Alaskan Smoked Porter

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

2007 22 once bottle. Pours jet black, with a tan head. Nice smokey aroma. Taste of roasted malt, with a strong smokey presence. A little bitter chocolate note in the background. Not all that complex for a porter, mostly roasted malt and smoke. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. I’ll want to try the 2008 version.

2008. 22oz bottle poured a dark brown with a ruby hue. 1 inch mocha colored head with some decent lacing. Aromas of smoke and smoked meats, burnt coffee and malts. Very nice palate smooth and delicate yet packs a nice bite. The smoke is just right, Its not overwhelming at all.

2008 bottle. Pours a dark brown with garnet highlights and an average, creamy, dark beige head which settles to a small, frothy layer and leaves sporadic, tight lace. Nose is sufficiently smoky with smoked wood and ash, bitter chocolate, and earthy coffee bean notes. The smoked alder really comes through in the flavor and is more likable than I would have thought; other notes include scorched wood, bitter chocolate, lightly roasted earthy coffee, and faint notes of molasses. Palate is medium, nearly lively, and creamy with some dryness from the smoked wood notes. Finishes more dry and mostly bitter with smoked wood, bitter chocolate, and light acidity of the coffee. I liked it more than I thought I would after smelling how smoked the beer was from the nose. The flavors actually melded pretty well together and the smoked notes were dominant but still balanced by the other porterish notes. Surprisingly good, and from AK Brewing.

Nutty smoky nose with chocolate notes. Deep dark black/brown with with a soapy tan head. Bittersweet chocolate syrup, balanced effortlessly by an understated smoky bitterness. Full body, lively carbonation, long chocolaty finish with constant, yet subtle smokiness. Extremely sophisticated beer, not overpowering with its smokiness, was hearty, but elegant.

22oz. ’06. I drink this salmon smoothy every year and i am finally getting to rating it. pours dark with creamy tan head. aroma is smoke and some roasted malt, coffee. mouthful is just pure yummy smoked goodness. i look forward to this every year.

’07Dark brown/Black, creamy, sweet, caramel, coffee, roasted malts, little chocolate, light hop finish.

[08 Bottle] Pours a very dark brown, near black, with a small tan frothy head. Earthy chocolate aroma, some coffee beans, and light smokiness. First taste is of coffee malt, off-dry, some creamy chocolate, metallic bitterness, light roasty smokiness. Medium/light body, a bit vague with larger soda carbonation.

Smelled like smoke, followed by a bag of beef jerky. Poured a fizzy midnight brown with a decent, yet subsiding head. Tastes of smoke, wood and hops. Overall, a really balanced example of a smoked beer. Vintage 2006 Reviewed in Sept 2009 Appearance: Pours a very dark brown with an oily layer of swirls at the top. Aroma: Smoked wood and smoked meat, beef jerkey, and rubber tires. Taste: Strong wood notes to start off, liquid smoke, ham. After getting through the smokey woods so to speak, I find roasted malts with a spicy hop finish. Mouthfeel: Thick and fizzy. Overall: I thought the smoke would be subdued after time has passed. This seems far more smokey than the 2007 and 2008 batch when it was fresh. I do remember 2006 being a real smokey beer, and I am glad it stayed that way.