Arcadia Ales London-Style Porter

Brewed by Battle Creek, Michigan's Arcadia Brewing Company, Arcadia Ales London-Style Porter is a pretty, dark beer. It appears black, but has a brownish, ruby hue. Atop that sits a transient cream head.  The L-SP contains a welcome 7% alcohol and comes in a 341mL bottle that might try too hard to show English character, festooned as it is with a Union Jack with "Churchill's" written on it, a Winston-esque silhouette in a top hat smoking a stogie, and Big Ben off in the distance.

There is a rich, malty aroma that has a notably smoky streak. The flavour proceeds in that vein, with a campfire accent buttressing a malty flavour that has raisin, cocoa and molasses notes.

The smoky leanings give this beer something to set it apart from the myriad other porters and stouts that have been flowing through Ontario's liquor stores this year. It's reasonably flavourful and decently boozy. In short, a fine brew, but not earth-shaking.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10.