 ClarkVV (3547), Allston, Massachusetts, USA
Feb 25, 2004 Updated: Jul 23, 2006
2004 bottle consumed July 2004. Wow. (didnt even realize there was a minimum you had to write). So allow me to elaborate on wow. Aroma is powerful, thick, pervasive, but not all smoke. There is some rich malty goodness, almost a winey smell and some sweet nutty aroma. Beautiful deep deep dark cherry red, burnt white head, but quite clear. Flavor is smoke, tobacco, rich malted barley, bocky, winey sweetness. Towards the finish I even got some hops out of it. It’s just so incredible that you can pick out the bock flavors (just like you can pick out the marzen qualities in the marzen version). Superb and even better with some rich, sharp cheese. Stone porter be damned, this aint subtle, but the flavor is unmatched.
2004 or 2005 bottles not sure. Having had this a good deal more, I can honestly say I’m pulled more towards the more balanced marzen. Granted these beers arent really about balance in the strict sense of the word, but a well-aged marzen really seems to have a bit better beer characteristic. Still this is fantastic stuff.
ruggedman (429), Portland, Maine, USA
Oct 5, 2008 On tap at novare res in portland. Holy smokey! This stuff is very good, and would have been better had I enjoyed it in the fall rather than the summer on a hot day :)
Peaty and smokey flavors with nice dry finish.
michael-pollack (1463), King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, USA
Oct 5, 2008 500ml Bottle: Aroma of smoke, smoked meats, beechwood, and wood. Poured brown with a lot of ruby in color and a tiny beige head that disappeared immediately. Clear. Not sparkling. Some small particles. Flavor is lightly bitter and heavily smokey. Tastes of smoke, beechwood, and wood. It is liquid smoked beechwood. Medium body. Chalky texture. Average carbonation. Very smoked, dry finish.
Beerlando (1341), Orlando, Florida, USA
Oct 1, 2008 Pours a dark but translucent crimson-violet color. A dense, frothy, khaki colored head settles slowly to a wispy film, splotchy rings of lace circling the glass. The aroma is just as I suspected it would be, massively smoky, with deeply roasted caramel, bittersweet chocolate, and a strong hint of salty, smoked pork butt. It smells very elemental and earthy, basic yet formidable in its assertiveness. Flavors continue down the smoke trail, big, scorched caramel and chocolate malts showing along with more salty park notes and hints of earthy, peppery hops. The body is substantial and creamy, with balanced carbonation. As smoked beers go, this one it top notch. Great beer.
DrDavid (325), Johnson, Vermont, USA
Sep 28, 2008 (Bottle). Smoked meat aroma, and some maltiness. Root beer color with almost no head. Flavor a mixture of smokiness and malt. Complex and intense, but not as pleasurable as the Maerzen.
juiceisloose (336), Orlando, Florida, USA
Sep 20, 2008 Pours a dark amberish brown color with a medium, foamy cream colored head. That head slowly settles to a thin film. The aroma is of campfire smoke, smoked bacon and sausage, and some burnt carame; malts. Pretty smokey smell, but it is not too overpowering. The flavor follows with the smoked malts and smoked meat taste, but there is a good amount of caramel malt sweetness that seems to mellow out the smoke. Medium bodied and smooth with just the right amount of carbonation. This one is easy drinking for a smoked with a nice little sweet flavor to smooth things out. Really nice smoked brew.
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