In our previous post we mentioned that, although beer is traditionally associated with summer and quenching the heat, many recipes were created for the cold. This is the case with black beers .
And it seems that a beer tastes better if we know a little about it: its history, its ingredients and its production process . And it is not that it is necessary to be an expert in beers, but knowing the main characteristics of each style helps a lot to notice the strengths of our beer, to know the best time to drink it and enjoy it even more!
What does a Porter taste like?
In this article we are going to talk a little more about one of those perfect styles for the cold: the English Porter . Would you know how to distinguish this style, dark and with moderate bitterness, from other similar ones?
- The first thing you should do is look at its color, it is usually dark brown and it can have lighter or more charged shades, almost always with a reddish cast. The foam that must be made in the glass is discreet, cream-colored and that it lasts a long time.
- The secret of a Porter recipe is the balance between the sweet base maltiness , which provides flavors of chocolate, biscuit and caramel, and the rougher and toasted part that is given by the special malts, which will provide hints of coffee and roasting.
- On the other hand, when you taste this style you should also find some dryness and bitterness, which are contributed by the hops. In a very simple way, whenever you taste a Porter look for a “chocolate” flavor.
- It is also said that they can be identified as the taste of a "toasty but not burnt beer".
- Finally, you can look at its body, which will generally be medium, and the carbonation, which will be located in the center of the glass. In other words, a creamy texture and little bubbles that rise (for the American versions) or fall (for the English versions).
How is a Porter made?
As we already told you in this article, sometimes we forget a fundamental ingredient in beer recipes: water . For this style it is very important that the base liquid has a good carbonate content for an alkaline profile that contrasts the acidity.
The base is built with Pale malts, different types of Crystal and Caramelo (generally dark), and other special roasted malts, among which Carafa and Chocolate stand out.
For the maceration of the beer, the simple English method is used, that is, without temperature steps. The hops usually have a discreet sensory presence and will be English or American varieties, depending on whether the style corresponds to one or the other territory. The same happens with the origin of yeasts.
Ideal time and temperature
Finally, a very important fact for brewers: this style of beer has, in general, a good aging capacity. In other words, they can improve as the months go by, especially those more robust examples that can improve, soften and gain elegant nuances over time in the bottle.
Another important fact is that these beers should not be drunk very cold. It would not make sense, since its objective is not "refreshing", but quite the opposite, to raise the body's temperature. The ideal degrees of service are between 10 and 12 to also be able to taste all the nuances of this wintery and tasty style. Cheers!