7.4

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5

Bottle at home, from Yards & Crafts online, 04/02/23. Extremely dark mahogany brown meets light black topped with a fast collapsing khaki head. Nose is dark malts, toffee, yeast esters, dried fruits, brown bread. Taste comprises dried fruit esters, dark malts, toffee, cocoa sprinkle. Medium bodied, soft massaging carbonation, semi drying close. Decent approachable BP ... not particularly complex but has more lager like qualities than most and makes for an easy drinking affair.

7

Pretty modern yet solid interpretation of the style. Some roast, fairly sweet, caramelly. Could do with more heavy roastyness and coffee, pushing the sweetness more to the background, but it's easily drinkable and doesn't taste half bad.

7.2

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7

Bottle. Gusher. Color: Very dark ruby, light brown head. Aroma: Roasted malt, mocha, coffee. Taste: Mocha, coffee, sweetish roasted malt, burnt sugar, toffee notes. Smooth mouthfeel. Just over medium body, below average carbonation. Moderate to medium sweet, moderate bitterness. Ok Porter.

7.3

Appearance - 7 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 7 | Overall - 8

Deep dark brown colour with a ruby hue, small frothy tan head, mostly diminishing, fair lacing. Aroma roasted malt, dark fruit, caramel, cocoa. Taste medium sweet and bitter, roasty malts, burnt caramel, light chocolate. Roasty sweetbitter aftertaste, medium body, watery texture, average carbonation, very nice porter.

7

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7

500ml bottle. Clear, darkest brown colour with ruby glimmer and average to huge, thick, creamy, moderately lasting, and lacing, dark beige head. Roasty-spicy and chocolately, dark malty aroma, notes of cocoa, dark chocolate, hints of milk chocolate, liquorice, some caramel, a touch of burnt caramel. Taste is sweet-ish and roasty, caramel and dark malty, hints of liquorice, a touch of dark and burnt caramel, minimally - carbonation-induced - metallic overtones. Oily texture, minimally sticky palate.

7.6

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5

On tap at The Black Sheep, Dublin. Pours black with beige head. Roasted malts, chocolate, some dark fruit, moderate sweetness, bitter finish. Medium bodied.

7.5

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8

500ml bottle. Pours an oily deep brown, almost black with a slight reddish tint. Very slight tan head that dissipates quickly. Christmas cake aroma of cherries, dark fruit, some apricots, taurine, chocolate. Complex flavour of dark chocolate, black cherry, spice, orange. Oily mouthfeel. Wonderfully complex.

7.6

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5

Bottle from O'Brien's, Athlone [120818]
Pitch Black, tan frothy head
Aroma - Soft rich dark malts, hint of dark fruits, very mellow roast
Taste of rich dark malts, savoury notes, dab of soy, very mellow roast, tasty ruch malts, no burnt stuff, really tasty
Palate - Soft carb, medium to full body, soft sweet, alcohol well hidden. Finish has a rich dark savoury malt linger
Overall - The rich malt finish is the highlight of this. Larkin's one of the top Irish breweries for me now