Pilothouse
Chocolate and coffee with a touch of smoke on the nose, and a caramel sweetness that balances the roasted and smoky malt. Pilothouse is a dark brown porter at 4.4%, brewed with smoked wheat, chocolate and black malt and hopped with Magnum and Opus. It is named for the pilothouse from which Charles Wells steered his ship as a Merchant Navy captain, before he founded his first Bedford brewery.
Tasting Notes
AI-generated sensory profile for Pilothouse
Serve at 10–13°C. Too cold mutes the roasted complexity that makes a good porter worth drinking slowly.
The classic — versatile, comfortable to hold and keeps the beer cool. No frills, no distractions: just the beer.
Drink within 6–12 months for best results. Baltic Porters can be aged longer.
About Porter
Style guide · what to expect · how to find alternatives
What is a Porter?
Porters are dark ales with 4–6.5% ABV and IBU 18–35. Roasted malt brings chocolate, caramel and toffee — medium body with a clean finish.
Finding a similar Porter
hopIQ matches by flavor profile — not just style label. A beer with the same chocolate, coffee, roasted character as Pilothouse will score highly even if brewed in a different country or under a different sub-style name.




