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Old Style Porter

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Dark cherry in colour, full-bodied and warming, with aromas of liquorice, rum, raisin and chocolate and hints of coffee. The porter is a blend of a mature and a young ale, brewed in a Suffolk brewery that draws its water from its own borehole, through chalk. Founded in 1996, it sits beside a moated hall in the village of St. Peter South Elmham.

ABV
5.1%
Bitterness
Noticeably bitter
Roasted 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
chocolatedark fruitcoffee
chocolate
dark fruit
coffee
roasted
malty
Aroma
The nose leads with liquorice and dark dried fruit—raisin and prune—layered beneath a cocoa-forward maltiness.
not found:hoppy,caramel,fruity,smoky

Tasting Notes

AI-generated sensory profile for Old Style Porter

◎ Appearance

Deep mahogany to near-black in colour, displaying the characteristic opacity of a well-crafted Porter. The head is dense and persistent, clinging to the glass with notable Schaumhaftung as the beer is consumed. Carbonation is moderate and well-integrated, creating a refined visual presentation.

deep mahoganyopaquepersistent head

◌ Aroma

The nose leads with liquorice and dark dried fruit—raisin and prune—layered beneath a cocoa-forward maltiness. Secondary notes of rum and subtle coffee emerge as the beer warms, with an underlying toasted grain character that speaks to the blend of mature and young ales. The overall aromatic profile is complex and inviting without aggressive hop presence.

liquoricedried dark fruitcocoa and roasted grainrum warmth

◐ Taste

Entry is full-bodied and velvety, with immediate chocolate and dark cherry notes that coat the palate. Mid-palate develops into a rich, gently sweet character punctuated by coffee and subtle roast; the 33 IBU bittering provides restraint rather than sharpness, allowing the malt complexity to dominate. Finish dries gradually, leaving traces of chocolate and coffee without harshness.

velvety bodychocolate-forwarddark fruit sweetnesscoffee finish

◑ Finish

The aftertaste lingers with restrained bitterness and lingering notes of cocoa and roasted malt. Warming rather than hot, the 5.1% ABV sits comfortably, allowing the Porter's nuanced character to fade gracefully.

warminglingering malt sweetness
82
hopIQ score
Aroma
84
Taste
85
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 Old Style 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 full-bodied, chocolate, dark fruit character as Old Style 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 →