Brewers Alley Smoked Porter

Draught, at the brewpub, July 2006. Dark oak colour. Quite light for a porter. Powdery chocolate and roast coffee dominate. Didn’t get much smoke, which lowers the score a bit. Otherwise, respectable middle of the road fare.

Sampled on 7/15/06 at the RBSG ’06 Grand Tasting out of a growler: Pours a clear dark brown with a nicely-lacing wispy light tan head. Aroma of toasty, earthy, dry, lightly smoky malts and some light diacetyl. Body starts with some mild earthy sweetness along with some toasty caramel and green hops with a touch of drier smoke. A decent beer, but I’d like to see more smoke character like Alaskan Smoked Porter.

A deep red beer with a thin light beige head. The aroma is sweet with light fruity notes - the aroma is a bit light for my liking. The flavor is sweet malty with notes of roasted malt - I don’t really pick up any smoked notes.

On draught at Brewer’s Alley: Clear brown colored body that is deep and dark, almost opaque, with a medium tan head that sticks. The aroma is mildly sweek smoke, caramel, wood stove, earthy, roasted malt and chocolate. Taste is mild smoke, dry caramel, burnt toast, roasted malt, dry chocolate, mild yeast. Medium bodied, medium carbonated, with a smoke and burnt toast finish.

Sampled at RBSG 2006- Grand Tasting. Reddish brown cola color with a tan head. The aroma is more coffee than it is smoke. This leaves a bit of a disappointment as the lack of smoke flavor is obvious. Fairly thin body. The beer finishes upon warming with a bit of smokiness if you use your imagination. This is a beer that I’d like to try again when it is not encircled with so many awesome competitors at the table.