Brown 50cl bottle conditioned beer, best before 27th June 2009, drank on a cold and windy evening in November 2008 while sat eating strong English Cheddar, Branston Pickle and Spring Onions. The review was completed before I started the eating bit. Poured into a handled pint glass. Jet black with only a hint of a deep ruby red colouring when the actual light bulb was against the glass. The tan head swiftly fell away to a thin wispy covering, which was thicker around the collar. The smell was of toasted malts, 14 different ones are used in the brew according to my bottle along with 3 hops. I couldn’t detect any hop aroma, the malts seeing to that. The malts are listed on the label, so you can pretent to find each flavour if you wanted too. The taste was rich and roasted malts, some burnt others others toasted like the smell. No way could I tell you which one stood out the most although dark chocolate does come into the aftertaste more than anything else. There is more than hint of coffee as well. A very good English Porter and most likey the second best I’ve ever had. Bateman’s Salem Porter is still my personal number one.