Beer Review: Chocolate Thunder

CHOC BOMB: Renaissance Brewing's Chocolate Thunder porter delivers a chocolatey punch. PHOTO/MATT MARTIN 061114RB1

Branch out, they said, try something new, get adventurous, expand your beer horizons, I was told.

So I did. And I found myself supping on a brew not normally known to make its way past my pie-hole.

I'm talking about porter, and not your normal porter either, it's Renaissance Brewing's Chocolate Thunder porter.

Renaissance is a multiple award-winning brewery based in Marlborough, set up by two expat Californians known for their high-quality and imaginative brews.

Their chocolate porter was like pouring a block of liquid Ghanaian chocolate down your throat. Man, was it chocolatey. And that's good.

Often when tasting a beer brewed with chocolate, honey or feijoa it's difficult to pick up on the subtle flavours, but not this number - it's chocolate overload - followed off by a strong malty finish.

Porter is not quite beer and not quite stout, and being honest, I have drunk very little porter in my time, so I don't feel I'm qualified to give it a rating.

However, online reviews from those better educated than I are very positive.

My beer guru tells me this porter is a bit of a curiosity and not your normal run-of-the mill dark beer but it certainly is flavoursome and would surely excite lovers of traditional English porters or stouts.

And there's nothing wrong with trying new things. I look forward to the next one.