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Exmoor Beast

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Toffee, treacle, mocha coffee, vinous fruit and chocolate on the nose. The palate adds fruitcake, a hint of rum, more mocha and a herbal hop note. Full-bodied, dark mahogany with a crimson edge. The finish is bittersweet, smooth yet complex, rich without turning cloying. 6.6%, first brewed in autumn 1992, on draught and in the bottle.

ABV
6.6%
Bitterness
Noticeably bitter
Roasted bitterness
SRM
dark28
PaceTwo or Three

AWARDS

Bronze · 2016
SIBA Indie Beer Awards (regional, South West)
Premium Strong Beers
Gold · 2017
SIBA Indie Beer Awards (regional, South West)
Champion Small Pack Beers
Gold · 2017
SIBA Indie Beer Awards (regional, South West)
Small Pack Premium Strong Beers
Gold · 2022
SIBA Indie Beer Awards (regional, South West)
Bottle & Can Imperial & Strong Ale
★Bronze — SIBA Indie Beer Awards (regional, South West) (Premium Strong Beers)
★Gold — SIBA Indie Beer Awards (regional, South West) (Champion Small Pack Beers)
★Gold — SIBA Indie Beer Awards (regional, South West) (Small Pack Premium Strong Beers)
Where this beer sits
Body
lightfull-bodied
Sweetness
drysweet
Bitterness
mildbitter
Texture
crispcreamy
Balance
malt-forwardhop-forward
What makes this beer itself
chocolateherbalcoffee
chocolate
herbal
coffee
fruity
caramel
roasted
Aroma
The nose leads with toffee and treacle sweetness, grounded by mocha coffee and cocoa complexity.
not found:hoppy,bready,clean,smoky

Tasting Notes

AI-generated sensory profile for Exmoor Beast

◎ Appearance

Deep mahogany to dark brown body with crimson highlights at the edges, revealing the beer's substantial malt foundation. The head is dense and persistent, with fine lacing that clings to the glass as you drink. The beer presents opaque, with no visible carbonation disturbance—a hallmark of the style's deliberate, laid-back character.

deep mahoganydark with crimson edgedense persistent head

◌ Aroma

The nose leads with toffee and treacle sweetness, grounded by mocha coffee and cocoa complexity. Beneath these primary notes lies a vinous, dried-fruit character—hints of raisin and prune—alongside a subtle herbal hop presence that prevents the aromatics from becoming one-dimensional. The overall effect is warm and inviting, suggesting both confectionery indulgence and restrained craft.

toffee, treacle, molassesmocha coffee, cocoavinous dried fruitherbal hop restraint

◐ Taste

Entry is full-bodied and velvety, with rich chocolate and caramel tones balanced against a gentle herbal bitterness (33 IBU). The mid-palate develops fruitcake complexity—a nod to the vinous character—with whispers of rum warmth and mocha that echo the nose. Underlying structure remains crisp enough to prevent cloying; hop bitterness never dominates but maintains presence throughout.

full-bodied, smooth palatechocolate, caramel, fruitcakebittersweet balancerum warmth, mocha finish

◑ Finish

The finish is dry-to-bittersweet, with lingering chocolate and herbal notes fading gradually. Complexity persists without harshness—a mark of mature brewcraft—leaving the mouth clean and inviting another sip.

dry-bittersweetlingering chocolatesmooth complexity
85
hopIQ score
Aroma
87
Taste
86
Appearance
83
Finish
84
Serve at 10–13°C

Serve at 10–13°C. Too cold mutes the roasted complexity that makes a good porter worth drinking slowly.

Pint glass

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.

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Food Pairing

What to eat with Exmoor Beast

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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 full-bodied, chocolate, smooth character as Exmoor Beast will score highly even if brewed in a different country or under a different sub-style name.

Compare with another beer →Explore all Porter beers in hopIQ →New to Porter? Read our guide →Browse United Kingdom beers →