So I was looking for something to drink during the last day of the Six Nations rugby and amongst others, found this: St Peter’s Honey Porter (dark brown, 4.5 % alcohol by volume). Now I like porters and I like honey flavoured beer, so the combination seemed a natural for me to try. Unfortunately, it turned out a bad idea. Perhaps this particular bottle had gone off somehow because I found it to be undrinkable, like biting into honey flavoured potpourri or beeswax. My first impression was the honey, then came the more disagreeable elements. The mouth feel was like drinking liquid soap, all smooth and cloying without any of the fizziness you expect from beer, while the taste evolved into a mixture of Cadbury’s milk chocolate and perfume, all floral and sweet. Very unpleasant indeed and in the end I poured it down the drain.
If this was how it was supposed, it wasn’t for me, though some people certainly like it.
Much more to my liking was the ordinary porter I drank before this abomination, the Klein Duimpje Porter: Light golden brown in colour, 5.5 % alcohol by volume. Starts off light, with metallic overtones, almost lager like, but becomes more bitter as the bottle progresses and ends at the Kilkenny or Murphy’s Red end of things. Something you could drink all day long without damaging your taste buds.
Signalman
March 21, 2011 at 1:40 pmI both sympathise and empathise with you on this. Its a waste to pour beer away, but if its that bad…..
I have to admit I have had a similar St Peter’s experience, but with their Best Bitter.
I drank it for real, ie hand-drawn in a pub at The Frog at Skirmett ( yes, that is a real name ). I have to say it was probably the best pint I have ever tasted, and if I wasn’t there at a work lunchtime, I would have been there for hours !
However, when I bought the same beer bottled from the Beir Paleis in Amsterdam, it was a shadow of the draught beer. Lifeless and bland tasting, with none of the sparkle that the pub-beer had. A real shame.
As for the Honey Porter, I drank it at St Peter’s only London pub, the Jerusalem Tavern, and yet again, it was wonderful. In bottle it wasn’t as disastrous as your experience, but certainly nowhere near the draught experience.
Maybe this brewery’s beers are sensitive to bottling and also date-related issues ?
I’ve never drunk Klein Dumpje Porter, but sticking to your Dutch-style, would recommend ‘Mooi & Meedogenloos’. More an Imperial Stout-style than porter, but exceptional. Mind you, it would damage your taste buds if drunk all day : best left as an evening finisher !
Very interesting blog, by the way !
Martin Wisse
March 21, 2011 at 1:49 pmYeah, it was almosty undrinkable, almost making me sick trying to drink it. The worrying thing was I had another of their beers waiting for me, the Cream Stout, which luckily turned out to be fine, a decent stout if nothing special.
So yeah, you may well be right about the bottling and date-related issues and I just hit a bad batch.
I’ve seen the “Mooi & Meedogenloos” around, but only in 75 centilitre form, which is a bit much to try out a beer on, even though I do like (Imperial) stouts. My usual tipple when at home is the Jopen Stout, which is v. drinkable and a nice drink to round off the day with.