Entire Butt English Porter - Salopian Brewing Company Ltd

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.85/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Served in a pint glass at Paradiso.

All right, honest show of hands: how many initially tried this 'cause o' the name? Come on. I did...I thoroughly enjoy porters. Tee-hee. Anyway, it pours a deep clear russet topped by a finger of off-white micro-foam. The nose comprises raisins, wheat, grass, flowers, and graham crackers. The taste is more robust, with notes of light molasses, blackened biscuits, rye bread, dark wheat, grass, and some light figs. The body is a light medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a lightly gooey feel. Overall, a nice bit of English goodness, something to look for again later on.

Serving type: on-tap

08-13-2010 22:45:09 | More by TMoney2591

tempest

Pennsylvania

4.05/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

On-tap at the Blue Nile for $8 a pint. Comes a pitch black with a short tan head, leaves impressive lacing.

This really does taste like a true English porter. The flavor starts with mellow dark chocolate and a slight sour tang. As the beer finishes it dives into dark malts with espresso and coffee notes and a spicy hops kiss. This is really a great beer and very true to style. I wouldn't mind having this more often. My only qualm is the $8 price tag. But then again, I'm a cheapskate.

Serving type: on-tap

11-29-2008 01:40:47 | More by tempest

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

4.45/5  rDev +14.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Re-review, correcting my disappointing first bottle nearly 5 years ago. Now, I've got a freshly poured pint in front of me. Let's do it.

Dark brown body, with ruby highlights. Tan head, with greenish tints. Classic.

Aroma: cocoa and cream, with a hint of vanilla. Lush malt, excellent balance, not too green, not too sweet. Clean and mellow. Excellent.

Taste: Minor hop buzz up front, that stays in play, if on the sidelines, while malt moves in. That sour green apple flavor is there, the one that spoiled that bottle for me, but it's way down there, mixed with grassy notes, and then the cocoa, and then the coffee. A complex blend of malts, it's a cliche', but it's also true.
Great thirst-quencher, surprisingly refreshing. And, amazingly enough, unless I'm fooling myself, I can see where the parts come together. Mild ale, brown ale, and a soured old ale, minus the booze .

This would definitely be a great session ale, if not for the high cost. Guess I have to rely on more affordable porters for that, but I can really appreciate the effort they put into it. With each touch to the lips, delicious malt, sweet brown sugar, grassy hops, chocolate-y goodness, slipping down the throat.
Yum, and yum.

Serving type: on-tap

11-05-2008 07:33:15 | More by feloniousmonk

ClashmoreMike

District of Columbia

2.63/5  rDev -32.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Had this on tap at Rustico (Alexandria, VA).

A = Dark brown, almost black. A bit of red in the edges. Light brown head starts at about 1/4 inch and then goes down to beer algae. Very little lacing.

S = No strong scents. Malty. A bit of dark chocolate in there. Also a hint of something like vanilla.

T = The overarching theme here is: watery. You can taste sweet malts and some chocolate. There are hops in there to add some bitterness. But the flavors are strangely watered down. There's also a little sourness in there that I didn't expect (and just didn't like at all in a porter).

M = The tastes are watered down, and the mouthfeel follows suit. The mouthfeel is very light. Medium to low carbonation.

D = It's too bad. I like porters and was really hoping to like this one too. However, it is too watery and too light for my taste. The slight sourness in the taste didn't help either.

Serving type: on-tap

07-04-2008 02:04:06 | More by ClashmoreMike

sponberg

New York

4.33/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Deep, dark russet brown with a light, tan-cream colored head with laciness that winds down the glass. A very rich aroma - coffee, toffee, slight roastiness. This is gonna be good...

Oh yeah it is!! What a big ass body on this one - lots of dark round maltiness, hits of coffee, toffee and cocoa, an oatmeally (like a bitter chocolate haystack no-bake cookie) creaminess and just enough smokiness to tie it together. Some faint latent hoppiness in the finish, just enough to let you know that a hop was tossed in the kettle. The word "rich" keeps coming back into my head again and again. Just a handful of roasted malt shy of a sweet stout IMO. As is, a damned fine porter that will find itself in my pint glass quite often if I have anything to say about it.

Serving type: on-tap

08-30-2003 02:42:26 | More by sponberg

CharlesRiver

Connecticut

4.22/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had this on tap at Redbones. Poured very dark with a nice off white creamy head that left a beautiful lace. The smell was sweet with hints of coffee. The taste was much more powerful. Crisp and clean with notes of coffee, toffee and a little bit of chocolate. The taste intensifies at the end and is very enjoyable. I got a hint of some smoke? Not sure. Overall I enjoyed this a lot! I hope this is still on tap on Friday when I go back.

Serving type: on-tap

08-14-2003 00:34:12 | More by CharlesRiver

popery

California

4/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours dark brown with ruby highlights. Hard to tell if it's cloudy, but the beer looks pretty clear in the light. Nice, glowy color. Medium tan head. Lots of fine bubbles. After a few minutes, there's still a decent film of bubbles. I'm getting chocolate maltiness as the primary flavor in the aroma, but it's backed up by a mix of fruit, nutty brown malt, caramel, molasses, light coffee/roast and a hint of wood. There's a lot of malt complexity to this beer. Very nice toasty malt notes. A rather rich aroma for <5% abv. The flavor is a touch weaker for me. The malt complexity is still there, but some of the rich sweetness is gone. It starts out with a fairly simple sweetness before bringing in some nice fruity flavors and takes its time pulling out the chocolate and roast. Good finish with roast, tobacco and earth hops lingering for some time. Mouthfeel is smooth. Drinks big for the abv. British brewers know how to pack flavor into lower abv beers. Sits a bit light on the palate, though. Not the best impersonation of cask mouthfeel for a bottled beer that I've found, but it's always a losing effort and it's still nice. This is an enjoyable porter with lots of rich British malt flavor in a relatively small package. I would love to see more American brewers make a serious effort with this sort of beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2013 04:29:54 | More by popery

Amalak

New York

4.14/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.5

I got this at Beer Street in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

A. A very deep, dark brown. A bit see-through around the edges, but mostly dark. A bit of head, but not much.

S. A wonderful chocolate scent and nutty.

T/M. It has a biting vegetable taste to it. A bit of chocolate. Malty. Tingly and zesty, not much in the smooth realm. Very delicious. A mild soapy flavor. A hint of sour toward the end.

O. It's a zesty porter. Complex in flavor, so much so that it would probably be awesome if bottled and aged.

Serving type: growler

01-11-2013 01:18:27 | More by Amalak

jtierney89

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Deep deep brown color, black in the center with about a finger and a half of light brown head. Smells like a coffee shop, not just the coffee, caramel, roast, smoke, caramelized sugar.

This is a massive beer for only being 4.6% Big roasted barley flavor, creamy mouthfeel. Sweet Caramel and chocolate, touch of smoke, leather and coffee flavors, bit of earthy bitterness on the back end. Layers of complex flavor. Faint woodyness. Finishes a little burnt and bitter starts semi sweet with some bitter chocolate and coffee flavors. One of the biggest flavored low abv beers I've ever had. Pretty good.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2012 02:45:36 | More by jtierney89

WillCarrera

Illinois

4.13/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

50 cl bottle, lot number L10 042, poured into a snifter.

A- Pours a very dark brown, nearly black, topped with a really nice creamy, fluffy brown head. Leaves tons of lacing.

S- Light powdered chocolate, a bit of coffee and caramel, also some dry crispy apple/pear fruit aroma.

T- Lots of malty flavors, toasted grain, some caramel sweetness, coffee and light milk chocolate, smoke, as well as some walnut and wood flavor. A bit of dry, fruity, vinous character towards the finish. Hops are earthy and not overly bitter.

M- Medium-bodied, light, smooth carbonation, feel is smooth and easy drinking.

O- A really tasty porter, the malt character is pretty complex and is well balanced by the dry vinous flavors. It's also very drinkable and has scores some cool history points, I enjoyed this one.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2012 23:48:36 | More by WillCarrera

celticfutblclub

Massachusetts

4.15/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

16.9 oz bottle poured into a pint glass. no bottling date but best before 12/10/12.

A - dark brownish black with a billowy white head a finger thick. sticks around for a bit while lacing the glass well.

S - nice toasted notes on this one. also has roasted coffee, faint chocolate, and a bit of molasses in there as well.

T - toasted notes again with chocolate and coffee.

M - medium to full bodied with a decent amount of carbonation. more astringency from the hops than expected. no flavor from them but you do feel it on the mouth. there is a great coarseness to this beer which i really enjoyed.

O - a great porter and one that definitely needs to be tried.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2012 00:44:56 | More by celticfutblclub

Doppelbockulus

Florida

4.47/5  rDev +14.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Judging by the Best Before date, which should be ignored, this is likely a 2008 vintage, and it is definitely better aged. I have had a younger bottling, and it was good but this older one was notably better.

Pours a very dark brown with little light showing through. Hardly any head.

Nose is full of caramel. I get very good thick, sweet malt.

The flavor has good sweet malt, similar to a milk stout. It is much like a sweet brown bread with honey butter.

Mouthfeel is creamy and very refreshing.

Research led me to this beer and I was amused by the novelty of the name several years ago. Since then I have only found it twice, which is unfortunate because it truly is a great beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2012 00:14:51 | More by Doppelbockulus

SolipsismalCat

Pennsylvania

4.4/5  rDev +13.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a pint glass.

A: Clear dark brown with one-finger, off-white, creamy head that lasted a couple of minutes and left a nice film. Nice lacing.

S: Roasted malt, some dark fruit.

T: Moderate sweetness and light bitterness. Smokey and mild roasted flavor. Slightly nutty and toasty finish. Very balanced flavor.

M: Medium bodied with fizzy carbonation. Smooth and slightly crisp.

O: Really good English porter with high drinkability. One of the best, but understandably pricey.

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2012 02:54:44 | More by SolipsismalCat

meeekyh

Colorado

3.25/5  rDev -16.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

I have been feeling an English Porter is in order for awhile now so I thought this one would be a good choice.

Brown bottle, 500ml, best before says f13 102, though the ones may be just hash marks, either way I cannot decipher the code held therein. The beer is very dark with a tiny head in spite of an aggressive pour, also the lacing is nominal. Nothing impressive here.

Smells are full and dark with coffee in the lead. Again I am not impressed. Taste follows suit though the mouthfeel is creamy at first with a pleasant dryness in the finish making it the star of the show. I find the hints of tobacco flavor enticing but not enough to give this beer very high marks.

I am glad to try historical beers and love the idea but this is not stunning really. There is good balance and very nice mouthfeel but I will not likely buy many more at the price.

Slainte.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2011 00:38:29 | More by meeekyh

rinhaak

Massachusetts

3.83/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

1pt 9fl oz bottle poured into a tulip.

Pours a very deep hypnotizing black with a large head that disappointingly quickly.

The nose is rich and malty with lots of coffee, licorice, chocolate, and ash.

The mouth is complex but a little bit of a letdown. While there is a definite complexity, much of it seems to get covered up by a prevailing general burnt flavor. Ashy coffee grounds, licorice root, dirt, toffee, and chocolate are present. Very drinkable (I appreciated the lower ABV) and pleasant, there is a hint of sweeter fruits hidden amongst the earthiness.

Overall pleasant, but I cannot rank it among the better

As an aside: I did very much appreciate the bottle which was quite informative: it reveals how the beer is brewed with 14 malts (!!), exactly what to pair it with, and precisely how to store and serve the beer (store in 58°, then refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving).

Serving type: bottle

09-07-2011 01:03:59 | More by rinhaak

jondeelee

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bought for me as a joke, Entire Butt turned out to have a fantastic nose full of chocolate malt, milk chocolate, and heavy brown sugars, with lighter hints of cream, tobacco, and peat.

On the tongue, the brew follows much the same suit, but starts off relatively light, sugary, and chocolaty before bursting into a sudden ash-and-tobacco mid-range. This lasts briefly, then subsides to allow more subtle flavors to come through, such as cream and caramel. But tobacco ash is never far from the surface, and bubbles up time and time again as the beer is held in the mouth. The aftertaste is much the same, being an extension of the heavy cream and ash flavors that lingers for quite a while. Mouthfeel is medium, comparable to 2% milk, and carbonation seems quite light, even though my bottle has been open for less than five minutes. I suspect this beer goes flat quite fast, but that's all the reason I need to drink deeply.

Overall, this is a good brew, though perhaps a bit heavy on the ash flavors for most palates.

Serving type: bottle

08-06-2011 18:52:15 | More by jondeelee

scubapoet

Nevada

4.6/5  rDev +18.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

It is a well balanced Porter many porter, which I like, tend to be too coffee flavored or too chocolate flavored, this one is really well balanced.

Mouthfeel - is not perfect but good
Taste - one of the two best porters I have had
Appearance - is a little thin but good

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2011 01:33:52 | More by scubapoet

wisrarebeer

Wisconsin

4.43/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Given to me by Beth and Peter as a Christmas gift -- Thanks!

A: near opaque deep dark brown/black color, very nice head that is off-tan and lacy
S: mild-to-medium full nose with deep roasted malt, grainy and very little hops, very good and true to type
T: WOW!, great beer, true to type, very full roasted chocolate malt with just the right amount of hop balance for a true British porter, at 4.8 % it's even that more impressive
M: creamy, velvety, and oh-so-easy to drink
O: very good beer, I'd love to try it on cask in Shrewsbury!

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2011 00:35:27 | More by wisrarebeer

OtherShoe2

Massachusetts

4.33/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours dark brown with a foam tan head. some lace.

Big cocoa and coffee aromas. Good toasted malt and roasted scents. Some wine and vine aroma as well.

tons of dark roasted malt. Smooth brew, with a balance of dark chocolate, coffee, maltiness, some grain, bitterness, and a long malt finish. Loved this one.

Medium bodied, with some carbonation.

Easy drinking, with just the right amount of bitterness, grain, and sweetness. Good complexity, but smooth. Just terrific.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2011 00:00:04 | More by OtherShoe2

Rizalini

Nevada

3.85/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a stout bomber into my Sam Adams Perfect Pint glass...

A - Pours a clear but deep mahogony color, with a light brown head.

S - This one has an incredable malty smell. Great roastyness, and maybe even some dark fruits, and burnt sugars as well. But prodominately malts all the way.

T - It's had to describe the taste on this one. Maybe woodsey...? I hate to keep using the word malt, but thats the taste I get, and aftertaste as well.

M - Has a medium mouthfeel, good carbonation, and great going down.

O - I am very impressed with this complex English Porter. They say there's 14 different malts used in there, and it shows.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2011 00:49:08 | More by Rizalini

mcdevster

Minnesota

3.98/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Entire Butt English porter, while having a very light crisp overall makeup, surprisingly is able to unload a lot of complexity and flavor in a very elegant and unassuming way..
appearance: dark but not too dark
smell: You have to search for it a little at times but well worth the effort - subdued yet present..
taste: a little light and crisp for my tastes but like I said it does its job.
mouthfeel: good yes thin and a little oily but suitably so.
drinkability: this is way too drinkable! amazing.

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2010 04:30:54 | More by mcdevster

WanderingFool

Massachusetts

3.85/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Entire Butt pours a clear dark brown/black into the glass. Brown hues highlight the edges. On top a small, fizzy off white head forms which dissolves quickly to a thick ring around the surface. Lots of spots and patches of lace line the glass.

The aroma is malty with notes of toffee, chocolate and some earthy nuttyness. Hints of dark fruit are also present.

Each sip of this medium bodied brew is slick and watery on the palate with a mild carbonated fizz. The flavor is malty and tart. It begins with toffee and chocolate. In the middle dark fruit notes of raisins and molasses move in. The fruity notes make it slightly tart. It finishes dry with a taste of pistachio nuts and floral hops.

This is a tasty, easy drinking beer. Slightly thin, but otherwise a terrific brew.

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2010 23:22:19 | More by WanderingFool

avalon07

South Carolina

3.7/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Poured from a bottle to a pint glass. Had a dark brown color and a cloudy texture. There was an inch of foamy, long-lasting head. Excellent lacing.

S: A faint, yet definable, aroma of malt, coffee, and slightly milky quality.

T: Tasted of roasted malt and coffee up front, with a somewhat milky finish. A little on the watery and thin side.

M: A good amount of carbonation with a super-dry finish. Medium-bodied.

D: While this is an uneven beer, it is oddly drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2010 13:44:30 | More by avalon07

drseamus

New York

4.05/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Classic English Porter. Pours a dark brown but glints with a ruby note when held to the light. The off-white head is about 1 finger thick and composed of varying sized bubbles. There is a good roasty nose on the beer which is quite indicative of the roasty flavor. The flavor is quite dry and finishes with a heavy roast. There is almost no sweetness throughout without being excessively dry. The body is nice and creamy and at 4.8% ABV this is a very drinkable beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2010 02:05:44 | More by drseamus

Bung

North Carolina

3.68/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

16.9 oz. A dark brown pour, not black as light can get through fairly easily. Just a thin white foam layer that disappeared quickly.

Aroma has some mild malt, caramel, cocoa and earthy peat.

Taste is matching. Roast malt and cocoa. Just a little bit of earth, leather and coffee bitter in the finish. There is a faint metallic note to it, but it does not interfere.

Lighter side of medium or heavy side of light mouthfeel. Just a tad watery. If there was just a bit more carbonation it would add some body and creaminess I think.

Still very drinkable and sessionable. Had this a few years ago and I remembered there being more, possibly my tastes have just changed.

Serving type: bottle

06-06-2010 02:40:37 | More by Bung