Beers Of London Series
31. Portobello Brewing Company - Pale 4.0%

Now here's a thing, this is a beer I've been wanting to try for a while. In fact I walked across London on Tuesday to get it, well from Borough Market to The Gunmakers in Clerkenwell anyway. Was it worth it? Well you'll have to wait a while before I get to that.
First here's a brief history.
Portobello Brewing Company (note that the website isn't up and running properly yet) was set up in 2012 (although registered in 2011) by two business partners, Rob Jenkins and Iain Masson, who both have quite a beery pedigree. Sales Director Rob was previously with Scottish and Newcastle, and Young's and Charles Wells, whilst Head Brewer Iain worked at Bass, Greene King, and Hardy and Hanson. Brewing both cask ale and keg in their 4000 (?) barrel plant near Little Wormwood Scrubs, not far from Moncada Brewery in Portobello, London W10.
Portobello Pale, (4.0% despite the pump clip saying 4.2%, or has it changed?) is brewed with Marris Otter Pale Ale and Caragold malts. Time to taste.
It pours a slightly cloudy lemon-yellow-gold with just under a fingers worth of off-white tightly-packed bubbles on top. The aroma is quite dense and heady with mango and the zest of orange and lemon, it reminds me of a really good citrus sorbet. It caresses the tongue with a creamy but sharp bitterness, with mango, lemon, lime and pineapple all present in this liquid sunshine of a beer. It's a fresh tropical cocktail. The finish is a heavy sharp fruity citrus fog with that dense mango sorbet coming back like a haunting mist sitiing over the tongue. Delicious.
Was it worth it? Oh yes indeed.