Carnegie and Co. Stark Porter - Tasting Notes

My first attempt at a Porter is now three months old and ready to be drunk. I chose an unassuming recipe for my first attempt and am now thinking it might be difficult letting it sit for an extra three months at which point the flavours are meant to peak.

Method: Extract

Specialty grains: Dark Crystal malt, Chocolate malt and black malt.

Hops: Northern Brewer (bittering), Styrian Goldings (flavour and aroma) 

Yeast: Irish Ale (liquid)

ABV: 5.5% (the recipe suggests 5.5%).

Yield: 23 litres

This pours with a cracking cream coloured head as you can see (possibly it's a  little too carbonated, but that doesn't appear to be a problem so far) and when you take a sip, you are presented with a very smooth bodied beer that has slight bitter notes on the back palate. Clear coffee notes are present up front and possible biscuit flavours hide in the back. It laces well, from start to finish, and that is where you find your first problem. It finishes altogether too quickly and you find yourself cursing that you didn't put more in the fridge.

Carnegie and Co. Stark Porter - Brewing Notes

I have never brewed a porter, or any type of stout before so I thought I would choose something  unambitious for my first one.

D. Carnegie and Co. Stark Porter is a, full-flavoured beer with plenty of roasted malt, toffee, chocolate and coffee flavours with a dry finish (according to the write up). It's brewed in Stockholm, Sweden and as such, should be a great beer for enjoying during the colder months. The simple list of ingredients and means I'm not too concerned if this goes horribly awry - something I wouldn't be happy about if I was brewing an Imperial Stout where the high starting gravity would require a considerably higher expense in grain or dried malt extract.


This baby should be ready for drinking in May, 3 months after pitching the yeast.

The beautifully black, inky, wort; a combination of chocolate, dark and black malts.

Gravity: 1.058 (Target 1.057). FG 1.020 (target 1.014) ABV 5.5% (target 5.5%)

Yield: 23 litres (target 23 litres)

Brew method: Extract with US batch sparging for the specialty grain.

Notes: The dark crystal, chocolate and black malt produce a beautiful black coffee colour which, because of the darkness, means I will get a better approximation of the correct colour for the beer. Most of my beers have the same colour profile because the local homebrew shop only stocks one variety of dried malt extract, so I am unable to get the lighter colours for my pale ales and lagers.


*edit* I haven't managed to hit my final gravity which a little disappointing. I'm not sure as to the cause of this - possibly the yeast was at the end of it's life. The brewing calculator still thinks I've managed to hit my target ABV so there is a plus. I'm wondering whether this will make this porter taste a little sweeter than it should. Who knows - I'll have to wait until mid-may before I'll know.

The Brewer's Assistant, showcasing the German Northern Brewer hops used for bittering