Some beers behave exactly as expected, and then there are beers like Pica Porter, which seem to delight in unsettling those expectations from the very first glance.
Discovered in a local micropub and already causing a quiet stir at the bar, this is a porter that refuses to conform. Labelled as dark, yet pouring brown. Promising weight, yet delivering something lighter. Carrying the stylistic name of porter, but laced with an unexpectedly assertive hop character.
It is, in every sense, a contradiction worth exploring.
First Encounter: A Porter That Doesn’t Quite Look the Part
Visually, Pica Porter challenges the drinker immediately. Rather than the deep, opaque blackness one might expect, it presents as a chestnut brown, clearer, lighter, and subtly at odds with porter tradition.
The body follows suit. It is thinner than many modern porters, lacking the heavy viscosity often associated with the style. Yet this is not a weakness; it feels intentional, part of a broader rethinking of what a porter can be.
A tight white head sits neatly atop the glass, adding to the sense that this beer is playing with contrast, dark in name, but lighter in execution.
The Aroma: Ozone, Sea Air, and Something Unusual
The first impression on the nose is striking.
An ozone-like sharpness rises immediately, clean, almost electric, followed by a saline freshness that evokes sea air and seaweed. It is an unusual aromatic profile for any ale, let alone a porter, and it momentarily disorients the palate before the first sip.
This is not roasted malt leading the way. This is the atmosphere.
The Palate: Fruit, Liquorice, and Chocolate Depth
Once the initial aromatic shock settles, the flavour begins to unfold in layers.
A fruity hop character emerges first, bringing notes of plum and raisin, dark, rounded, and slightly sweet. This is followed by a distinct thread of liquorice, adding depth and a faint bitterness that anchors the fruit.
And then, finally, comes the expected: chocolate malt. Rich, comforting, and familiar, it closes the experience with a sense of resolution. Not dominant, but present enough to remind you that, yes, this is still a porter, just one that has taken a more adventurous route to get there.
A Beer of Contradictions: Challenging the Style
The idea of a 'chestnut porter' may jar at first. It runs counter to stylistic expectation, asking the drinker to recalibrate what they think they know about dark ales.
But once that mental shift is made, Pica Porter reveals itself as something far more interesting than a traditional example. It becomes a beer of progression, each sip offering something slightly different as it moves from aroma to fruit, from spice to malt.
At 5.0% ABV, it sits comfortably within the expected strength for the style, but its drinkability is shaped more by its structure than its alcohol content.
The Brewery: Nottingham Roots and British Craft
Behind the beer is Magpie Brewery, a Nottingham-based microbrewery founded in 2006 by Bob Douglas, Ken Morrison, and Nick Sewter.
Located just off Iremonger Road, within yards of Notts County F.C., the Magpies, the brewery’s identity is deeply tied to place, both geographically and symbolically.
Following the passing of Nick Sewter in 2010, the brewery continued under the guidance of his son Gavin, maintaining both continuity and craft.
Their brewing philosophy is grounded in British tradition: all malt and hops are sourced domestically, and their range spans everything from hop-forward blondes to copper ales and robust dark styles.
From Midnight to Pica: A Rebranding with Meaning
Previously known as Midnight Porter, the beer was reintroduced under the name Pica Porter following the brewery’s rebranding.
'Pica pica' is the Latin name for the Eurasian magpie, a bird long associated with folklore, symbolism, and a certain mischievous intelligence. It is a fitting emblem for a brewery that produces beers with a playful, sometimes unpredictable edge.
The Magpie Rhyme: Folklore in the Background
The magpie carries with it a long tradition of superstition, most famously expressed through rhyme. Among the oldest versions:
One for sorrow,
Two for mirth
Three for a wedding,
Four for death (or birth)
Five for silver,
Six for gold,
Seven for a secret,
Not to be told
Eight for heaven,
Nine for hell
And ten for the devil’s own sell!
But the brewers themselves favour a softer, more whimsical variation:
One for sorrow, Two for joy;
Three for a girl, Four for a boy;
Five for silver, Six for gold;
Seven for a secret, Never to be told;
Eight for a wish, Nine for a kiss;
Ten for a bird that's best to miss.
It is a reminder that beer, like folklore, is often about storytelling, about layering meaning onto experience.
Final Thoughts
Pica Porter is not a conventional beer, and it does not try to be.
It is lighter than expected, more aromatic than anticipated, and more complex than its appearance suggests. From ozone and sea air on the nose to fruit, liquorice, and chocolate on the palate, it unfolds as a sequence of surprises.
From Magpie Brewery, it stands as a testament to the idea that tradition can be reinterpreted without being abandoned.
Like the magpie itself, it is curious, a little contrary, and entirely memorable.
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