Arcadia London Porter - Arcadia Brewing Company

Holland

Pennsylvania

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

A: black with brownish highlights, some light passes through. Looks thin for a dark beer, but it's not a stout. Head is great but thins out, leaving a good sized lacing.

S: smells like malt, malt vinegar, and some bitterness.

T: bitterness, malt vinegar, malt, and the finish is huge. A little bit of apple in there. Impressively complex.

M: it's crisp with the hefty carbonation for such a dark beer, but it's a medium bodied brew.

O: nice all around, this beer could be a go to if it were more available. Solid beer at a decent price if you're in the right area.

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2011 01:40:28 | More by Holland

bluHatter

Michigan

3.33/5  rDev -16.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Deep dark black with a rich thick head.

S: Alcohol, coffee, figs, chocolate

T: Strong espresso, burnt roasted nuts, campfire smoke and dark chocolate

M: Thick, creamy, soft, with good carbonation.

O: A very tasty dark porter, especially if you love espresso and dark chocolate. That said, it is very rich, so drinking a full bottle is a bit like trying to eat a big slice of "death by chocolate" cake.

Serving type: bottle

09-19-2011 22:42:32 | More by bluHatter

MeisterBurger

Ontario (Canada)

3.55/5  rDev -11%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours black as pitch topped by a thick, creamy tan head that leaves a thick wall of lace.

Aroma is roasty and teeming with dark fruits, figs and coffee.

Taste is the same, deep burnt-roasty--a little ashen--flavors with a punch of raisiny sweetness, vanilla, with a dry, roasty bitter finish.

Mouthfeel is a lot lighter than I'd like. A little thin for a porter.

Overall pretty decent but it's not exactly prose inspiring. The end.

Serving type: bottle

08-19-2011 01:55:57 | More by MeisterBurger

silentjay

Massachusetts

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

pours an almost black deep brown with a smallish mocha head that quickly settles to a thin film and leaves minimal lacing.

nuts, chocolate and coffee on the aroma with some caramel, browned butter, some smoked malts, blackstrap molasses, cocoa powder.

starts a bit smoky/powdery/charcoal-like, then is sweetened up a bit before some bitterness kicks in. it finishes with cocoa powder. a bit of molasses covered burnt toast, some roasted nuts and dark, dark bakers chocolate.

starts medium bodied, but goes a bit thin on the swallow with prickly carbonation and a lingering charred feeling.

surprisingly enjoyable. one of the better english-style porters I have had.

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2011 05:34:57 | More by silentjay

GallowsThief

Florida

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

Received in trade from my man ChugginOil. Poured into my Duvel tulip.

A – Black with no light peeping through at all. Two fingers of creamy brown head that settles down to a nice half finger coating. Nice lacing left down glass.

S – Mocha, chocolate, molasses and roasty malt.

T – Like the smell you immediately get the chocolate. Tastes like a dark chocolate almost burnt. Roasty malt all over. Has an almost lightly charred smoky taste. Hints of vanilla. You feel the nice warming alcohol effect right at the end.

M – Medium bodied and very well carbonated.

O – A very nice brew from the folks at Arcadia. The carbonation makes it a bit tough to get all the flavor but overall a good brew. Very smoky and that may turn some folks off but I did enjoy this one.

Serving type: bottle

08-02-2011 00:03:20 | More by GallowsThief

ElGordo

Oregon

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

Poured from the 12oz bottle into a pint glass. Body is a deep, dark brown that's pretty near pitch black, topped by a good amount of creamy white head that hangs around for a couple of minutes before receding to a thin ring. Aroma of rich, roasty dark malt and more than a little bit of chocolate. Notes of mocha and light vanilla bean come through as well.
Palate is malt-forward and rich. Dark, chocolatey malt dominates. Some mild sweetness and notes of dark fruit come through mid-palate, followed by a mild bitterness on the finish that seems a little off and keeps this from being a truly exceptional beer.
Body is rich and creamy, with a faint oily character, just perfect for a porter. On the whole, very nice indeed, but the bitterness and a somewhat chalky flavor on the finish detract from what could be nearly perfect.

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2011 05:40:33 | More by ElGordo

jmvecchio1

Missouri

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

London Porter pours out a dark brown, nearly black, color. A thick head accompanied the pour, but quickly disappeared and stuck around as very light lacing. The aroma is full of roasted malts and chocolate with fruity notes peaking through. This beer is highly carbonated and unfortunately that makes it difficult to pick out flavors. A somewhat bitter chocolate hits your tongue right away, but give way to a roasted, smokiness. Dark fruits surface when the chocolate flavor fades, and hints of alcohol pop up at the very end.

Serving type: on-tap

07-16-2011 20:48:53 | More by jmvecchio1

ChugginOil

Illinois

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

This dark dessert pours a dark amber color and settles black with a cream colored head. Barely any lacing. The nose is buttery and roasted. There is some molasses there too. The taste is pretty sweet. There is a tad bit of hops present with some smoke, molassed, and roasted malt. The mouthfeel is very thick and viscous for the the style but enjoyable for sure. Overall, a great brew that is pushing the boundaries for the style and pretty tastey.

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2011 06:03:56 | More by ChugginOil

MikieV

Illinois

2.6/5  rDev -34.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Pours dark, almost black, with a thick, rich rolling head like a great porter or stout should.

Smells of roasted malts, chocolate and some coffee. Very pleasant.

Roasted smokey flavors plus something else... Paint remover?

This is not what I expected out of a London Porter. Possibly an old bottle?

The more I drank, the less I liked it.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2011 02:11:10 | More by MikieV

BrewStoutMagic

Ohio

3.93/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

London style Porter has a very dark black color.Its start out with some head and quickly disolves very soon. Smell is no doubt smoky chocolate with hint of dark roasted coffee.I think as far as taste dark chocolate with a smoking aftertaste,and thats what I was looking for.I could drink many of these.This a smooth tasting porter,that most likely I'll drink again.

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2011 11:43:21 | More by BrewStoutMagic

JNewbs

Ohio

3.1/5  rDev -22.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Who can't get behind a bottle with Churchill on the label? Apparently me. The ratings out there are looking pretty high for a beer that I thought was pretty average.

A: The look was good - very typical porter with some head and some light lacing.

S: Here was the first knock on the beer. It was a bit heavy on the smoky side for me. Other than that, the smell was ok.

T: The smoke flavor dominated for me. There was some roasted malt flavor in the background, but I couldn't get past the campfire in my mouth.

M: Nothing extraordinary, but slightly above average. It wasn't too thin or anything like that.

Overall, I'm sorry, but this one didn't do it for me.

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2011 13:58:57 | More by JNewbs

output01x

Ohio

3.9/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a pint glass. Bottle is dated 02/03/11.

A strong pour yields a 1-finger creamy tan-colored head. After a couple minutes, it recedes to a light dusting. After a few more minutes, there is not a speck of head to be seen. Lacing is about as minimal as the head.

Strong sweet malt aromas with notes of roasted coffee and dark chocolate in a swirl of smoke. The smell is deliciously strong and does not require a lot of concentration to enjoy.

A silky smooth cola-like malitiness starts each sip but is soon superseded by a dry smoke and mocha flavor. While warming, the 7% ABV is not strikingly apparent.

Full bodied with moderate carbonation, this beer flows over the tongue nicely but sticks just enough to allow the flavors to really shine.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2011 14:23:49 | More by output01x

abraxel

Michigan

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

I realized recently that I haven't been giving Arcadia a fair shot, passing over their beers in favor of more hyped or well-known breweries, so I decided I'd try more of their lineup.

Poured into a tulip, with three inches of, foamy, fluffy tan head. Quite dark, with the slightest brown highlights.

Smells smokier than I expected -- I didn't think this was a smoked porter. Smells of smoke with a bit of roastiness and sweet, dark malt. Not the strongest aroma, but I think there's too much smoke.

The taste is once again largely smoke, layered over nice roasty, sweet malt. Some hints of dark fruit, especially in the aftertaste. It fades quickly, but leaves me wanting another sip.

The mouthfeel is pretty velvety smooth, and a bit thin (though not quite too thin). Perhaps par for the course for porters.

Overall, this is a good porter. I think the smoke is a little too forward for my taste, but by the end of the glass it seems to blend in better, and I can taste the other flavors better.

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2011 22:06:45 | More by abraxel

homebrew311

Illinois

3.68/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured into NB Globe.

A: pours dark brown, opaque, light brown head, decent amount of lacing and head retention

S: deep smokey/roasty aroma, notes of bold coffee and some sweetness comes through at the end and a noticable dash of earthy hops

T: the sweetness is more up front on the palate, the sweetness is a little strange, having trouble putting my finger on it...almost has a bubble gum like note to it, and it is quickly overridden by a very sharp smokiness, the end features a bitter hop bite. This brew is full of flavor, the balance is questionable as it finishes a little too bitter.

MF: medium body, medium carbonation

D: this is a nice value beer- robust porter for under $10 a 6 pack. Not something I would purchase regularly, but definitely worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2011 06:25:05 | More by homebrew311

DannyDan

Michigan

3.93/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours out to a blackish-brown body with a thick tan head that quickly disappears. It has little lacing, some retention and good carbonation. The smell is cocoa with some coffee and caramel, nothing really exciting here. The taste is biter chocolate at fisrt followed by some coffee, caramel, a little hint of hops, and seems to have a little bit of molasses in it.It also has a slight smoke flavor mixed in. It finishes off with more chocolate and has a chocolaty aftertaste. The mouthfeel is nice and creamy, but finishes off a little on the dry. A nice enjoyable beer that is not quite as filling as I would have expected. A pretty good porter, but I have tasted a few better english style porters. Anyone that likes this beer should try Fuller's London Porter which is even better than this beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2011 08:48:14 | More by DannyDan

SlowCentury

Tennessee

3.68/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

poured into a standard nonic

A - pours a very dark brown with a thin tan head that barely layers the top before settling as a ring. not much lacing going on.

S - roast, chocolate, very light coffee, more than anything I'm getting some beechwood smoked malt. ever smelled DRUM tobacco? if you have you'll know exactly what I mean.

T - up front with roast, some light coffee and hop bittering, the smoke comes back a bit lighter on the finish.

M - creamy with a good carbonation tingle

D - the smoke in this is very unique and pleasant but it becomes a bit much after a while. like most smoked beer, one is usually enough for me.

solid drink, one of my favorites from Arcadia.

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2011 06:41:33 | More by SlowCentury

minishfinish

Michigan

3.93/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Honestly, not a lot going on in the head. You get some malt, you get some alcohol smell but not much else. Thin, light brown color.

Taste has roasty flavors,bits of coffee, with some sweet, syrupy flavor, and some warmth, which it should have at 7.2% abv. Real nice finish, with some snap. Finish has roast, some nice bitterness, and plenty of roast.

Mouthfeel is as smooth as can be.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2011 15:59:48 | More by minishfinish

StoutHunter

Michigan

3.83/5  rDev -4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

I bought a single of this at the store last week. I have always seen this beer around but it really never peaked my interest till now, so lets see how it goes. Poured from a 12oz brown bottle into an imperial pint glass.

A- This beer pours a very dark brown color, almost black. It had two and a half fingers worth of off white almost tan head that faded to a nice ring that stayed the rest of the time. I like the old label better but this one isn't that bad.

S- I pick up some roasted malts, chocolate, dark fruits and a hint of booze. It's a little sweet but still has a nice aroma.

T- The taste start out with a good amount of slightly bitter chocolate that has a very roasty almost burnt taste to it, kind of smokey. The dark fruits tend to stick out a lot towards the end creating a really unique flavor. I was expecting this to be a hoppy porter, like most English porters, but it wasn't the slightest. There's also a hint of booze at the end.

M- Medium bodied but a little on this side with perfect carbonation.

D- Well I think one would be enough for me. The flavors are pretty robust and smokey so I feel that after one the flavor would be too much. Even though it tastes a little boozy the alcohol is hidden pretty well.

Overall I thought this was a good unique brew. When I saw this was an English Porter, I figured I would be in for a lighter, hoppy porter, but that was not the case. I don't think I would call this beer and English Porter, but I really don't know what style it would fit in. This beer was a pleasant surprise and I am glad I tried it. Good job at making a unique porter Arcadia.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2011 03:09:54 | More by StoutHunter

OtherShoe2

Massachusetts

3.78/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours near black with a decent chunky tan head. Some lacing.

Boozy licorice, molasses, coffee aromas. Smells big.

This one is a bit hot. Lots of molasses and alcohol up front, with chocolate, coffee, and some astringent twang. Decent balance, but this on needs some time in the bottle. Booze dominates to the point of distraction.

Fuller bodied, but some carbonation.

I liked this porter, but I was ready to b done with the pint. Rich and strong-flavored, it is a true sipper. Another good one from this brewer, and very worth the try.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2010 22:48:35 | More by OtherShoe2

mrbeery

New York

4.3/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

bring a driver. at 7.2 the fact that i could drink a hundred of these is dangerous. it drys up my mouth in that good way that makes me want to sip sip sip.looks good hanging on the glass(for you "lacing"cats)with nice chocolate.the finsh hangs and your mouth wants more.

Serving type: on-tap

09-26-2010 16:54:50 | More by mrbeery

jpmclaug

South Carolina

3.4/5  rDev -14.8%
look: 2 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

Poured from the bottle into my COAST brewing pint glass

A - dark dark brown almost black body with a circle of off white head. Umm. where did the head go?

S - Chocolate, roasted malts and booze. Smells a bit hot for the style.

T - A chocolatey type flavor with a bit of an astringent burnt taste at the end. A bit of a smoked flavor is in there as well. Maybe a bit of the booziness I picked up in the nose is there as well.

M - light to medium body with a fair amount of carbonation. A bit thinner than I'd like

D - Meh. This beer isn't awful but it isn't great either. The chocolate flavor is pretty good but this beer just isn't quite there for me yet. I would drink this again but wouldn't buy it unless the other options were extremely limited.

Serving type: bottle

08-13-2010 02:13:00 | More by jpmclaug

biglite351

Pennsylvania

2.5/5  rDev -37.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

A - considerable red around the edges. Tall tight head with a little bit of lacing.

S - strong scent of malts, caramel and a bit of bitter lager like scent.

T - Bitter. A bit of malt.

M - tingle on front of tongue and in the back of the throat.

D - no thanks.

Serving type: bottle

07-28-2010 01:57:56 | More by biglite351

jlindros

Massachusetts

3.8/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: A decent fluffy 2 finger head rises up but fades just as quickly to a 1 finger head and slows its pace. The beer is dark black, essentially pitch black with no real light coming through except the very bottom where it thins significantly.

N: A nice porter nose, some roasted malts, a little chocolate malt, dark fruit of figs and plums, a little sweet caramel and some vanilla, a slight chewy dark malt presence, and some syrupy sweet aromas, and a hint of smoked malt.

T: Pretty standard for porter at first, some dark roasty malts, chewy malts, little chocolate, and a heavy addition of smoked malts. Lots of smoked malt, some smoked meat flavor too and even smoked cheese. Some vanilla too, a nice rich vanilla and slight chocolate flavors. More dark malts, and with that is a little earthy charred bitterness. The scorched malts add some of the earthy bitterness as well as a little minerality and touch of soy sauce. Some fluffy marshmellow flavors as well, but just a touch. A very slight touch of warming booze as well which does not go well at all with it being called an "English Porter".

M: Semi thick towards medium body with good carbonation.

F: A bit of warming booze throughout that comes out more as it warms. The earthy roasted charred bitter finish with some minerality lingers for a while. More charred roasty malts and perhaps black patent malt also linger for a bit. More chewy malt finish as well. There is also some sticky sweetness. Not quite what I expected for an English style porter, but then again it IS Arcadia, so I guess it's more of a West Coast Americanized English porter. Tasty nonetheless, but loses some points for not quite abiding to the style. Just way too much malts, too much abv, roasted flavors, and minerality.

Serving type: bottle

06-06-2010 02:40:31 | More by jlindros

BB1313

Ohio

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

Wow, this beer has some balls to it, I thought I was drinking a RIS. Pours the darkest brown you could imagine w/ nice tan head and lacing that stuck. Smell is full of burnt chocolate. The taste is full flavored and roasted to perfection. Mouthfeel is more creamy than thin. Dare I say a sipper, it's very chewy and bitter. Alcohol is noticeable, warm on the way down and a smokiness is present. This is a great beer but unfortunately I couldn't drink more than one in a sitting; just savor it.

Definitely one of the better porters I've tried. To me this isn't your typical porter, drinks like a RIS, very complex. Unique brew, recommended and well priced.

Gold Medal winner at 2003 World Beer Championship.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2010 05:27:51 | More by BB1313

MIMicrobrews

Michigan

3.38/5  rDev -15.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

It pours dark and thick, little to no head, with slight lacing as it goes down. With a nice roasted malt smell, the taste provides a quality oomph to match. It starts smooth and ends with a beautiful array of rich bitterness. Pleasant and dark; it has some nutty, creamy, smoky and dark chocolate flavors that blend for delightful end of the evening brew.

This is a brew for those who enjoy their craft beer slow and savor every flavor; pleasant and dark.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2010 23:52:26 | More by MIMicrobrews