One of the great traditional beer styles that tends to go unnoticed is the porter. The style is often misunderstood, too; many believe dark beers are always heavy and strong. The porter can be inviting in its balance of malts and hops and its modest strength. The name itself is a reference to beer made famous by the hard-working masses. Porters of the London shipyards considered it their beer of choice as early as the 1700s. Milwaukee’s Lakefront brewery is offering a pint of that history with Proper Porter.
What is it? Proper Porter from Lakefront Brewery of Milwaukee.
Style: The porter is a dark-colored ale, medium-bodied with light hints of caramel, toffee and chocolate from the dark malts. Traditional English porters range from brown to black with a smooth malt focus that’s balanced and clean. American takes on the style often feature more use of darker roasted malts and more assertive hops that combines for more noticeable bitterness in the beer. Porters range from 4.5 to 6.5 percent ABV.
Background: Lakefront has been in business for over 30 years and surprisingly it has never before packaged a porter. While a few small draft-only batches have appeared in the brewery’s taproom in recent years, there hasn’t been one in bottles until now, says head brewer Luther Paul. “We’ve been wanting to make a porter, forever, and it’s finally time,” he says.
Paul drew inspiration from his own European travels. “I think English styles in general are kind of overlooked by American brewers,” he says. “It seems U.S. brewers make everything extreme.” At Lakefront, Paul has focused more on lagers, IPAs and pale ales. Proper Porter is a more sessionable beer for Wisconsin drinkers.
Proper Porter draws on English tradition with its smooth approachable sweetness from Munich, caramel and chocolate malts. There’s also a light touch of American character with U.S.-grown Willamette and Cascade hops that offer balance against the sweetness, but no real bitterness at 28 IBUs. The beer finishes at 5.4 percent ABV.
Proper Porter is sold in six-packs for around $9. The beer first popped up in a handful of Madison’s larger liquor stores in mid-October. However, the brewery says statewide distribution really begins in early November, so if you haven’t seen it yet, you soon will.
Tasting notes:
- Aroma: Light roasted chocolate maltiness.
- Appearance: Black color with a bubbly tan head.
- Texture: Medium-bodied, soft with roundness.
- Taste: Lightly roasted chocolate maltiness that isn’t overly sweet or sticky, rather hints of caramel and toffee. There is a mild spicy hoppiness in the background.
- Finish/Aftertaste: Mild, yet firm chocolate maltiness continues but doesn’t linger long. This beer finishes very clean.
Glassware: This soft, medium-bodied porter is well suited for the traditional British pint glass.
Pairs well with: slow roasted ribs in sweet sauce. Also goes well with creamy, nutty cheeses. (Try it with Sartori Kentucky Bourbon BellaVitano for a wonderful combination of the beer’s chocolate malts with cheese and sweet smoky-caramel notes of bourbon.)
The Verdict: I really appreciate a good porter. It is my go-to style for easy-drinking beers with color and malt character. I’m a big fan of the Great Dane’s Black Earth Porter and Ale Asylum’s Contorter Porter, and Lakefront’s ranks right up there with the best Wisconsin takes on the style. Proper Porter straddles the line between smooth malty English versions and the more roasted and hoppy assertiveness shown by American brewers. Paul manages to offer a little of both with malt-forward flavor and just enough hops to add light spicy complexity to the background and finish. Proper Porter is an easy-drinking beer with sessionable qualities in body and clean taste. There’s plenty of flavor without being too heavy or strong and its malty sweetness invites a second glass.
