Smoke (Smoked Porter)
I had this one for a couple months and decided to bust it out 6-20-06 at a BJCP training class. I was enjoyed by some of the greatest palates in the Houston area. Appearance: Pretty clean deep dark red color that is almost opaque until you hold a shallow amount up to light. It is pretty clear. The head was dense and tan and fell to a thin ring around the top of the beer within a minute. Aroma: The aroma is led by rich malt with a very noticeable smoke that is almost bacon-like. There are some defined bready notes to go along with coffee from the roast malts. Everything is noticeable, but it remains in check. Taste: The flavor is really dry with an overall neutral balance. The smoke is a really big player, but it is not nearly as large in the flavor as the aroma suggested it would be. There is some sweetness from caramel with a little bit of roast to go with it. The finish is really dry with no noticeable alcohol. Opinion: This is a pretty well crafted beer. The overall impression I get is that it is a little thin and could do with a bit more mouthfeel. This lends to its favor in that it is really refreshing and easy to drink. There are some really fruity notes to this beer, and you should know this going in. The balance is malt driven, but with everything else going on...it turns out to be a nice beer and one that I would drink again.