Brewers Alley Smoked Porter

Brewed by Brewers Alley Restaurant & Brewery
Style: Porter
Frederick, Maryland USA

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.

(RBSG06, growler) Clear red-cola body with beige head. Aroma is medium sweet, chocolate, cola, smoke. Taste is medium sweet, cola, some chocolate, light smoke. Low carbonation, light-medium body.

Growler - Dark brown with a light tan head. Smoky sweet caramel nutty aroma. Good smoke presence. The flavor has less smoke and is more typical big porter. Choco-cofffe, roasted nutty malts, and good bitterness. Medium fairly attenuated.

Draft... Clear, dark garnet ale with a small, frothy, khakihead. The nose is of chocolate, coffee, caramel and smoke. The flavor has good balance (leans just a bit to the sweet side) and carries over all the characteristics of the aroma. Medium to full-bodied and creamy with lively carbonation. Finishes chocolatey, smokey and just a trace burnt.