You know the old home brewing adage: “your beer is at it’s best as you’re just finishing the last pint“? Well, that’s kind of where I am at the moment. The keg of LLDBP is getting dangerously close to kicking and I’m still enjoying this beer no end.
It pours a really lovely dark garnet – when held up to the light you can just about see through it. The retention of the tan head is also bang on and would be fantastic through a nitrogen stout tap (if I had one).
The aroma is complex and enjoyable – there’s a lot of fruity, vinous notes from the S33 yeast and a lovely malty sweetness to back it up – overlaying all of that is decadent, delicate, coffee edge that lilts and soars and then folds back in with the yeasty fruity notes. Aroma-wise I’m very happy – any more coffee in it than this and we’d be in the realm of the “novelty” beer.
The mouth-feel is luxuriant and silky-smooth – thanks to the oats – and is unctuously enjoyable.
Taste-wise, I get gentle fruity, Belgian, notes that segue straight into dark malty sweetness that is overtaken briefly by the subtle coffee theme, before a very nice bitter note rounds the whole thing out. The finish is pleasantly dry, dry enough to remind you that there’s just that bit more in that glass that you really need to get down your neck.
Overall this is probably one of the most complex, intriguing and enjoyable beers that I’ve ever made and it’s reinforced the importance to me of trying to make bold and (hopefully) intelligent decisions when formulating my recipes.
If I were to make this beer again the only thing that I’d change would be to include a little bit of roast barley – that would just provide a smidgeon of roasty bitterness that I think would make this an even better beer; everything else I’d leave exactly as-is.
I’m so glad I had the forethought to bottle half of this, I’ll look forward to enjoying the bottles as this beer ages further.
You’ll find the recipe here: https://yeastismybitch.com/2014/12/15/the-landlords-daughters-breakfast-porter/
I have to say I am as much a fan of Mr Milloini’s Landlord’s Daughter as I am of Brit Ekland in the Whicker Man. The Brew is comparable to another favourite of mine Black Cab, Fullers call it a stout but for me it is a porter with the same subtle oatyness that Jon has imparted to his own porter. The colour is a surprise too not black but very dark brown, though amazingly it is quite strong hovering around 6% yet still remains subtle (no I do not mean flavourless).
There is a real coffee nose first that tumbles onto the palate and creates a light chocolatey finish, allied with the oats it rounds out into a hearty and well balanced winter brew to contend with the stodgiest of comfort foods (pies and stews, or maybe a fry) or to be enjoyed as a comfort all of its own.
Nice work Jon!
Cheers, Toby. Glad you liked it. Leaving comments like this is one way to become a regular on my tasting panels… :o)