Or, perhaps I should call it a Tan & Black…?

A few weeks ago I was writing about Black and Tans, what they are, and how to pour them. As I was describing how the nitrogenated beer will float on top of the carbonated beer because Nitrogen is lighter, it occurred to me that you could flip this on its head with other beers. So, I tried it.

First though, I had to come up with my beer selections. I thought about the black and tan style and how it was originally described as a pub pale ale, bitter, or mild; and, since I wanted the ‘tan’ to be on top, it had to be the one nitrogenated. The obvious choice to me was Boddington’s Pub Ale which is so smooth and creamy I call it the “butter beer”.

Next, I thought about a good pairing for the ‘black’ beer. Instead of going with a standard stout, I thought I would try a good porter. Now, I have trouble finding decent porters, especially ones that aren’t so roasted or smoky that they taste like an ashtray. Browsing my local beverage store, the best thing I could come up with was Sierra Nevada’s porter, which isn’t bad. My first choice would have been Fuller’s London Porter, but they only sell that in a 16.9oz bottle.

With a careful pour, it worked like a charm! But how does it taste…? Not bad, but the combo wasn’t perfect. The Boddington made the Sierra Nevada calm down nicely and the porter portion was quite enjoyable. However, the ‘tan’ portion didn’t work as well together, maybe because I’m so used to the Boddington being so smooth and mild; the porter tried to make it something it shouldn’t be.

I’d love to hear from anyone who has tried other black and tan combinations. Post a comment or send me email (or use our contact form) and I will blog about it.