We brewed a beer on New Year’s Day, following a recipe straight from the pages of Brew Your Own magazine. After about a month, it was ready to taste. I thought this beer came out great. Could I get a strong reaction from my homebrewing counterpart? Well, I guess you’ll just have to watch and see. Take a look at how it all went down for this Brow Brau Porter clone tasting session.

Now that’s one tasty YouTube thumbnail

Brow Brau Porter Tasting Notes

I think the wonderful thing about this beer is its simple grain bill: mostly Maris Otter, some Brown malt, and a smidge of Black Patent malt. With a good charge of English hops and English yeast, they let the malt flavors shine with a solid bitterness and some estery notes.

This beer started off with a gravity of 1.049 (which was specified by the recipe), but mine finished a few points under the specified final gravity (1.015 vs. 1.017). I don’t think that was much of an issue but it may have contributed to the biggest issue Mike had with the beer.

As I sit here now, drinking another pint, the malt flavors are singing together. With some cracker flavor and some caramel in the front along with bitterness from the black malt and hops, and finishing with a vanilla extract flavor that is so pleasant. The low alcohol in this brew makes it great for a session of 2 or 3.

Mike wanted more body in this beer and I feel that. When I look at the BJCP guidelines for the English Porter, it notes a medium-light to medium body is right for the style. I think this beer delivers that and I will stand by it until the end. Or something.

BREW ON!