Orkney Porter
Looking around for a suitable starting point for our month of strong beer, there was one obvious place to begin. Sitting in my mahogany panelled, climate controlled beer storage area – just behind the ironing board, watch out for the spider – was a 2009 vintage Highland Orkney Porter. Waiting for the right moment to be drunk, with the UK Treasury raising duty on all beer over 7.5%abv (the porter rocks up at 9.0%) – that time had come. I’d also bought a 2010 version, the vintage currently available, and decided to put the two stablemates up against each other.
Rob Hill and his team up in Orkney are one of the most consistent – and award-winning – breweries in Scotland. At one point, they’d carted off three Champion Beer of Scotland awards in four years (for three different beers). Rob is one of the most experienced brewers in the country, having worked for the Orkney Brewery for many years, before moving from Quoyloo to Swannay to set up his own facility (love those Orkney place names). From 2006, the Highland Brewery were up and running, and immediately competing with their near neighbours.
Like many Scottish producers, the vast majority of Highland’s output is well below the 7.5% duty threshold (although regular alcohol duty increased in the previous budget as well, just not to the extent of the extra tax on big hitters). The notable exception is their Orkney Porter, of course. Released annually in 275ml bottles – and even more rarely, on cask – it’s a fabulous beer. Rumours were that Rob was re-considering the next vintage, as the increased costs – both of production and to the customers – will be even higher.
This is one of the potential, and very serious, consequences of the increased duty. Brewers will become more conscious of the margins involved in their strong beers. Often released as seasonals or annual vintages, the return on the significant investment might just not be worth it. Whilst the economy in general is fixated on down-sizing, recipes might become tweaked to get the beer in under the duty ceiling. When you sample a beer like Orkney Porter, you realise why this would be a crying shame.
Comparing the two vintages, both are deep brownish black in appearance. The 2009 has a fast-reducing head, whereas the 2010 is far more carbonated – the pillowy inch-high head retains a lot longer. The affects of ageing come out from start to finish in the ’09 – smooth, mellow wood and a touch of peaty malt on the nose, it’s more restrained than the blustering ’10, which has a far more alcoholic nose.
The ’09 is wonderfully rich, distant smoky notes mingled with dark chocolate and a hint of cherry*. The more recent release has heavier carbonation and more tobacco on the taste – plus an alcoholic finish that’s more bitter than the 2009. There’s no questioning this is a big beer – and a tremendous one at that. I’ve already bought some 2010 to put behind the ironing board for twelve months.
‘Problem drinkers’ – that group of very real people the Government set out to protect with this new legislation – probably won’t ever get within twenty miles of a bottle of Orkney Porter. It’s one of the best beers to come out of Scotland – and if it is affected even slightly by the duty rise (other than increasing in price, which is sadly inevitable), I will hunt down George Osborne and make him very sorry.
UPDATE Thankfully the rumours of Orkney Porter becoming even more rare seem to be unfounded. Only today, Lewis Hill tweeted that demand had actually increased – and they are brewing a cask version for a pub in London. Could this be an unexpected result of the duty rise? Brewers will sell more >7.5% beer, as people hear about these big beers, and associate cost with quality? We can only hope. Until then, however, Rob and everyone else – keep on with those big hitters…
*It’s impossible to write tasting notes without sounding wanky – apologies
