, mocha colored head.
The nose is sweet and creamy like ice cream. As it warms, prunes and other dried fruit comes out.
The flavor suggests roasted malts and coffee with some of the dried fruit in the nose. Nothing burnt, and not too sweet.
It is a joy to drink an under 5% ABV beer with such a wonderful mouth feel and full flavor. I imagine it is no small feat to offer a low alcohol beer with this kind of drinkability without sacrificing mouthfeel and flavor.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2005 00:47:16 | More by delicious

AltTrinker

New Hampshire

4.38/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

500 ml wide bottle with no bottling date indicated.
It pours a dark, almost opaque , brown color with a mocha head that withers to a thin layer after a few minutes. There is some, but minimal, lacing on the glass.
The nose gives a strong, ripe fruit aroma of prunes lightly mixed with coffee and chocolate. The aroma has a certain sweetness to it that gives an icecream like sensation. It has a rich, full mouthfeel that continues the ripe fruit flavor, again predominantly of prunes with minimal roastiness. Hoppiness is restrained, just enough to balance the sweet, malt presence. The finish is delingtfully smooth.

This is a very drinkable Porter with wonderfull ripe fruit aromas and flavor. The mouthfeel is full and thick, a bit surprising for a 4.8% ABV ale. I enjoyed mine after dinner, and it made a wonderful desert.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2005 00:35:47 | More by AltTrinker

fretlessman71

Colorado

4.35/5  rDev +13.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pertinent Preliminary Comments: Interesting that an English brewery would celebrate the life of a man who helped the colonists secede from the British Empire. Oh well – what do I know, anyway?

APPEARANCE: Very dark brown, just barely translucent. Light beige craggy head that doesn’t last too long. Good lacing on the sides, however.

AROMA: Dark fruit (black currant? Blackberry?), cocoa, and sherry. Almost no hop presence.

FLAVOR: The sherry nose is also present in the flavor, but it’s a lot nicer than I thought it would be. Almost has a Cab Svgn. quality to it. Chocolate is much stronger here. Subtle roastiness, but overpowered a bit by the somewhat sour notes in front. Caramel comes through as the beer warms a bit, as does espresso. Black malt is present only in the finish, leaving a slightly bitter/sour aftertaste, but all that does for me is make me want another sip.

MOUTHFEEL: Low carbonation, medium-high weight. Nice full feeling in the mouth, as well as being somewhat oily/slick.

DRINKABILITY: At 4.8% it’s pretty close to a session beer, and darned flavorful at that.

OVERALL COMMENTS: A good solid beer overall. If you like red wine and chocolate, and don’t care for hops, this might be right up your alley. I kinda miss the hops a little, though… but that’s just me.

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2005 19:28:32 | More by fretlessman71

ADR

Pennsylvania

4.2/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Nice very dark brown color with slight red highlights. Creamy frothed milk tan head. Thick clouds of lace, stick in large sheets. Slight sense of sherry to the aroma, bits of chocolate, and a hint at a roast. Lightish mouthfeel, carbonation is subdued, milky feel across the tongue. Solid roast to the flavor, bitter and mildly oily, coffee is well-expressed. Wine-like overtones, similarities to Fuller's London Porter in many aspects. Nice drinker, easy to throw back with nice dark notes to add further interest.

Serving type: bottle

10-05-2005 00:46:51 | More by ADR

Naes

New York

4.08/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Black with amber hues showing through. The head is a tiny layer of cream colored bubbles.
The aroma is sweet with a bit of chocolate.
Its flavor is roasty with tones of chocolate, toffee and coffee in the mix.
Mouth feel is full bodied, a bit syrupy but remains smooth with a dry finish.
This is one of the better imported porters that I have tried.

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2005 03:39:20 | More by Naes

TheLongBeachBum

California

4/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Presentation: 500ml broad bodied brown glass bottle with a thin short stubby neck. The main label has a picture of Thomas Paine set against a black and gold background. Tom Paine was an English ‘radical’ by birth who eventually went on, so the legend goes, to assist in drafting the American Declaration of Independence and was to eventually die in the USA. Labeled as ‘Harveys Tom Paine Original Old Porter’, and listed at 4.8% ABV. No freshness date.

Appearance: A very dark brown body when backlit which becomes a dark black when it is not. A decent enough ½” light brown tan head slowly evolves and forms on the pour, but it eventually settles to a thin looking cap covering – but never breaks and is always uniform, and it does leave some nice looking lacing. Extremely finely dissolved carbonation remains firm start to finish.

Nose: Dark brooding nose is full and flavorsome. Sourness, Roasted Malts, Stale Red Wine, Milk Chocolate, Coffee and some Rum & Raisin.

Taste: A mixture of milky chocolate and fantastic flashes of sourness throughout. Dark freshly roasted coffee and some raisins here and there. Predominantly though, this Porter is all about the rum sourness, it is never over the top, or even off-putting – and it will not be to everyone’s taste - but somehow it lends a lovely Olde Worlde feel to this libation.

Mouthfeel: Smooth yet definitively Porter-esque in character. Above average feel is bolstered by the sourness and lots of roasted malts; all supported by a caffeine like injection from the coffee flavors.

Drinkability: Seemingly refined, yet harking back to a time when things were simplistic. Works well for me; the sourness is welcome and adds to the overall quaffability.

Overall: How things used to be. Well worth seeking out, but don’t expect the usual low profile bland offering, this one does not shy away from keeping the sourness where it should be, but it blends it impressively into a worthy English Porter.

This is definitely an English Porter “Old-School” style…..and I loved it. Recommended.

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2005 06:07:17 | More by TheLongBeachBum

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

3.9/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

"Society in every state is a blessing, but Government, even in its best state, is a necessary evil; in its worst state, an intolerable one."

--Thomas Paine


Opaque, melted dark chocolate brown with intense, sparkling ruby accents when viewed through bright sunlight. The smallish cap of dark brown foam would look more at home on a stout. It's a substantial one finger in thickness at present and looks like it'll stay for a bit. There isn't much lace (yet) since the head isn't giving any ground. Once the glass is nearly emptied of beer, there's an impressive, three finger swath of lace through its midsection.

The nose, while a little underpowered, is pleasant enough. Cocoa powder is first in line with a whiff of spice coming in second (I'll go with allspice). It also smells a little like musky fruit which, I believe, is due to a mild, but real, hop presence. Even though there isn't much to criticize, plenty of porters have this one beat in the aroma department.

At least Original Old Porter doesn't wimp out with respect to flavor and mouthfeel like so many 'traditional' English porters do. It seems to be a different beer on the palate than it was in the nose. It's now roughly equal parts coffee and chocolate with unripe fruit (read: sour) underpinnings. There's plenty of roasted dark malt on hand, well above average for a porter.

The sourness is pervasive, but isn't overpowering, and a counterbalancing bitterness appears on the finish to even things out. I'd like to see a bigger, firmer mouthfeel. Keeping style in mind though, it isn't that far out of line. The carbonation does its work quietly and effectively.

Thomas Paine, as the label reminds me, is the author of the influential pamphlet 'Common Sense'. The brewers seem to have taken that sentiment to heart in crafting a no-nonsense, traditional porter that lacks bells and whistles, but doesn't lack good, honest porter flavor.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2005 15:07:32 | More by BuckeyeNation

yen157

New Jersey

4.15/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Thin tan head, dark, dark coffee body. Head reduces to wisps quickly. Dark rich nose with dried figs, raisins, and an warm milk. Very nice. Chocolate, some toffee, and coffee with a splash of heavy cream. Bitterness seems to be mainly from the black malt. Relatively thin body for a beer this flavor dense, but carbonation is light enough so that this doesn’t seem awkward.

This is what I like in a porter, not too big. Carbonation is a little too light, but overall this is quite good. I hope to come across this again, but Michigan is a little far to go for it!

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2005 01:46:01 | More by yen157

MrSeth

Massachusetts

3.5/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

There was no head from the first pour. A ring of unusual bubbles around the glass. A small tan head arrives very late. The body is an opaque black. The smell at first seems metalic. The malt shows nicely despite this with coffee and spice notes in there as well. The malt flavor is also nice despite the poor condition. And speaking of which, it's dead flat. I am used to porters having less carbonation than other beers, but this is too flat. The flavor is really good here so I will definitely get another bottle and see if this is just one poor example.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2005 21:57:07 | More by MrSeth

jdhilt

New Hampshire

3.63/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours with a one-finger light tan head that fades slowly leaving a good lace. Deep amber color almost black. Good carbonation and light-medium bodied. Nose is chocolate. Starts with a sweetish molasses flavor, finish is slightly bitter chocolate. $4.25 for a 500ml bottle from Colonial Spirits Acton, MA..

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2005 23:55:49 | More by jdhilt