It’s been ten years since I summered in Hali. Ah...Pizza Corner how I miss you... actually my favourite pizza joint was this ultra dirt cheap place ’round the corner from Propeller on that fine strip of ghettopia known as Gottingen Street. It was like six bucks for a medium three topping pizza - I mean stupid prices. Sure, you had to dodge crack heads to get there, but it was worth it. I even convinced them to deliver to the south side a couple of times...til they realized they were losing money by the time they crossed the commons.

John Allen had just opened and hadn’t made porter yet, but that Pale and ESB were sure staples, both at the Economy Shoe Shop (boy that place lost its way) and later from the IGA on Quinpool. When eventually the Porter launched and found its way to my doorstep, I was in da Big Smoke. Now it finally arrives in Lotusland at ye olde Brewery Creek shop for another go around. I gave it a 3.4 in that original 2001 rating.

It has a dark brown colour. The aroma at first shows a predominant chocolate character, and this leads then to two distinct things - a powdery brown malt character and a pungent dark malt acidity. Could a porter aroma be more quintessential? Smoooooth milk chocolate character, again with a subtle brown malt note and an almost lactic sourness. Hey, if it ain’t broken, don’t fix it. Full body, soft and sweet. A velvet brew. Absolutely gorgeous porter. I bought it for a trip down memory lane but to hell with that, this is one of the best and most authentic porters I’ve ever tasted. Wow. This reminds me of the year-over-year improvements I saw in Denison’s Weisse...the result of many years of constant fussing is evident here and that, quite frankly, is the only way to make world-class beer.