Raw Anubis Porter

I’m always interested to try for the first time a beer from a new brewery that’s been the subject of one of my New Imbiber newsline articles.

 I first reported on David Hemstock’s Raw Brewing Company, of Staveley, Derbyshire, in Issue 38, Aug/Sept 2010. But I had to wait until 4th June for my first two Raw offerings: Edge (4.5%) and Anubis Porter (5.2%), both at the Cask Pub & Kitchen, Pimlico, London. The porter had an appealing appearance, black but red hued when held to the light with a thin film of tan bubbles for the head. Aroma was of coffee-cream, cradled by caramel. Mild roast malt and coffee flavours on the first taste were carried by a smooth, silky mouthfeel. A subtle rather than robust beer for its strength, its sweetness gave way to a drier, hoppy aftertaste. It wasn’t the best conditioned beer on the bar that day but still a pleasing enough porter that was worth a full pint after the initial half. Anubis, the ancient Egyptian, jackal-headed god of the dead, is depicted in line drawings in the lower half of the pump clip.