Tragic Empress

Imperial Austrian Porter 10%
Bottle conditioned, in 275 ml bottles. Limited edition of 30 numbered bottles.

Brewed on: 29.12.2012 Bottled: 20.4.2013

Design

The inspiration for this rather weird 'Imperial Austrian Porter' comes from an extended visit to Cromer by Empress Elisabeth of Austria in 1887. Born to a very high ranking Bavarian family, she was known to her friends and family as 'Sisy'. She was married to Franz Joseph and became Queen of Hungary and when he acquired the title of Emperor of Austria and Hungary she became the Empress Elisabeth of Austria. At least, this is what she was known as when she came to Cromer but her full list is titles was:
Elisabeth of Wittelsbach, Duchess in Bavaria, Empress of Austria, Queen of Hungary and Bohemia, Dalmatia, Croatia, Slavonia, Galicia, Lodomeria and Illyria ; Queen of Jerusalem ; Archduchess of Austria ; Grand-duchess of Tuscany and Cracovia; Duchess of Lorraine, Salzbourg, Würzburg, Franconia, Styria, Carinthia, Carniola and Bukovine ; Grand princess of Transylvania ; Margravin of Moravia ; Duchess of Upper and Lower Silesia, of Modena, Parma, Piacenza and Guastalla, of Auschwitz and Zator, Teschen, Friul, Ragusa and Zara ; Countess-princess of Habsbourg and Tyrol, Kybourg, Gorizia and Gradisca ; Princess of Trenta and Brixen, Berchtesgaden and Mergentheim ; Margravin of Upper and Lower Lusatia, Margravin in Istria ; Countess of Hohenems, Feldkirch, Bregenz, and Sonneberg ; Dame of Trieste, Kotor and Windischgraetz ; Grand voïvoda of Voïvodia of Serbia)

She was a non-conformist and didn't take well to court life; prefering instead to absent herself to go riding and hunting and to travel widely. She lived life on her own terms, which did not endear her to her in-laws. She was revered as the most beautiful woman in Europe and took great pains about her figure and posture and indulged in numerous diets, remedies and procedures to maintain her skin tone, her beautiful hair, figure and so on. Being immensely rich she could well afford to indulge herself but on the whole she led an ascetic life.

In Cromer she was extremely kind and generous. She was however deeply concerned for her safety and perhaps came to Cromer seeking some solitude in a quite, although classy, backwater. Whilst her privacy was respected it was of course well known that she was staying here. She had brought her horses and even her cows and every morning a cow would be brought onto the Promenade beneath he window in the Lower Tuckers Hotel where it was milked and the uncontaminated milk taken directly up to her suite, lest it be poisoned. She spend many long hours on the beach, reading and staring out to sea.

Her caution for her life was indeed very necessary for there were many anarchists in Europe who would plot against the establishment and she represented a very soft target indeed. One day, in 10 September 1898 her fate caught up with her and when about to board a steamer on Lake Geneva, she was attacked and stabbed through the heart with a sharpened needle file by an anarchist, 25 year old Luigi Lucheni. It is well-worth reading about his fascinating woman:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empress_Elisabeth_of_Austria

So this beer is strong, powerful and non-conformist; a bitter-sweet and rather ascetic beer in a style that I have invented and will call 'Imperial Austrian Porter' in her honour. The label shows here on her wedding day when she was merely the Queen of Hungary. Inset is an item of her jewellery, a beautiful brooch in gold, diamonds and pearls which she gave in typical fashion as a thank you to John Fox, the Cromer postmaster in Jetty Street. It was discovered in a Post Office safe and given to Cromer Museum a century later (CRRMU : 1984.32).

Tasting notes

Well-behaved, with low carbonation. It has an intense bitterness (measured at 102 IBU) balanced by sweet malt; clean tasting, intense, complex and interesting: flavours of molasses, oak and walnut, maple syrup, and overtones of pecan, proper wood liquorice, black coffee. Alcoholic at 10%.

Opened bottle of Tragic Empress Imperial Austrian Porter

Availability

Only available directly from Poppyland Brewery. Just thirty 275 ml bottles only are on sale at £6 each.

This beer is produced without the use of any finings, filtering or pasteurisation, so all the flavours of the ingredients are preserved for your enjoyment.

Martin Warren, The Poppyland Brewer
21.6.2013