Rock Art Midnight Madness Smoked Porter

Brewed by Rock Art Brewery
Style: Smoked
Morrisville, Vermont USA

Sampled at the Savor DC event. Pours a watery, opaque black with a wispy white head. Aroma is smoked and peaty. Flavor is more subtle than the aroma with toasted, chewy grains noticeable and just a touch of smoke on the tongue. Lasting smoke flavor but also a touch watery on the palate. The smoke flavor really lingered in the glass a while too.

(Savor, 12z bottle) Beige head atop hazy dark brown body. Aroma is medium sweet, caramel, chocolate, some smoke. Taste is medium sweet, caramel, roast, some smoke, chocolate. Light-medium body, low carbonation.

Bottle sample pours a dark cola brown with a thin tan head. Nose of smoke and toast, much more like a smoked bock than a porter, since I don’t see the malt character of a porter anywhere in here, but the nice thing is that the smoke character is real and natural, you can literally smell the kiln. Has a nice bite up front and a sharpness over the middle, again, like a bock. Overall it’s a delicious naturally wood smoked beer regardless of the missing or muted porter characteristics.

12zo bottle. Smoked Porter. Pours medium brown color. Aroma is smoky. Flavor has an odd sourness to it. Nice hop flavor (bitterness) to it.

Pours a dark brown color with thin off white head. Roasty aroma of smoked maltiness, chocolate and coffee. Roasty malt flavor with bitter dry hopped finish.

Name: Midnight Madness
Date: 03/22/2008
Mode: Bottle
Source: Tasting, Cellar Party

Appearance: clear dark brown, wispy beige head, streaks of lace,
Aroma: smokey dark chocolate aroma with an earthyness from the smoke keeping it dry, touch of dark caramel,
Flavor: lots of dry chocolate flavor, plenty of smoke keeps it dry along with an earthy character, hint of dark caramel adds the only thing close to sweetness, long bitter finish,

Aroma: 6/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 6/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 11/20
Rating: 3/5.0
Drinkability: 6/10
Score: *4

Appearance: Pours a humble brown body with a small, white head. Smell: Dark malts with a touch of roast overlayed with pervasive smokey woodiness. Some tart fruits lurking around in the background. Taste: Roasty dark malts, though very little sweetness. Hint of dark fruits. The slight smokiness kicks in and lasts till the final moment of the thin finnish. Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Medium carbonation. Drinkability: It’s alright, for a smoked porter.

Pours an amber brown color with a tan head. Aroma is caramel, smoke, roast, and some woody notes. Flavor is malty, some smoke, roast, a hint of chocolate, and a bitter woody roast finish.