Flack's (a.k.a. Flack Manor) Black Jack Porter

Tasting Summary

These comments are the opinion of the individual reviewer and represent what they thought of the beer on a particular day in a particular pub. If a review is less favourable, it may be because the beer suffered somewhere in the supply chain between them and the brewery.

The Queen Hotel, Aldershot, Hampshire

Who	Score	When	Notes
Hogan Sampling		14 Feb 2026	Good head and lacing presented and sticking to the glass the whole way on this dark ruby-coloured porter from Flack Manor Brewery, an award-winning independent real ale brewery located in Romsey, Hampshire, and established in 2010. A dry toasted malty first hit. A hoppy bitterness rising from the classic English combination of Goldings and Fuggles hops. A dark fruited malty note winning over. A moreish bitterness sliding downwards with a hazelnut or two tantalising my taste buds. Very quaffable indeed this proved for me with its malty notes contrasted with a pleasing hop presence. Its good condition added to this pleasure of visiting one of Aldershot’s most historic ale houses, The Queen Hotel. Perhaps this porter was made all the more enjoyable for Flack's notable use of the rare Double Drop fermentation method, which means there are two stages to the fermenting that relies on gravity rather than modern mechanical pumping. In this process, the beer goes through its first tank being boiled and with the wort (the sugary liquid extracted from the mashing process that serves as the unfermented beer) being pitched with yeast to consume the wort to produce alcohol. It is then literally dropped through a valve into a second vessel located directly below to ferment over the next several days.

The Sennockian, Sevenoaks, Kent

Who	Score	When	Notes
Hogan Sampling		10 Jan 2026	This dark ruby-coloured porter from a brewery in Romsey, Hampshire, and north-west of Southampton, and known for using the traditional double-drop fermentation method, certainly did not disappoint! My fellow real enthusiast also went for this having been lusting after such a dark real ale in the micropub we had just come from. Head and lacing to die for and clinging onto the sides of the glass the whole way down. A bitter and dark fruited first bite. A malty fruitiness rising aided by its English Goldings and Fuggles hops. A lingering bitterness prevailing before its final downwards journey accompanied by a hint of hazelnut. It very ably washed my curry down.

Royal Victoria Pavilion, Ramsgate, Kent

Who	Score	When	Notes
Dosser		04 Jan 2026	Smooth, watery, kept lacing. Boring.

Ye Olde Mitre, Holborn, Central London

The Richmal Crompton, Bromley, Greater London

Who	Score	When	Notes
Stephen Harris		01 Mar 2020	A sweetish, tepid Porter.

The New Cross Turnpike, Welling, Greater London

The Edmund Halley, Lee Green, Greater London

The Watch House, Lewisham, Greater London

The Society Rooms, Maidstone, Kent

Who	Score	When	Notes
Tobes		08 Mar 2014

The Wittering (formerly The Old House at Home), West Wittering, West Sussex

Who	Score	When	Notes
thebrewingman		12 Apr 2013
thebrewingman		21 Feb 2012	Superb porter. Very drinkable.

Black Boy, Winchester, Hampshire

Who	Score	When	Notes
ChrisE		08 Jan 2011	A new beer for me, a superb dark and delicious porter.