Alaskan Smoked Porter

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

Gentle but assertive smokiness, like a fire burning in the woods. Allows the malt to come through as well, chocolate and roasty. Has a light fruitiness. Smoke fades into bittersweet, not acrid, roasted not burnt, toffee, coffee, cherry, plums, and then returns to linger on your taste buds. Vinous quality peeks into the nose. Flavor a bit like old ale. Slick, yet dry.

Alaskan Brewing 2009 Smoked Porter 22oz. Pours dark brown to black with a smallish creamy tan head. Aroma of standard porter beer with some liquid smoke added. Reminded us of a bacon cocktail, the new drink invented by “mixologists.” Aroma was not totally displeasing. Flavor was another matter. Tasted of burnt mesquite. Overpowering as if the beer had somehow survived a house fire and we decided to drink it. I hoped it would improve as it warmed. It got worse. Tasted terrible, poured it out.

Bottle of the 2008 thanks to BFC, thanks Jake. Pours a just clear cola brown with a medium sized tan head. Smoke and toast, light plum and prune behind it. Medium bodied, light sweetness, with some caramel. Roast and smoke on the finish with a light bitterness.

Bottle at home, 17th Aug 09, shared with BeerTart. Near black with a small tan head. Delicate smoky aroma with liquorice and carbolic soap hints. In the mouth, luxuriously smooth with a slight creaminess and then a fine drying finish. Flavour of woodmsmoke, coffee, dark malt. A case of this being a very good porter, that has smokiness layered through it, rather than a smoky beer that happens to be a porter. I can certainly see why it scores so highly.

Bomber, $5.99. First of all, this has got to be one of the most attractive and elegant labels of any bottle I’ve seen. So point for that! Pours dark brown, with a creamy, fine head. Aroma is roasts, dark chocolate, and ashy smoke. Balanced nose overall, nothing jumps out at you. Palate is smooth, lightly carbonated, sporting a lighter-than-expected body. Flavor starts with a hit of chocolate malt, layered nicely with roasts. Espresso and smoke notes are present through the middle, leading into a bittersweet finish. Overall, nothing to dramatic going on here, but a lot of nice flavors as well. Reminds me of Stone’s version but just a bit smoother and less bitter. Very good.

A typical porter by appearance. Tons of campfire ash smoke in both aroma and flavor. That smoke was way overdone. A lesser dose would have made this a better beer. A bit of a disappointment.

pours dark brown, nearly black. aroma is smoke, chocolate, dusty malt, herbal qualities. flavor is roasted malts with some mild smoke in the background. mid-bodied, mild bitterness and fading smoke in the end

from crackedkettle.com - pours a dark black beer under a fair and persistent dark beige foam; correct lacing leaved on the side of the glass; smokey notes come first soon followed by aromas of black chocolate and ashes; medium to full malt body, quite creamy mouthfeel and with a decent bitterness; a constant smokyness lasting long in a bitter aftertaste of ashes and cold coffee - very well-brewed and deeply drinkable