Beers Of London Series
36. Brodie's - Smoked Rye Porter 7.3%

Who doesn't like beer as a present?
Well, setting aside the obvious answers: reformed alcoholics, teetotallers, those who don't drink due to religious persuasion or on health grounds, or people that just don't like beer, I'm guessing that if you're reading this, and especially if you've got this far in my series of London brews, that you do actually like it when someone just buys you a beer or two now and again. I'm no exception. I was particularly delighted when this particular bottle of beer was bought for me by a certain Thomas Marshall on his recent visit to Ales By Mail especially for this series. They stick the labels on the bottles themselves there you know.
This is the second Brodie's beer I've reviewed in here, it's another dark one,and at 7.3% it's a bit of a beast. I've not been too well this week and this is the first beer that I've had since Saturday, so I'm rather looking forward to it.
It pours a gorgeous deep dark brown with a creamy off white head and an absolutely fantastic aroma of coffee and creamy milk chocolate flowing over a bed of coconut and vanilla with some gorgeous mango mousse just under the surface. Coarse and prickly over the tongue, much as you'd expect from a rye beer, there's a sharp dry espresso coffee hit sucking up all the moisture in the mouth, before an explosion of smoky tropical fruit liquorice engulfs everything leaving a wispy bitter chocolate finish. There's some black cherry in here too and a light crumbly bourbon biscuit right at the death. It is absolutely superb.
Cheers Tom, and cheers Brodie's !