In Praise of Porters

In Praise of Porters
It is a sunny morning in the Big Apple. Unbelievably they are predicting snow for tomorrow. The air is crisp and the sky is blue with sheets Cirrus Clouds layered over a few scattered Cumulus clouds, the whole skittering rapidly to the East. Sunlight sparkles on the surface of the East River and WNYC is announcing 36 Degrees in Central Park. Come on spring!

Porter is a style that few understand. I am guessing that much of this confusion arises in part because of the diversity of Porter types and partly because of the confusion that many have with the darker brews in general.
Porter is said to have been popular with manual laborers, in particular baggage and freight handlers of 18th Century London, hence the name. Contemporary accounts state that “Porter” was a blend of three different styles: old ale (frequently stale or soured), a new ale (a sweet brown ale) and a weak one or mild ale. Brewers experimented with various combinations of blending and staleness. The resulting brews were also commonly known as "Entire Butt" or "Three Threads" and had taste that was by all accounts refreshing and generally pleasing. Washington and Jefferson were said to be Porter Drinkers.

One way to look at a traditional Porter is to consider an analogy Scots Whisky. A Porter was not a Single Malt but rather a blended Scots Whisky. The blended product was an attempt at market to the public’s taste. A smoky Talisker is not for everyone, a blended Dewar’s however is likely to be appreciated even by the casual drinker. Blending three ales afforded the brewer the opportunity to sell more of the less popular “older” and “newer” brews. The resulting blends were vat aged for several months, sometimes over a year. Some of these vats held in excess of 500,000 gallons. Failure of a vat could and did have catastrophic consequences in the crowded streets of London.

The Porters of the late 1700’s were strong, perhaps 7% alcohol by volume. Some brewers made even stronger, more robust versions to be shipped to Northern Europe and Czarist Russia. These stronger brews were commonly referred to as “Baltic Porters”. While we cannot be absolutely certain as to the taste of these brews, we can speculate. In general, the style’s dark brown color masked the cloudiness that probably plagued the soured “older” ales. The Blending of a Sour Old Ale and a Sweet Young Ale likely masked brewing flaws that were common before sterilization and pasteurization. The addition of an “Old Ale” also lent an acidic/sour flavor, which made it more refreshing. Consider the refreshing sharp sourness of the Flemish Wild Ales or even Homemade Lemonade. I would imagine that on a hot day such a tart and acidic palate would be quite popular.

Historical records note that before he started brewing his popular “Stouts”, Sir Arthur Guinness' brewed Porter. In fact the Guinness product line included a Porter up until the mid 1970’s.

Even with the mass-production of Porter, some breweries could not keep up with the demand for the unique blending of old and new ales, since a portion of the blend could only be created by a long period of maturation. In response to economic pressure some brewers resorted to molasses and burnt sugar to artificially color their ales. Others apparently introduced “additives” to enhance the brews intoxicating effects (opium, hemp, strychnine, and tobacco for example). Not surprisingly, some porter drinkers fell ill or even died as a result of these experiments.

Following the introduction of the Pale Ale and Lager Styles, with their greater clarity and their well hopped flavor profiles, Porters became a breweries second or third product, and in many cases were dropped altogether. Eventually the style dropped off the radar and was only available in a few niche markets.
Today, Porter has made something of a comeback. Most craft brewers include Stout and Porter in their product lines. Long gone, however, is the “Blended Porter.” Modern-day Porters are typically brewed using a pale malt base with the addition of black malt, crystal, chocolate or smoked brown malt. With a nod to tradition, some brewers will age their beers after adding a shot of bacteria to create an “authentic” taste. Many porters also spend a little time in wood barrels to impart an oaky, smoky flavor profile.

Caught your interest? Ready to take the plunge? There are many readily available modern-day Porters for you to enjoy. To explore the American Porter Style I would start with Anchor’s Brewing’s “Anchor Porter”, Smuttynose’s “Robust Porter”, or Sierra Nevada’s “Porter”. For a “Baltic” Style Porter consider Heavyweight’s “Perkuno’s Hammer”, Sinebrychoff’s “Porter” or Flying Dog’s “Gonzo Porter.” For a contrast consider a British Style Porter such as Fuller’s “London Porter”, Samuel Smith’s “Taddy Porter” and the flavorful and rich (not to mention somewhat pricey) Salopian Brewery’s “Entire Butt.”

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day folks!