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

Fruit porter with local (sweet) cherries from this young microbrewery in Dronten in Flevoland, thanks to Craftmember for sharing. Thick, yellowish beige, very mousy but gradually dissipating head, dark hazy chocolate brown robe with mahogany edges - but not a trace of cherry redness, as is usually the case in fruit porters and stouts whenever this particular fruit species is used in a 'genuine' way. Aroma of coffee grounds, old black chocolate bars, brown bread, hard caramel, fig, dried blackberries, but only a vague background note of black cherry fruitiness. Fruity onset indeed, but more from yeast than actual fruit, even if a light sourish-sweetness of ripe cherries runs through the whole - subtly so, however, overruled by aspects of fig, pear and blackberry. Medium to softish carb, rounded body, soft caramelly and hazelnutty maltiness with a roasted bitter finish - even coffee-ish, with a herbal bitter, bit spicy hop note and yeasty earthy accents; a 'dark fruit' aspect lingers, but is not really recognizable as coming from cherries. Accessible and easygoing, but also rather yeasty, in fact somewhat 'Belgian' interpretation of a porter - nothing truly remarkable in this day and age, but well-balanced and very enjoyable nonetheless. I did, however, expect a lot more outspoken and actual cherry presence...