The porter style of beer is known to have originated in London, and today there are two classic London Porter that pay homage to that very fact.
Firstly, representing West London, we have Fuller’s London Porter. This is a multiple award winning beer, and is stated by the brewers to be ‘The World’s Finest’. It’s brewed with Pale, crystal, brown, and chocolate malts, along with Fuggle Hops, and is widely available throughout the UK, and well, the rest of the world too.
The contender to this well respected champions crown is brewed by West London’s Meantime. Only established in 1999, the Meantime brewery has gained great respect within the beer community over the past 10 years. Its London Porter is made with 6 different malts (Pale, pale crystal, Munich, brown, chocolate, and black) and Fuggle hops, and is regarded as one of the breweries best beers.
Anyway, the question is whether Fuller’s London Porter really is the best Porter originating from the capital or whether the Meantime boys have finally produced a world-beater. Meantime Vs Fuller’s, East Vs West, and Youth Vs Experience.
Appearance
Meantime: Dark chestnut brown in colour, with reddish tints. Thick creamy head, tan in colour. Carbonation is quite lively for a porter, with fine bubbles.
Fuller’s: Dark reddish brown, almost black in colour. The head is a shade darker than tan, and quite heavy. Medium carbonation.
Head-to-head: Fuller’s is noticeably darker in the body and head. The head of the Meantime is much creamier, and showed better retention.
Winner – Meantime
Aroma
Meantime: Dense roasted malts, milk chocolate, and caramel. There are dark fruits, definite grape, which gives it a wine-like aroma.
Fuller’s: Dark malts, liquorish, and honey. There is also an slightly astringent iron-like metallic aroma.
Head-to-head: The Meantime is more aromatic, with less sweetness on the nose, and doesn’t have the astringent metallic notes that the Fuller’s does.
Winner – Meantime
Taste
Meantime: A rich maltiness up front providing a subtle sweetness of caramel, and milk chocolate, followed by bitter roasted coffee flavours. There are noticeable fruity undertones, of grapes, and possibly a hint of cherry. The finish is bitter with a slight hoppiness but short lived.
Fuller’s: Quite bitter from the start, with espresso coffee, dark chocolate, and I also get a taste a bit like burnt toast. The aftertaste is woody and smoked, and dominated by roasted malts.
Head-to-head: The Meantime is sweeter up front, but lacks the warming bitterness of the Fuller’s possesses throughout. The flavours of the Fuller’s are bolder and heavier, which is an achievement, given the lower alcohol content.
Winner - Fuller’s
Feel
Meantime: Quite light considering it’s a porter, creamy, and slightly fizzy. The lightness gives it a watery feel at times, which seems to mute the flavours to a degree.
Fuller’s: Medium bodied, smooth, and a touch oily in the texture, which gives it a clingy quality. The carbonation is light.
Head-to-head: The Fuller’s has the heavier feel, and a smoother texture.
Winner - Fuller’s
Overall Impression
Meantime: An incredibly aromatic porter, with a bittersweet taste. It is clear to see why Meantime have become such a respected brewery in such a short space of time. Very drinkable given the alcohol content, and even though it is sold in a large 750ml bottle, sometimes, even that doesn't feel big enough.
Fuller’s: An understandable classic. The taste and the feel of this porter are world class, and the potency and fullness of the flavours at just 5.4% ABV are phenomenal. The ease in which it goes down is a worry, like most good beers are.
Head-to-head: The Meantime porter has the edge in looks and dominates with its aromatic quality but the flavours and feel are just not up to the stratospheric standards of the legendary Fuller’s London Porter.
Winner – Fuller’s
Overall Winner – Fuller’s London Porter
Both these porters are superb, and are a true tribute to the style and to London itself.
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