Sierra Nevada Imperial Smoked Porter

Brewed by Sierra Nevada Brewing Company
Style: Smoked
Chico, California USA

Gravity cask@The Rake. Opaque brown color, small off-white head. Smoke and cold coffee in the nose. Mellow mouthfeel. Milk chocolate and smoke in the flavor. Lingering chocolate, tar and smoke in the aftertaste. Not very strong palate and it doesn’t feel alcoholic.

Draft from DRE. Pours dark brown with off-khaki head. Nose is rauchy dark malt, earthy peaty, with some cacao and figgy fruit. Tastes rich, dark malty, with moderate rauchy notes, plus anise, cacao, choc syrup, and some hazelnut hints. Solid, and very good.

@The Rake. Deep ambery brown colour, small head. Aroma is very nutty, mildly smoked and also has some mild earthy and chocolateish notes. Flavour is nuts, chocolate, some roasted malts as well as smoke and burnt wet wood. Mild liquorice as well.

Pours an opaque brown color with a brown head. Aroma is chocolate, peated malt, caramel, crystal malt, roast, and a nice earthy notes. Flavor is malty, caramel, roast, toast, some smoke, chocolate, and a nice bitter earthy finish.

On tap at White Horse, Parsons Green. Very dark deep ruby, virtually no head. Little bit of wood on the aroma. Fairly thinnish choc though. It’s ok, but just not particularly characterful, boozy or flavoursome. OK, no bad flavurs, but needs more balls, body and flavour.

Cask at American beer fest White Horse London. Deep brown pour with a light tan head. Smokey aroma. Tastes not very smokey, coffee, chocolate. Smooth easy drinking smoked beer. Not bad for SN.

A Mes rate: cask handpull at the Sloany Pony.
Dark brown with the faintest off white head. Fruity and plenty of chocolate. The expected faint smoky notes are done very well indeed, I would just prefer a little more. A little meaty in the finish. Very one dimensional but decent enough. Hang aboot... where the hell is the alcohol? It’s just not there at all. Drinks like 4%!

on tap - dunwoody beer festival. black under a large tan head. lightly smoky nose. palate was moderately carbonated, lightly thin. flavor was excellent with chocolate and smoked nuts. this is the only memorable beer of the day. thanks sierra nevada!