Arcadia London Porter - Arcadia Brewing Company

techfed87

Michigan

3.75/5  rDev -6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a nice, thick mocha head. Is very dark in color. Beer is clear, with no sediment apparent.

Smell is very malty with some cocoa apparent.

First sip has almost a smokey appeal to it. Malt is dark in texture. Has a coffee-like bitter quality that is very satasfying.

Mouthfeel is full and complex with a complete pallet of flavors to keep you interested from first sip all the way through to the aftertaste. A great beer!

Serving type: growler

03-21-2010 01:54:02 | More by techfed87

TheBrewo

Michigan

4.33/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

We pour a brew of rich coffee brown. It puts up a two and a half finger head of massive chocolate milk colored bubbles, showing nice retention. Lacing is chunky and geographical. No haze or sediment is noted, and carbonation appears to be lighter. The aroma is dark and soured, with heavily smoked brown and pale malts that borders on charred peat, salty molasses, cooling vanilla bean metallics, vegetal mint leaf, bready pumpernickel grain, and hints of chocolate syrups. With warmth comes enhanced char, more of a cereal grain, light honey sweetness, medicinal phenols, and the sting of booze. Our first impression is that the flavoring nicely mirrors the aroma, with huge BBQ smokiness and grainy sourness. As we sip, the taste opens with bell pepper flesh, soured lactic milkiness, marijuana grassiness, lemon rind zest, huge smokiness, black leathers, darkly roasted coffee and brown malts, faint grassy hops, aromatic peat, mildly sweet bubblegum esters, milk butters, and the earthy grit of soil. The peak comes with toffee sweetness, bittered cocoa flakes, charcoal bitterness, smoked meatiness, spicy booze, continued grassy hops bite, and pecks of white sugar. The finishing wash comes with creamed iced coffee, milk chocolates, white sugar cloy, more charred malt sourness, light banana esters, peat, limey bite, hints of dried apricots and dates, basil leafiness, soy sauce, clean vanilla husk, and a cooling paler malt crispness. The aftertaste breathes bitterly of earthiness, moss, smoky peat, brown rice starchiness, dried corn, coffee malts, chocolate syrup, BBQ char, medicinal phenols, lactic acidity, chocolate and brown malt smoothness, chocolate mousse, booze, and a light grassy hop. The body is medium, and the carbonation is medium. Each sip gives nice slurp, smack, cream, froth, and pop. The mouth is initially cooled, but this gives way quickly to warming sting, heavy astringent chalkiness, and sticky pucker down the palate and back up the tongue. The abv is appropriate, and the beer sips nicely.

Overall, what we enjoyed most about this beer was its robustness of flavoring. While the nose did a nice job of beginning to describe the beer, it didn’t quite prepare you for the powerful, pervasive onslaught of smokiness through the taste. It was like black coffee meets mesquite BBQ meets a beautifully peaty scotch. These blended wonderfully across a base of sweeter chocolate, brown, and coffee malts, with even a bit of hops stopping by to say hello, and add some grassiness. The flavor is strong and excellent to style, and this guy will happily take you to foggy London town and back with a smile on your face the entire time.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2013 01:31:56 | More by TheBrewo

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

4.09/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Very dark. Near black. Head is a light cream color. Lacing is sparing.

Powerfully smoky, yet sweet. Hints of chocolate, dried cherry, and coffee.

Holy smokes! Amazing bittersweet smokiness with meaty and peaty notes. Mesquite and ember with notes of smoked fish and roast barley. Chocolate is here with notes of medium-roast coffee and a trace of vanilla bean.

Drinks sudsy and satisfying. Medium body with an oatmeal chew. Burps well, even though the carbonation is lower.

Love this beer, but a terrible misnomer. Call it what it is... a fantastic smoked porter.

Serving type: on-tap

04-18-2013 01:25:43 | More by thecheapies

jmendels

Michigan

4.21/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This beer pours a dark, almost black colour and smells of roasted malts with hints of chocolate and toffee. The taste mirrors this smell, with a smooth and roasty mouth and a slightly bitter finish. Overall, an enjoyable beer that is well crafted here in Michigan.

4/5

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2013 00:53:07 | More by jmendels

patpbr

Ohio

3.81/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours dark but with a lack of head on it. Some faint lacing. Malty that has Chocolate and roast characters. A sweetness is noticed that resembles toffee. Mouthfeel is Creamy with moderate carbonation and noticeable bitter finish. I will try it again.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2013 01:21:08 | More by patpbr

barnzy78

Illinois

3.98/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle, pours a cola-like dark brown with a short, tan head that fades to a foam atop the ale leaving a little lacing on the glass. Aromas are roasty, smoky, ashy, french roast coffee grounds. Tastes are smoky, roasted barley, chocolatey, and very well balanced. Mouth-feel is velvety smooth, but fades to be a bit watery at the end; Lower carbonation. Overall, it was nice to come back to this one, seeing as it's been a couple of years since I had it. It was as good as I remember it being.

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2012 04:12:19 | More by barnzy78

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Picked up a bottle of this for 2 bucks

A - Like a full bodied stout this one pours a deep dark black with a rushing full inch of tan colored head.

S - Smells of mild chocolates, chalky yeasts, and a good dose of roast.

T - Very balanced I get a slightly chalky finish but mostly balanced dark chocolate and clinging bitter roast. Slightly bitter aftertaste confirms some level of hops.

M - Medium yet oily and slick. A very solid imperial porter.

Overall I like this porter its balanced with it's "above average ABV" and packs quite a punch with flavor.

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2012 21:17:16 | More by DrDemento456

Folderol

New Jersey

3.95/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

If I hadn't poured this myself, I would have thought it was a British style imperial stout. Look at the ABV - this is right in line with Samuel Smith's Impy. The look is spot-on too, dark dark dark brown with a touch of red, not entirely opaque but close to it. Very short tan head that receded to a little mist. Mouthfeel is good - thick like I like it without being too sticky. Flavor is sweet dark malt, quite a bit of that soy sauce-like taste typical of lighter imperial stouts, but not as much depth as a proper RIS or even more conventional porters. Not much hop to be found, but with this much alcohol I'm not surprised. Speaking of the alcohol, it smacked me right in the nose when I opened the bottle, but is barely noticeable in the glass. I'm sure it'll hit me again as I near the bottom of the glass.

On the whole, a smooth, solid imperial porter. Good stuff and easy drinking from a local Southern Michigan brewery.

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2012 01:47:50 | More by Folderol

dpodratsky3

Georgia

4.1/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz bottled poured into stout glass

A: Murky deep brown with a solid tan head, recedes fairly quickly, but it is still handsome

S: A decently strong roasted malt aroma with an edge of sweetness from some caramel malt

T: Has very similar aspects to a dry irish stout (almost like a murphy's), pretty clean flavors overall, that roasted aroma comes through as the main flavor too, the caramel malt balances the bitterness from the roast and also the relatively generous hop levels (not "bitter" by any means, but balanced), hops have a decent amount of flavor input too, alcohol comes through, but blends very nicely with the roasted flavors

M: Medium body, but thanks to the good carbonation it feels pretty light

O: Overall a good porter, its not ground-breaking, but it does taste like a slight throwback to the original porter. Stronger in alcohol and flavor than some porters, although not quite as much so as some of the accounts of historic porters.

Serving type: bottle

08-22-2012 01:29:34 | More by dpodratsky3

SometimesIfart

Michigan

3.58/5  rDev -10.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a bottlle into a pint glass. Pours a pitch black with a quarter finger worth of off-white head. Pretty much looks like any other porter. Basically smells of vanilla and coffee beans, although I do have a slight siun infection so perhaps there's a little bit more, although from previous porters I have had I would doubt it. Tastes like vanilla, dark coffee, and dark chocolate. Predominantly the coffee though. The mouthfeel unlocks nothing new except for a slight burnt malt flavor far off in the distance. Overall, I have been disappointed by almost everything that I have had by Arcadia and this beer isn't really an exception if I compare it to other porters such as Gonzo. Would I buy it again? Why? I could have Gonzo instead.

Serving type: bottle

08-16-2012 00:37:13 | More by SometimesIfart

britzdog

Ohio

4.28/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pouring a deep brown with minimal lacing.

Heavily roasted malt with coffee and fruit standing out in the mix Strong taste of roasted malt, and chocolate and some fruit that I can't seem to pin down.

Has a nice bitterness feeling to it. Nice and chewy.
Real strong finish, that belies it's higher alcohol content. You really don't notice it....right away.
.
Definitely worth picking up a sixpack.
.

Serving type: bottle

07-05-2012 03:29:42 | More by britzdog

soju6

Missouri

3.9/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a deep brown color with a decent head that fades slowly to nice lacing.

S: Aroma of roasted malty, coffee some dark chocolate and dark fruits with a hint of smoke.

T: Taste of roasted malt, semi-sweet chocolate and dark fruit. There is a bit of smoke in the background with a nice bitterness and a clean finish.

F: Medium body, smooth and creamy with a bit of lingering bitterness aftertaste. No hint of the 7.2% ABV.

O: Nice English Porter that goes down easy. Good for the style.

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2012 00:21:18 | More by soju6

OneDropSoup

Pennsylvania

4.33/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap at House of 1000 Beers in New Kensington, PA.

Poured into a Leffe goblet: Black with chestnut highlights, half-finger of tan head that really lasts.

Dark bread in the smell, nutty, clean toasted barley, slightly savory quality like the meatiness of salmon (smoke?), slight roasting cocoa bean.

Tastes of dark fruit skin & alcohol at first, that gives way to deep roast coffee & cocoa, ending with a meaty smokiness with a lingering dryness. Really tasty, great stuff.

Medium-full-bodied, moderately astringent but finishes smooth & slightly sticky, treacly.

Yeah, this is great. Very tasty & a little rough around the edges, but in a way that I enjoy & lends some character. Beautiful smoke character with being a "smoked" beer, a little more subtle.

Serving type: on-tap

06-08-2012 01:07:31 | More by OneDropSoup

jwill3113

4.03/5  rDev +1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: Pours a very dark brown, pushing the edges of black with a small one finger tan/orange head that dissipates rather quickly. Minimal amounts of lacing but head does last.

S: Malty with distinct smells of a rich smokiness. Sweet smelling yet somewhat rugged. Earthy smells as it warms.

T: The malt and smoke that you smell are also what highlight the taste. Alcohol is hidden well by the smokey flavor. Sweeter at first then almost a bitter aftertaste.

M: Clean and smooth. Has a good drinkability. I would say a little more than medium bodied.

O: Would gladly drink it again. It does have some bitter qualities to it but are not overpowering. It has similar taste attributes to that of scotch ales.

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2012 00:41:36 | More by jwill3113

superspak

Michigan

4/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12 ounce bottle into pint glass, bottled 12/16/2011. Pours very dark reddish brown color with a nice 1-2 finger dense tan head with great retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lingers. Some decent spotty lacing on the glass. Aromas of big chocolate, caramel, roasted malt, coffee, light fruitiness, molasses, biscuit, and herbal hops. Very pleasant and well balanced porter aromas with decent strength. Taste of big chocolate, caramel, molasses, roasted malt, slight dark fruit, cocoa, smokiness, biscuit, earth, and herbal hops. Fair amount of bitterness on the finish, with lingering notes of chocolate, coffee, biscuit, caramel, and herbal spiciness on the finish for a good bit. Nice balance of flavors that are quite robust, with no cloying sweetness at all. Medium carbonation and body; with a nice creamy and slightly slick mouthfeel. Alcohol is well hidden with only a slight warming after the finish present. Very smooth to drink for 7%. Overall this is a damn nice robust porter. A good amount of very robust flavors and nice balance make this very enjoyable. I would have it again.

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2012 03:53:56 | More by superspak

scruffwhor

Illinois

4/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Black color with dark brown highlights. Small head but the foam retains. Nice looking black porter.

Coffee, super roasted mlat, chocolate, and a little tartness in the aroma. Smells pretty interesting and tasty.

Full on roasted malts, maybe burnt in some places. Coffee, chocolate, and some dry, yeasty tartness for an interesting depth of flavor. Chalky but silky palate. Easy to drink for me. I would say sessionable, but the abv. doesn't fit that equation.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2012 00:59:54 | More by scruffwhor

barczar

Kentucky

3.7/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a clear deep brown with mahogany highlights and a half inch milk chocolate head that dissipates leaving no lace.

Aroma is chocolate, roast malt, peat...almost bacony.

Roast malt provides a strong backbone for the flavor profile, with phenolic smoke and bandaid flavors lingering throughout. Chocolate is fairly prominent, not sweet, and the finish is a bit bitter.

Body is moderate with a fairly low amount of carbonation and a somewhat astringent finish.

Overall, not your momma's porter. More reminiscent of a scottish ale with the strong smoke and peat flavors. A bit too phenolic for me.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2012 07:12:55 | More by barczar

Brenden

Ohio

4.18/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This beer is very dark brown, almost black but stopping just short. A brown head is slightly more than a finger high. It retains itself well and leaves lacing here and there, most impressively in a thick ring toward the middle of the glass along with some pretty heavy patching.
The nose is just a touch muted at first but comes out as it sits. Malt foraward but balanced well by distinctly British hops, the main elements are bittersweet cocoa, some smoke, a hint of dark fruits and a light whiff of alcohol, ending in a very dry note.
The flavor, while not perfect, very nearly is, truly encapsulating the style in what differentiates a British porter from an American. Dry, well-hopped but not Americanized with earthy, gently herbal British hops bitterness and fortunately void of a citrus note that might throw off the delicately balanced and blended flavors. Smoke plays a key, sitting very gently alongside coffee and cocoa, along with a touch of powdered cocoa along with nibs, dark fruits notes set a distinctive tone, stopping short of sour but reminding one that a true old-style English porter is, in fact, a sour.
Smooth and very gently crisp in a strong medium-full body with a bit of thickness, the only thing detracting is that the dryness goes just a touch chalky.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2012 15:43:26 | More by Brenden

dorianmarley

Ohio

4/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance is dark black, with tan head that fades, and decent lacing.

Nose is very chocolately with roasted malt and dried cherries.

Taste is smoky, with tobacco, black currant, black pepper, and some bitter hops.

Mouthfeel is relatively smooth with plenty of carbonation.

Overall, it has interesting smokiness, with great drinkability.

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2012 00:26:57 | More by dorianmarley

divineaudio

Michigan

3.48/5  rDev -12.8%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

pint glass. bottled 11/03/11.

a - pours a translucent dark brown and gave me a tin cap of tan head that dissipated quick. no lacing.

s - a nice malt cornucopia. chocolate, roast, pale. faint fig or date, faint grass.

t - chocolatey and smokey with a cola like sweetness. some peppery notes and enough herbal bitterness to balance things out. slight alcohol taste comes out as the beer warms.

m - medium in body with lighter carbonation.

o - pretty good but doesn't taste like a typical porter. if the label didn't say otherwise i'd think scotch ale or even a rauchbier. worth a try if you come across it.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2012 04:54:37 | More by divineaudio

SickGnar

Pennsylvania

4.22/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Very dark brown with garnet & reddish highlight and hue when held to light – and quite clear even with dark color. Okay-size, large-bubbled head of golden tan that falls pretty quick to patches and a ring, but it only manages to get minimal lace of mention to stick.

S: Dark, rich, malty sweetness – mix of molasses, bread crust, burnt cookies, and a big bit of dark fruit. I also get smoke, bakers cocoa, a roast note that is more postum / chicory than coffee, and hints of diacetyl and peppery alcohol. Background herbal / woody hops. Very nicely complex and rich, but lacking just a touch for strength.

T: Compared to nose – way more smokey, quite a bit more roasty, & more bitter. Actually starts off with malty sweetness of blackstrap molasses, raisins, and very scorched caramel/toffee. Strong roast muscles in with an edge of burnt grains & char, and slowly fades to roasty chicory and then backers cocoa / bitter-sweet chocolate. Smoke also rides the same wave – it starts off a bit phenolic and fades to ashen and earthy. Very firmly balancing hops. Plentiful bitterness. Strong & robust English hop character – herbal / woody, spicy, dark tobacco, & earthy resin. Roast from malts and resin from hops mingle, and hint at tar in the end and finish. Hint of peppery / sweet alcohol. Absolute loads of complex, rich, robust flavor – and nicely melded too.

M: Medium body to just leaning richer with matched carbonation. Not all that much for sugars or chew. Still it does feel big & burly from the the quite obvious alcohol warming and a dryness that just borders on powdery. It also has bit of a tart edge, or maybe it is just the roast and alcohol. It feels quite a bit old school and/or rustic. Works really well for the flavors in this one.

D: Not your usual chocolate & roast with a handful of hops porter. This is the ODP (old dirty porter). Imensely flavorful with very notable smokiness and earthiness. Burly with a strong rustic / old school flair to it - and I really think that is what they were going for. Mission accomplished! A distinct & uber nice porter.

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2012 01:27:22 | More by SickGnar

JuicesFlowing

Kansas

3.33/5  rDev -16.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured into a standard pint glass. The beer is a standard porter-cola color, more brown shows through the edges when held to the light. The cream colored head dissipates to a wisp with little or no lacing (could be a glass issue). The beer smells of burnt malts, smokiness, and a strange bubblegum sweetness. The beer tastes like it smells -- bitter chocolate, burnt malts, and again -- a semi-sweet gum flavor. The mouthfeel is medium to light bodied, as watery as most porters are.

Overall, not bad, but nothing I'll try again. For 7.2% ABV it goes down easy though.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2012 19:54:22 | More by JuicesFlowing

Reaper16

Alabama

3.53/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12oz. bottle served into a nonic pint glass

Pours a evenly dark shade of brown. It's not black, but it comes close. Only tones of a ruddy brown come at the very bottom of the glass, and only when held to direct light. A nice one finger head initially rises up but the khaki foam quickly dissipates to nothing. Spotty lacing. Meh.

This is definitely an English porter. Nutty brown malts make up the majority of the nose at first. Then I gets some aromas of straight-up mud wafting to my nose. This is pretty earthy. Silt and Kent Goldings take over the middle portion of the aroma. Some slight Tootsie Roll, but it is not strong.

The taste follows the nose to at T. It's brown malt city at first, but the British hops quickly come in to break up the sweetness. Lots of slit or loam or [insert dirt descriptor here]. I'll go with silt because of the watery connotations therein. There's a fruity topnote that is hard to identify. The finish is quite meaty, like the caramelization bark on grilled meat. This beer is straight-up Malliard, yo.

This is one of the thicker porters I've ever drank. I've had plenty of stouts that aren't as hefty as this beer is. I might have even had imperial stouts that are thinner. It actually isn't unpleasant in terms of the flavor profile. Just... be aware.

Overall, this is a solid English Porter. It's very earthy, but that may be exactly what you want. It would go marvelously with a hamburger or a steak off of the grill.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2012 23:10:47 | More by Reaper16

grover37

District of Columbia

3.63/5  rDev -9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4

12oz bottle my girlfriend bought in Michigan into a New Belgium snifter.

Appearance (3.5): Very dark brown with orange around the edges. Pours with a thin layer of head but it sticks around for a long time. Lacing is minimal.

Aroma (3): A strong boozy chocolate and nutty smell. Some oak and vanilla but dominated by ethanol mixed with pine. Much better when it's cold - hiding the booziness - than when it has warmed.

Taste (4): A nutty chocolate flavor up front with some vanilla. More oak and vanilla through the middle and a sweet chocolate in the finish. Lots of flavors you would associate with a porter but much stronger and mixed with ethanol.

Mouthfeel (2.5): Syrupy and thick in the taste but not the finish. Slick yet creamy. Medium to full bodied and low to medium carbonation (but maybe it's been sitting for awhile since it took a while to finish). Too syrupy for as thin as the finish is and not enough carbonation for me.

Overall (4): Lots of great flavors, but too big for this style imo. The booziness really shows and there's a lot of residual sugar which it would be better off without. I will drink this again, if only because it's unique.

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2011 02:24:40 | More by grover37

hosehead83

Ohio

4.2/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12oz. bottle into a standard pint glass.
Dark brown/black in color, with a moderate head of tan foam.
Aroma-Subtle coffee and woodsmoke
Taste-Upfront smokiness, then coffee and dark chocolate notes emerge. Dry, smoky finish. Nice flavor and balance. An excellent match for any BBQ fare.

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2011 17:59:30 | More by hosehead83