WooHa Brewing Company - WooHa Porter

WooHa's Porter pours a very dark brown with a cap of beige foam. As with many darker beers, we'd recommend letting this brew warm for a few minutes out of the fridge before drinking, in order for the flavors to all emerge properly. In the aroma, we picked up plenty of roasted malt notes including bitter chocolate, coffee grounds, and scorched caramel, along with an undertone of raisin skin. Those big roasty notes come through on the palate, too, with lots of roasted coffee character and a touch of smoke from the use of German rauch malt (which is smoked, usually with beechwood), adding a bit of a Bamberg-esque twist. Look for a mild, complementing bitterness and perhaps a touch of spice thanks to a mild use of British Phoenix hops. Quite dry from start to finish, relatively low in ABV, and without a dense body, this porter makes a great sessionable quaff all on its own, or in the company of food. For pairing options, grilled and smoked meats are easily our favorite complementary options, although sweet and chocolaty desserts can work as well, with the darker notes in the beer matching the chocolate in the dessert while the beer's roasted bitterness can contrast with the dessert's sweetness. Cheers!

When we think of the British brewing industry, often the first things to come to mind are famous English brands and styles. But Scotland boasts a rich brewing tradition too, though it is perhaps overshadowed in the minds of many consumers by the country's world-renowned distilled spirits. Fortunately, the natural features that make Scotland an excellent producer of whisky, such as pure water and superb grain, also lend themselves to the production of exceptional beer. Indeed, the brewing and distilling processes are very similar at certain stages.

Founded in 2014, with the first drops of beer flowing in spring of 2015, WooHa Brewing Company is a relatively new Scottish brewing venture located along the coast of the Scottish Highlands. The brainchild of Heather McDonald, WooHa was an all-female brewery in its earliest days. Born in Alaska, McDonald grew up living in a variety of places around the world due to her parents' work for the US government. After studying microbiology and virology, her early adulthood found her employed by the Navy Medical Research Center where she worked on a vaccine for dengue hemorrhagic fever. Not content to rest on her laurels, she decided to expand her opportunities by studying international business, ultimately achieving a masters degree in finance & investment management from Scotland's University of Aberdeen. It was there, in Scotland, that she became inspired to take her interest in brewing and turn it into a full-fledged business. What better way to merge her interest in science, and microbiology specifically, with her business acumen?

Since hitting the market in 2015, WooHa has seen impressive growth, with exports now reaching Denmark, Belgium, Spain, and a few locations in the U.S. WooHa's overarching theme is the production of truly natural beer – a reflection of the natural environment of the rugged Scottish Highlands that the brewery calls home. All WooHa beers are bottle-conditioned (re-fermented in the bottle to produce carbonation, as opposed to forced carbonation), unfiltered, and free of any clarifying chemicals or additives like isinglass. As such, they are vegan-friendly. We're excited to have the opportunity to introduce this upstart Scottish brewery to a wider American audience and hope you enjoy their beers as much as we did. Cheers!