Child
Porter . . . a delightful brew. And a staple of English pub drinking since @ 1700 (It has since unfortunately, fallen out of favor there. But over on this side of the water we've picked up the taste for it.)
Rich, heavy and dark with the color of roasted "chocolate" malt; smooth on the tongue; a little less alcohol content than stout (Guinness), usually.
It's said that a century ago, this beer was a staple of the delivery men (porters) after whom it was named; if you didn't tip the guy a "porter", you might find some of your luggage damaged on arrival at the local hostelry!
Here are a couple of links to the lovely drink:
First pint and
Fill 'er up again!
And may I recommend Black Butte Porter from the Deschutes Brewery here in Oregon.
And now to tie this back into
The Hobbit:
I've no doubt that any well-stocked Hobbit cellar might have a cask of porter to serve guests. And Dwarves, I think would have loved the brew, including the lovely creamy foam they could suck from their mustaches.