A KEIGHLEY brewery is toasting the memory of a former employee awarded the Victoria Cross for his First World War heroics.

Private Arthur Poulter, who worked at Timothy Taylor's maltings before signing-up, received the top gallantry medal for rescuing wounded colleagues during a heavy bombardment.

Now – with Armistice Day on the horizon – the Knowle Spring firm has produced a special brew, Poulter's Porter, in tribute.

The rich, dark 4.8 per cent ABV tipple is being launched in Taylor's pubs and with stockists.

"When Arthur was asked how he found the strength to do what he did he credited it to the time he spent working at our maltings carrying sacks of barley," said a brewery spokesman.

"His photograph still adorns the brewery walls to this day.

"It's with great pride that we pay tribute to this hero with a porter as full of character as he was!"

Private Poulter carried ten injured comrades to safety – amid intense fire – during an enemy offensive at Erquinghem-Lys in April, 1918.

He was presented with the Victoria Cross at Buckingham Palace later that year.

His citation read: "On ten occasions Private Poulter carried badly wounded men on his back to a safe locality, through a particularly heavy artillery and machine-gun barrage.

"Again, after a withdrawal over the river had been ordered, Private Poulter returned in full view of the enemy, who were advancing, and carried back another man who had been left behind wounded.

"He bandaged-up over forty men under fire, and his conduct throughout the whole day was a magnificent example to all ranks. This very gallant soldier was seriously wounded when attempting another rescue in the face of the enemy."

The brewery's tribute to Private Poulter, who died in 1956, is part of its new Taylor Made range of beers.

Poulter's Porter is described as having hints of coffee, chocolate and liquorice.

For the past year, head brewer Andrew Leman and his four-strong team have been experimenting with and developing various malts, hop varieties and styles of beer in a new micro-brewery.

As a result, three small-batch, special-edition beers have been announced, of which Poulter's Porter is the first to be released in cask.

The 5.8 per cent ABV Cook Lane, named after the site of Taylor's first brewery in Keighley, will appear in cask next March.

And 1858, named after the year the company began brewing, will follow next summer. It is a 5.3 per cent ABV ale.

All three beers will be available in 330ml bottles from the middle of next month (Nov).

Mr Leman said: "We hope that drinkers will enjoy our new Taylor Made range as much as we have enjoyed developing it.

"We are proud to be a Society of Independent Brewers assured British craft brewer – this gives ale drinkers the confidence to trust the provenance and authenticity of our beers.

"This is particularly important as more and more craft breweries are bought and operated by large industrial brewers.

"At Taylor's we have always put the quality of our beer first."