Pinky's Peculiar Porter

Pinky: The bottle just poured out pure glitter. Okay, that was my imagination.

This beer pours rich, with a thick pale toasty-coloured head. I've just told Brew to not read over my shoulder while I type, as this is a very special moment between Pinky's Peculiar Porter and I. This may be the only time in my lifetime that I try a beer named and made for me, for the first time.

Okay, poetic notes finished. It smells potent, a little funky, which is possibly a result of using fresh strawberries. The head has died down from about an inch and a half to a thin frothy lacing, similar to what you normally see in strong Belgians. It also smells a bit like burnt toast.

Let me provide a bit of background on Pinky's Peculiar Porter. A few years ago, I requested Brew to brew a porter made with white chocolate and strawberries. I don't remember how the alliteration of a name came around however...

Brew used vanilla in the boiling process, for a sweet vanilla aftertaste. While the strawberries were fermenting, vanilla was added again for a dryer vanilla taste. He also roasted malts, to create some of his signature honey and chocolate malts.

So, a quick overview of the first taste: a tart, unsweet fruit flavour, sharp and surprising.

Upon second taste, it's very toasty, a little caramel and honey, and a lot less fruity.

On third taste, it returns back to the tart strawberry flavour. The taste keeps changing with each mouthful, and also as the temperature warms. Overall, this beer has one of the most complex, yet united, group of flavours I've ever tried.

It's also getting more chocolatey as I keep drinking, which I love. It's going to be hard to drink a porter now that doesn't seem overly watery, or which doesn't taste fruity in a sugary, fake kind of way, or which is able to carry multiple flavours that remain distinct from each other. I think I've just ruined my taste buds for all other porters. I hope I still like Phillip's Chocolate Porter.

And now, I'm coming to the end of my long neck. I'm increasingly becoming sadder knowing that I waited two-and-a-half years waiting for this moment, and have no idea when I'll have the next bottle. I haven't found anything to rival this here in Canada yet, but I have hope. For all of you Aussies that get to finally try it when Brew returns to Australia, I hope you all enjoy it immensely!

Cheers,
Pinky