PINTS & UNION PORTFOLIO: "Fuller’s rich, chocolatey London Porter recaptures the brooding beauty of pre-Victorian London."

Many of you know it's been an uphill struggle to keep draft Anchor Porter in stock at Pints&union. I take these matters seriously, perhaps too much so. In my previous career, tussles with beer wholesalers were the stuff of legend, and although I'm trying my best to curb my rants, it can be disconcerting to feel that so little headway is possible after long months pass.

But enough of that. Let's look at a glass half full.

Lately I've returned to doing what always used to be necessary, which is going above the heads of wholesalers and speaking directly to importers and brewers.

As such, I've richly enjoyed working with the regional representative for Fuller's, which is distributed in America by Paulaner USA. In no time at all, he's been able to secure a promise from our wholesaler for more consistent shipments of Fuller's London Pride draft into Indiana, which means we shouldn't go through another two-month London Pride drought, as occurred in August a mere two weeks into Pints&union's opening phases.

In turn, this fact has flipped the paradigm for Porter. Accepting that distribution logistics resemble theology, a discipline impenetrable to the ordinary human mind, the upshot for Pints&union goes something like this:

• addressing the Anchor Porter draft shortfall was going to be a long haul proposition for us, and a disproportionate use of our time for one spout
• my previous hope to stock Fuller's brands in bottles still isn't possible, being unaffected by more regularity in Fuller's draft shipments owing to the wholesaler's inability/unwillingness to sell meaningful volumes of bottled Fuller's brands in Indiana BUT
• ironically and concurrently, more timely London Pride shipments mean that other Fuller's draft selections might arrive regularly, too

Draft selections just like Fuller's London Porter.

Joe Phillips and I talked about draft Fuller's London Porter constantly during the pub's planning stages, and it was our first choice; Anchor Porter was second, and after that, the deluge.

Consequently, I think you can see where this is going.

We're both enthused and delighted to announce that until some other fundamental variable in distribution changes without warning, Pints&union will be adding Fuller's London Porter on draft as a full-time pour, starting whenever the kegs begin arriving (late December or early January).

We'll be stocking Anchor Porter in bottles once the draft runs dry. As we await the arrival of Fuller's London Porter in kegs, the Anchor Porter draft slot will be used for a final remaining keg, then rotating Porters, with the exception (I hope) of a keg of Anchor Christmas Ale nearer the holiday.

I regret not being able to make good on draft Anchor Porter, which I adore, and it isn't easy for me to admit defeat. However, it cannot be denied that Fuller's London Porter is an excellent choice.

Bring it on.

Fuller's London Porter

A modern take on the 19th century porter style, Fuller’s rich, chocolatey London Porter recaptures the brooding beauty of pre-Victorian London. It’s evocative of simpler times but it’s a wonderfully complex pint.

As London’s last remaining family brewer, we’re fierce defenders of the city’s tradition for porter beer. Porters boomed in the capital centuries ago, and though the style died out in the early 1900s, Fuller’s London Porter put it back on the map once again. Rich, dark and classically creamy, this is a beer with reach far beyond our capital. It has won awards right across the globe and is widely regarded as the world's finest porter.

Brewed to 5.4% ABV, London Porter bears outstanding depth of flavour. The blend of Brown, Crystal and Chocolate malts provide earthy character and creamy delivery, while hints of coffee and chocolate carry through onto the tongue. The range of flavours works well with a wide variety of foods, from rich meat dishes to chocolate puddings.

BEER WITH A SOCIALIST: Anchor Porter is delicious. Just don't expect a firm answer as to how it differs from Stout.

Last week I bought a six-pack of Anchor Porter in bottles -- for research purposes only, mind you.

It's been a while, and I regret this.

Anchor Porter is black and rich, firmly hopped (circa 40 IBUs) with plenty of malty underpinnings. I'm getting chocolate, espresso, toffee and a hint of licorice in my mouth, and I'm struck by a vestige of similarity with some Baltic-style Porters I've had in the past -- albeit at a gentler ABV.

Of course, your own experiences may vary. Try as we might to quantify flavors, we all taste life (and beer) slightly differently.

These days, Anchor Porter falls into a category of classification not unlike rock and roll bands of a certain generation. It's a heritage craft beer, or maybe a legacy craft beer. In the context of the American beer revival, any beer first brewed in 1972 -- when there were maybe 100 operational breweries in the United States -- might as well have originated in 1492. 

At Pints&union, it is my aim to showcase excellent beers like Anchor Porter, which now find themselves crowed off shelves and taps by the tsunami of 6,000+ breweries seeking an outlet.

I'm going to try keeping Anchor Porter on tap all of the time, because if you like Porter (or, for that matter, the closely related Stouts), then you're going to like this one. I suspect that supply might prove to be more of a challenge than depletion.

As for the differences between Porter and Stout, it's one of the hardest beer questions to answer. Bob Brewer writes:

I’m reminded of the time some years ago when I discussed this very same topic with the late Michael Jackson. The beer guy Michael Jackson, that is. We were well into a lengthy sampling of rare single malts when the conversation came around to the stout / porter issue. I asked for a simple clarification of the stylistic difference because I considered it to be one of the more confused and ill-defined. Michael’s reply was that it was actually the MOST confused and ill-defined. He furthermore stated that even the best-researched and well-intended writings on the subject were “as unambiguous as a horoscope.” I took the master at his word and we ordered another round.

Ron Pattison's definition is far more detailed. He debunks the myths and discusses the practice of parti-gyling ("getting every last bit of goodness from the malt").

“What’s the difference between a porter and a stout?”

Roasted barley. That’s the usual explanation of what separates porter and stout. Unfortunately that story is total bollocks. The true tale is more complicated, more confusing and much more fun.

Let’s go back to their childhood. Eighteenth-century London with its elegant squares, gin and the birth of industrial-scale brewing. Something that could only have happened in London. Pre-powered transport moving large quantities of beer overland was impractical and expensive. London was the only city in the world with the critical mass of beer drinkers to power an industrial brewing reactor.

The story of porter—the first style to span the world—is one of technology, innovation and taxation. And war ...

Does this make it any easier?

To me, Pints&union offers a chance to start over. We'll join together to drink Porters and Stouts, and then reach our own conclusions. The pub remains a couple of weeks away from opening, but until then, here's a pleasant, short video from Anchor about the brewery's Porter. 

It makes me thirsty. As Jackson always said, the search for the perfect pint should last a lifetime.