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Smokin Bees Whisky Honey Smoked Porter – ABV 10%

smokin bees

Billed modestly as a classic porter with smoky overtones of a single malt whiskey, Smokin’ Bees has a honey sweetness and floral hints to a roast malt backdrop.

Look: Black pour with brown head.

Aroma: Sugary sweet with roasted malts. You can really sense the 100kg of wild flower honey added at the end of the boil, which gives it a beautiful sweetness and floral notes.

Taste: More sweet honey and toffee, plus smoked malts and some spicey accents

Food Pairing: We’d never suggest drinking beer this strong for breakfast, yet we can’t help thinking about pairing it with pancakes, smoked bacon and maple syrup.

Verdict: Delicious heavy sweet beer with artwork of bees smoking cigarettes by Nomad Clan. Part of Northern Monk’s Patrons project – it’s like no imperial porter you’ve tasted before.

BA Orkney Porter Arran Bere Whisky Cask Edition – ABV 11.5%

Roasted malts dotted with sherry sweetness and a strong ABV – this BA porter is like Arbor’s Goo Goo G’Joob with a fruity twist. It’s that good.

Look: Swannay’s BA Orkney Porter has a good level of carbonation with a light brown head that quickly vanishes – just as you’d expect for beer with double digit ABV.

Aroma: A fruity porter and booziness the whisky barrels in absolutely perfect balance, with the overall effect being sherry trifle against a backbone of roasted malt.

Taste: On the palate you get even more of that Whisky coming through – but it’s boozy rather than peaty, so we think you’ll enjoy it even if Scotch isn’t usually your thing. T

Food Pairing: This beer works really well with red meats. Try it with a nice fillet steak, cooked however you like it.

Meneer de Uil Wardhead Barrel Aged Imperial Porter – ABV 11.4%

This American-style whisky cask-aged imperial porter, dedicated to 80s cartoon character Mister Owl, is quite simply Uiltje’s most-requested beer ever.

Look: Opaque black, with a tan head that lasts pretty well. Medium carbonation

Aroma: Deep rich malty base with some light whisky accents, plus hints of spice and liquorice.

Taste: More malts and whiskey smokey sweetness. Medium body made of dark chocolate, coffee and sugar with rich boozy tones.

Verdict: Dank u wel, Meneer de Uil (Thanks very much, Mister Owl)!

Verdeel & Heers Barrel Aged Imperial Stout with Brett – ABV 9.8%

‘Divide and Conquer’, with Amarillo and Simcoe hops and late-hopped with Saaz, comes packed with Brett and chocolate and caramel malts for an intense BA stout.

Look: Jet black colour with a small beige-tan head that lasts nicely.

Aroma: Sweet forest fruits – plums, figs and berries – plus bitter dark chocolate and some peated whiskey notes.

Taste: Intense, yeasty and complex the Bretting, with loads more fruit plus banana and raisins on a bed of rich malts and syrupy boozy sweetness. Really full-bodied with roasted coffee beans and chocolate bitterness in the close.

Verdict: The almost leathery effects of the Brett will become stronger with age. This may Divide its drinkers into lovers and haters but our hearts have been Conquered yet again by de Molen – we love it.

Barrel Project 17.02 Arran Whisky Barrel Aged Barley Wine – ABV 12%

Aged in Isle of Arran whisky barrels, this barley wine  Brouwerij Kees is a deep ruby red with Citra hops giving a complex caramel, liquorice and malt notes. 

Look: A deep ruby red ruby body with foamy creamy head

Aroma: Molasses and caramel start before the liquor and tang of liquorice kick in. Complex layers of rye, malts and some barley notes

Taste: Chocolate and caramel with some slight alcohol burn accompanied by a silky finish plus brunt sugar and creme brulee

Verdict: Gorgeous colour and silky sweet chocolate flavours – I believe Isle have another, please.

Old Fashioned – ABV 11.0%

We’re big fans of the classic ‘Old Fashioned’ – a 19th Century cocktail traditionally made by muddling sugar with bitters, then adding Whiskey and a twist of citrus rind. This is our take, with a Barley Wine as the base beer and the classic zest to serve. It’s been in barrels for 12 months, picking up a well-rounded bourbon profile with some vanilla and caramel sweetness. Bitters optional!