Much like yesterday's beer (Viking Bitter) I have a love hate relationship with Archbishop's Ale. There seems to be a high level of cask variability which doesn't naturally lend itself to a world class beer. When it's on form it is a top notch porter with strong coffee malt flavors tempered with a hint of caramel that manages to enhance without over sweetening. A bad batch is a completely different beast, with a thin watery aftertaste and a total lack of the warm coffee taste. On the night of review it was first class. A respectable porter that is less filling than many others and at 4.1% a decent dark session beer, ideal for a cold winter's day. To maintain fairness, I will give split scores. On a bad day it generously receives a 5/10, but on a day like today, a firm 8/10. All in all, I'll give it a 7/10 with the sentiment that, if the brewery can add just a bit of consistency, they are onto a winner.
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