Wine barrel aged Baltic porter by Siren in collaboration with the SALT Beer Factory, a to me unknown craft brewery in the Leeds region in northern England. From a stubby 375 cl bottle, shared with Steve. Mocha-beige, mousy, medium sized, slowly opening but generally well-retaining head, black robe with burgundy edges. Aroma of toffee, Chocotoff candy, chocolate liqueur, molasses, tawny port, walnut purée, Rioja wine, fig compote, blackberry jam, vanilla (oak wood), rum-soaked raisins, amond, pipe tobacco. Candied cherry, blackberry coulis and fig compote sweetness in the onset, clean and full, tart edge of blue grapes but sweetness prevails; finely structured sparkling, very full, oily mouthfeel. Deeply toffeeish, chocolatey, cashew-nutty and molasses-like middle, bittersweet but clearly much more sweet than bitter; a red wine edge becomes increasingly clear towards the end, adding a softly tart-ish fruitiness and vinosity, but in a syrupy ‘chocolate and toffee environment’ like this, it becomes largely absorbed and has a more rounded and sweet port-like effect than an actual grape-tart effect. Oaky vanilla appears retronasally while actual tannins remain relatively mild; some spicy hops and even a late and gentle roasted coffee-like bitter note linger at the back, highlighted by port-like, warming alcohol. Rich, complex, very rounded and well-structured – opulent example of a Baltic porter, perhaps I was expecting the wine to cut a bit more through the thick layers of toffee and molasses and perhaps the whole could have been a bit less sweet, but I found this beer to be utterly delicious so I cannot but give a very high score here. Among the best Sirens I had to date – but I need to find out more about SALT’s output as well if this Queen Of The Deep is in any way representative.

Coffee, toffee, caramel, chocolate, salted liquorice, smooth, barrel notes, red wine

Bottle from the Star & Garter, Bromley. Black pour with a tan head. Aromas of dark chocolate Bounty bar, marshmallow, cappuccino, toffee. Flavours of dark chocolate Bounty, caramel, coffee, marshmallow, liquorice toffee, underlying red wine notes. Dry, warm boozy finish.

Svart med lys brunt skum. Lukter rødvin, mørk sjokolade og lakris. Middels fylde. Smaker mørk sjokolade og rødvin. Tykk. Oljete. Middels lang.

Panda thanks to Fergus: Poured a deep black brown with a off white colored head. Aroma is dark chocolate, roasty malt, fruity, marshmallow. Taste is dark chocolate, dark fruits, cherry, marshmallow, roasted malts, toffee, vanilla.