Blackberry Porter
Style: Fruit Porter
ABV: 6.5%
Presentation: 650 ml brown bottle
Brewery: Cannery Brewing Company
Country: Penticton, British Columbia, Canada
KANPAI! w/ Jeff Werstiuk
For some beer purists the thought of serving your beer with a fruit garnish is appalling enough, yet to actually brew with any variety of “nature’s candy” is an absolute abomination. They should perhaps chill out a bit. From beyond recorded history humanity has been adding a diversity of ingredients into the fermentation process to provide an extra element to their malty euphoria, and I can think of a long list of less appealing things than fruit, believe you me.
However to play devil’s advocate dancing on the flipside of the coin, many brewers out there today are using fruit in their creations to try and boost what already starts out as a mediocre beer. The further result can stem from a poor use of extracts where they overdo it, sometimes giving an artificial or overwhelming character that can be more akin to cough syrup than natural fruit, or skimp on the real deal and advertise an extra ingredient that can’t even be recognized in the flavour, least of all the aroma. I think it’s these types of fruit beers that gives the whole concept of it all a bad name and turns people off, well apart from their initial bias of a fruit addition to begin with.
Of course it would be a bit foolish for any brewery in the heart of the fruit belt of B.C. to not dabble with such a combination and still be able to maintain their credibility. On top of that Cannery Brewing gets its namesake from setting up shop in an old fruit and vegetable cannery in Penticton. With their Blackberry Porter they manage to get just the right balance between the roasted malts and the robust juice from the blackberries, mingling, marrying and complimenting one another. Really, the only prerequisite for checking this porter out is an affinity for dark roasty ales, as this fruit beer is worthy of you.
Grab your favourite mug for this one, or your trusty pint glass. Let the bottle sit 5-10 minutes out of the fridge to warm up enough to release the malt and fruit characteristics, although a bit of chill on it is still desirable. Once poured you’ll discover a dark mahogany porter capped by a tight creamy beige head. Sweet berry notes up front in the aroma, blending with roasted, coffee and cocoa from the malt. There’s roasted malt in the beginning of the flavour, melding in with reserved amounts of dark juicy blackberry, dry cocoa, finishing with hints of coffee notes. You’ll notice that the berries, although noticeable and present, take a backseat to the whole experience. Carrying the whole show is a smooth, creamy dry mouthfeel, on the lighter side of many porters, making it more approachable and quaffable for the uninitiated-no thick molasses or motor oil stereotypes can be applied here with any serious clout.
Grilled red meat is what you’re going to want to pair this Blackberry Porter up with, the sweetness of it will balance out any char put against it. Smoked meats should be added to the list too for some succinct contrast. This is also a great ale to accompany your favourite dressed burger. Then again, if you can hold out or have saved yourself for dessert, this porter will really shine with baked chocolate goods, or along with artisanal chocolates on their own. The berry sweetness along with the dark malt will also blend impressively with fruit-focused desserts, bringing out the best of all worlds. Or to help set the mood for a romantic evening keep a stash of this conservatively sweet porter to share with your sweet baby.
The next steps in the cooler:
From This Brewery:
Naramata Nut Brown Ale
Indian Rock IPA
Apricot Wheat Ale
Anarchist Amber Ale
Maple Stout
Wildfire Dark IPA
Other Porters:
Samuel Smith Taddy Porter
Fullers London Porter
Tree Spy Porter
Tree Raspberry Porter
Mill St. Coffee Porter
Rogue Mocha Porter
Okanagan Old English Porter
Paddock Wood London Porter
Lateral Steps:
Stir Stick Stout - Half Pints
St-Ambroise Oatmeal Stout
Ayinger Celebrator Doppelbock
For The Adventurous:
Rogue Shakespeare Stout
Aventinus
Brooklyn Monster Ale