Black Beauty
Vale Brewery in Brill, Buckinghamshire, England 🏴
Porter Regular|
Score
6.65
|
|
Our award-winning full bodied porter. Intense dark roasted malts give way to wonderful chocolate flavours.
Sign up to add a tick or review
6.6/10
—
Appearance 7
Aroma 6.5
Flavor 6.5
Texture 7
Overall 6.5
Clear chestnut pour with a stable white head. Aromas of malt, cream, a hint of cocoa. Taste is is cooca, roasted malt, red cherries, oak - the roast notes are slightly overwhelming.
Tried
from Can
from Beer52
on 30 Aug 2026
at 20:36
6.9/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 5
Overall 7
(Cask at The Rake, Borough, London, 18 July 2026) Brownish black colour with frothy, beige head. Malty, roasty nose with notes of chocolate, coffee and dark bread. Malty, roasty taste with dark chocolate, coffee, dark bread, hints of red berries and a balanced roasty bitterness with a light citric touch. Medium body, with a certain sweetness. Tasty and well balanced porter. Nice one.
Tried
from Cask
at
The Rake
on 18 Aug 2026
at 20:13
7.6/10
—
Appearance 9
Aroma 7.5
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
330ml can bought as part of a delivery from the brewery and drunk at home. Mid- to dark brown and translucent with a creamy buff-coloured head. Chocolate malts on the nose and a little bit of liquorice, maybe some yeast extract. Sweet taste, lots more chocolate here, some dark berry and some woody flavours. Hoppy bitterness in the finish. Smooth, velvety body with lighter carbonation. A very, very good sessionable porter.
Tried
from Can
on 05 Aug 2026
at 16:52
7/10
—
Appearance 7
Aroma 7.5
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
Half pint at The Cricketers, Ipswich. Aroma of coffee, chocolate, berries, oatmeal and dried fruit. Taste is more earthy chocolate and coffee. A bit thin but perfectly drinkable.
Tried
from Cask
at
Cricketers (JDW)
on 30 May 2026
at 12:34
6.8/10
—
Appearance 7
Aroma 6.5
Flavor 7
Texture 7
Overall 6.5
Cask at the Cornfield Garage, Eastbourne. Poured a clear dark reddish brown colour with a lasting, frothy, light tan head. The aroma is roasty, ashtray. The flavour is liquorice bitter, with a somewhat light, roasty, ashtray, light raisin, earthy, dry liquorice bitter palate. Medium to light bodied with soft carbonation.
Tried
from Cask
at
Cornfield Garage (JDW)
on 05 May 2026
at 17:50
6.6/10
—
Appearance 7
Aroma 6
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
Half pint on cask at the Gate House JDW.
Medium creamy beige head. Clear almost black pour. Light chocolate
Medium creamy beige head. Clear almost black pour. Light chocolate
Tried
from Cask
at
The Gate House (JDW)
on 29 Apr 2026
at 16:25
6.5/10
—
Appearance 7
Aroma 6.5
Flavor 6.5
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
A deep black brown with a small dark brown head. The aroma is subdued, with notes of malt, resin, roastiness, and a touch of flowers. The flavour is dominated by roastiness, supported by notes of dried fruit. As it warms, these notes give way to dark chocolate and raisins. A strong bitterness with a herbal and resinous character emerges early. It is dry, with a medium body and carbonation. Pleasantly characterful.
Tried
from Can
from Beer52
on 01 Mar 2026
at 17:57