Original Flag Porter

[steveh]

Darwin Brewery, Durham, England (of note, B.A. lists Flag as brewed by Elgood and Sons, Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, Engl., but the Elgood site doesn't list the Flag - anyone with more insite?). 11.2 oz. bottle, 5.0% ABV.

"Brewed with 1825 yeast salvaged from a sunken vessel in the English Channel using an original 19th century recipe."

Pours a dark ruby-red with a creamy, chocolate malt colored head that lingers then settles to a foamy collar.

Chocolate nose with mellow roasted coffee beans back. Mild butterscotch diacetyl present toward the end of the glass.

Roasted malt flavor with some underlying green apple fruit esters. Mellow chocolate back with a smooth roast finish.

Medium body with a smooth, nearly creamy, mouth-feel.

A very nice mouthful of beer. Rich and complex, very distinctive and hardy. Compared to SN Porter, much smoother and less roasty in flavor character - that is not to say one should be considered better than the other - that depends on your tastes.

I received six bottles of the Flag in my Beer of the Month club selection some time back, only one remains. I wish I'd paid more attention to the first 4 as I enjoyed this one a great deal. Maybe it's back to that change in the weather that influences our taste perceptions and preferences.

S.

[Seymour]

Sean Thornton: "I'll have one of those black beers."
Publican: "Ah, yes. The porter. Yes, sir."

Thanks, Steveh! Next time I'm in Austin, I'll have to look for that beer.

[davesarman]

I had this beer several years ago and remember being struck out how flavorful it was. I was still cutting my teeth, beer experience wise and it made a big impact on me. One of those beer memories that sticks with you over time.

[chazwicke]

I sampled the Flag when it was first released and several times after. I believe that it was also featured in a tasting at the Brickskeller with a company rep there to tell the story of the salvage. Anyway, I always liked flag and did find it to be a bit milder than many other porters in terms of roastiness. It has been a long time since I last tried it and I think I will try some again soon. I find it interesting that your beer of the month club would be featuring it now. It has been around for a long time.

[steveh]

Originally posted by chazwicke
I find it interesting that your beer of the month club would be featuring it now. It has been around for a long time.

I was transferred to a little different club when my old one switched over to bomber-bottles only. I'm still test-driving this club, and I'd say they're batting about .350 to .400, I'll give 'em a little longer to see how they hold up and may decide to tough out 22 ounces over 12 for each capping.

And you're right Chaz, the roastiness of the Flag is very smooth and mellow.

S.

[steveh]

Originally posted by Seymour
Sean Thornton: "I'll have one of those black beers."
Publican: "Ah, yes. The porter. Yes, sir."

I never did understand that, it was supposed to take place when? Late 30s? Stout had pretty much overshadowed Porter by then, Porter largely vanishing as a style between the World Wars (Jackson footnote). And Guinness was well on its way to building the empire it rules now (Murphy's and Beamish not withstanding of course).

I guess maybe John Ford just had a soft-spot for the old style? Or maybe he had only visited Belfast, where Porter lived a little longer before disappearing and being resurrected. And I guess you can argue that it was a stout porter The Wild Colonial Boy was fond of!

S.

[Bruno_78]

What are you all referencing? A book? A movie?

[steveh]

Originally posted by Bruno_78
What are you all referencing? A book? A movie?

I believe it was a short story, then a movie.

S.

[MeridianFC]

Originally posted by steveh
I never did understand that, it was supposed to take place when? Late 30s? Stout had pretty much overshadowed Porter by then, Porter largely vanishing as a style between the World Wars (Jackson footnote). And Guinness was well on its way to building the empire it rules now (Murphy's and Beamish not withstanding of course).

I guess maybe John Ford just had a soft-spot for the old style? Or maybe he had only visited Belfast, where Porter lived a little longer before disappearing and being resurrected. And I guess you can argue that it was a stout porter The Wild Colonial Boy was fond of!

S.

I can not tell you how many times I've seen the "Quiet Man". For those of a mind it's avialable very cheap from almost every mega retailer. I got it on dvd for $8.99!

Anyhow, Guinness, which the beverage in question almost certainly is (the movie was shot in Cong, Co. Mayo so any chance of it being a Cork brewed stout is very remote) was often referred to as Porter (from Guinness Extra Stout Porter) until the 60s or 70s, so at the time the movie was made that would've been the correct paralance for a pint of plain. I believe in Michael Jackson's "New World Guide to Beer" there a picture from Belfast in the 70s about the time the "official" name change took place where he comments on this.

Nowadays Guinness Extra Stout refers to the stronger bottled version (unfortunately for us Yanks no longer made in Eire, but Canada).


"Well, it's a nice soft night so I think I'll go and join me comrades and talk a little treason."
-Michaleen Flynn (Barry Fitzgerald)

[steveh]

Originally posted by MeridianFC
I can not tell you how many times I've seen the "Quiet Man".

Spoilsport! I was enjoying being obstinate with Bruno! ;)

...was often referred to as Porter (from Guinness Extra Stout Porter) until the 60s or 70s,

That would explain it.

I believe in Michael Jackson's "New World Guide to Beer" there a picture from Belfast in the 70s about the time the "official" name change took place where he comments on this.

Well, he wrote that it continued to be brewed in Ireland until '73, though toward the end it was assembled as a blend in the pubs - in the same manner as Porter originated (in his opinion and research, I beleive - as I've heard others with different theories).

There is a Belfast picture, but no mention of dates or name changes - just the fizzling of popularity.

Nowadays Guinness Extra Stout refers to the stronger bottled version (unfortunately for us Yanks no longer made in Eire, but Canada).

But still a pretty good brew.

S.

[Bruno_78]

Originally posted by steveh
Spoilsport! I was enjoying being obstinate with Bruno! ;)


Don't worry steve, I still don't know what that is. Never heard of it. Worth checking out, I suppose.

[steveh]

Originally posted by Bruno_78
Don't worry steve, I still don't know what that is. Never heard of it. Worth checking out, I suppose.

Next, you'll tell us you've never heard of John Wayne.

S.

[Bruno_78]

Originally posted by steveh
Next, you'll tell us you've never heard of John Wayne.

S.

On the contrary. The Green Berets is one of my favorite war movies.

Is Quiet Man a john wayne movie?

[steveh]

Originally posted by Bruno_78
On the contrary. The Green Berets is one of my favorite war movies.

Greeaat, a story about a South East Asian war, filmed in Georgia, U.S.A. :rolleyes:

Is Quiet Man a john wayne movie?

Even better, it's a John Ford movie starring John Wayne - and filmed on location in Ireland!

S.

[Seymour]

Yeah, it's not just A John Wayne movie, it's one of THE John Wayne movies. An essential in your collection. And when "Pappy" and the Duke got together on a movie...pure genius. Every beer drinker should have a copy of The Quiet Man.

By the way, John Ford's name was really something like Sean O'Laughlin or something like that, so he really had a soft spot for home, apparently. The movie was based on a short story, which may have preceded the Second Great War. At any rate, the movie came out about 1949. The same year as The Sands of Iwo Jima, a much better Wayne war film than The Green Berets, IMO.

That Maureen O'Hara. "Oh, that red hair's no lie." Grr...

What was this original thread about?:D

[steveh]

Originally posted by Seymour
What was this original thread about?:D

Why, the Porter - of course!

S.

BTW - the movie was released in '52

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0045061/

[Seymour]

Oops, you're right; but that's "about" 1949, isn't it? Actually, Wayne and O'Hara filmed their first movie together in 1949 (released in 1950). Maybe that's the movie date I was remembering.

[steveh]

Originally posted by Seymour
Oops, you're right; but that's "about" 1949, isn't it?

Not a correction, just confirmation - I think Bruno has a phobia about movies released longer than 25 years before he was born! ;)

S.

[Bruno_78]

Originally posted by steveh
I think Bruno has a phobia about movies released longer than 25 years before he was born!


Well, I can make exceptions though.