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Pillars Cold Porter

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Coffee, toffee and chocolate run through this dark porter built on a classic London malt profile, with a subtle touch of tropical and citrus from New World hops. The twist: lager yeast ferments it at 10-15°C, then it is lagered at -1°C, which makes a medium-bodied 4.2% beer. It comes back every autumn and winter as a limited release.

ABV
4.2%
Bitterness
Noticeably bitter
Citrus hop bitterness
SRM
dark28
PaceA Few
Where this beer sits
Body
lightfull-bodied
Sweetness
drysweet
Bitterness
mildbitter
Texture
crispcreamy
Balance
malt-forwardhop-forward
What makes this beer itself
chocolatecoffeecaramel
chocolate
coffee
caramel
malty
roasted
tropical
Aroma
The nose leads with rich chocolate and roasted grain, followed by coffee and toffee sweetness.
also:citrusy,dark fruit
not found:hoppy,bready,fruity,smoky

Tasting Notes

AI-generated sensory profile for Pillars Cold Porter

◎ Appearance

Deep brown to near-black in color, with translucent mahogany highlights when held to light. The head is modest but persistent, settling to a fine ring with good lacing. Carbonation is restrained and elegant, appropriate to the lager fermentation and extended cold conditioning.

deep brownfine lacingrestrained carbonation

◌ Aroma

The nose leads with rich chocolate and roasted grain, followed by coffee and toffee sweetness. Subtle New World hop character emerges as a floral and citrus backdrop, never competing with the malt-driven foundation. Clean lager yeast character allows these layers to present distinctly without obstruction.

chocolate, roasted graincoffee, toffeesubtle citrus, floral

◐ Taste

Entry is smooth and medium-bodied, with chocolate and caramel malt building the core palate. Coffee and roasted notes develop through the middle, underscored by restrained bitterness from the 33 IBUs. Tropical fruit character from the hops provides a gentle counterpoint without disrupting the malt-forward balance. The lager yeast ensures clean fermentation with no distracting esters or phenolics.

chocolate, caramelcoffee, roastedtropical fruit balanceclean fermentation

◑ Finish

The finish is dry and medium in length, with lingering chocolate and coffee notes fading gracefully. A subtle astringency from the roasted grain and hop bitterness provides structure without harshness.

dry finishlingering chocolate-coffee
82
hopIQ score
Aroma
84
Taste
84
Appearance
80
Finish
78
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 Pillars Cold Porter

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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 chocolate, coffee, caramel character as Pillars Cold Porter 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 →