Alaskan Smoked Porter

Brewed by Alaskan Brewing Co
Style: Smoked
Juneau, Alaska USA

Pours an opaque dark reddish brown. Very dark brown head that dissipates quickly. The aroma is a little smokey and chocolatey, also plums and burnt sugar, a bit gamey. Smooth and thick bodied for a porter. The taste is creamy and smooth with the alcohol not at all noticeable at 6.5. Sweet and almost tart at first sip. Good bitternress, the smoke isn’t as pronounced as I thought it would be. Thats probably a good thing. There are notes of dark chocolate, coffee, alder wood and dark fruit with a bitter, woody aftertaste. The bitterness and woody flavor dominate this one with good carbonation adding a spicy quality.

Thin brown head of fine dense bubbles. Nice smoky aroma with some rich malts, teriyaki sauce and some spicy beef jerky. Color is a very dark brownish black. Surprisingly dry for a porter. Lots of dark roasted grains, more smoke, light malts and some bitterness. Quite zippy in the mouth. Body is a little bit thinner than expected. Quite tasty and flavorful though. Finishes roasty and smoky but not overly smoky. Just the right amount. A damn fine porter.

08 bottle courtesy the Cheeseman. Pours blackish red with a beautiful cascading tan head. Aroma is smoked salmon, smoked malt and slight caramel aroma, very complex and interesting. Taste is smooth malt with hints of smoked salmon and smoked malt with a touch of caramel. Finishes dry and clean. A stunningly good smoked beer.

22oz Bottle... Poured dark brown, almost black with a frothy, light brown head. Smoked grains and chocolate and a meaty character. Well carbonated and a little dryness to it. Smoked flavors were dominant allowing it to be pretty robust and charcoal/BBQ notes. Finished a little sweeter with maybe vanilla

The smell is of hot dogs fresh off the grill! Very interesting... as with all smoked beer, I drink this wondering - is beer supposed to taste like meat? The beer leaves you with a mild bitterness in your mouth. One of the best smoked beers, maybe so. Just not my cup of tea!

2007 vintage 22 oz bomber. Poured a dark brown color with a two finger, tan head that lingered for quite a while. The aroma was smoky, with notes of chocolate and meat present. The flavor was burned malt, bitter chocolate, caramel and heavy smoke. The body was medium/full. This was a bit aggressive for my taste, but, overall, this is an excellent beer.

Poured from a 22oz bomber (2007 vintage) and served in an English pint glass. The beer poured a dark brown, almost black, with a one-finger thick head of creamy tan foam that settled into a lasting ring. The aroma included a note of mellow campfire smoke woven in milk chocolate. Simple and straightforward, but still smells great. The flavor consisted of ashy, charred wood, bittersweet chocolate, a hint of dark fruit, and a touch of caramel. The smoke was heavy and aggressive at first sip, but this sensation subsides, allowing the smoke to meld with the other flavors as the beer warmed. The mouthfeel was medium-bodied and chalky. Lightly carbonated. The smoke is not subtle, yet it doesn’t overwhelm the entire beer. Very well done!

bottle: 2008 Very smokey wood smell that over powers the malt. First taste was intensely smoked malt with bitter chocolate and coffe. My first impression was "this tastes like a fire place", but the more I sip the more enjoyable... yes quite enjoyable. Ends with a bit of bitterness and a slight smoke flavor. I thought the smoke flavor was too much at first, but found it much more pleasant as I drank.