Stone Brandy Barrel Smoked Porter

Brewed by Stone Brewing Co.
Style: Porter
Escondido, California USA

On tap at Stone. Dark brown with a creamy tan head. Aroma of chocolate, roasted malt, vanilla, oak, and brandy. Thick creamy palate. Rich dark chocolate taste, smooth brandy notes, rich vanilla and oak tastes to the finish and a long lingering alcoholic warmth.

On tap at Stone’s World Bistro early 01/08. Pours deep amber – brown with near infra red edges and tan head. The aroma is a bit on the light side with a mixture of brandy, wood and chocolate malts. The taste begins with a dessert like beer sweet tastiness. YUM!!!! Upon further investigation I get chocolate malts, sweet brandy, a hint of brandy dryness, barrel woodenness then it moves toward roasted malts with a splash of burnt malts. Really nice balance achieved here between the brandy, wood and rich maltiness. The smokiness is somewhat left way in the background much like the base beer. It is only just noticeable. Wow, I loved this beer.

On Draft at Stone’s Winter Storm event. Aroma was great with the normal smoked porter smell, accented with oak, sugar and a hint of fruit. Flavor was outstanding. Smooth and complex. Aging it in the barrel really mellowed the flavor, and added a rich oak/bourbon flavor. A mellow brown sugar flavor also was present. My favorite beer sampled at the event. (RERATE from Night of the Barrels; lowered my rating from a 4.6. Don’t really disagree with what I wrote previously, I just overrated it a bit).

Draft. Blackish beer with a low off-white head. Nice brandy aroma with sweet malt. Flavor adds some oak, vanilla, and just backing smoke. LIngering sweet malt and brandy, Medium body. Very drinkable. Good beer.

Poured a hazy dark brown / red color with a small, tan head that left nice lacing on the glass. Aroma was fruity (from the brandy), vanilla, oak, roasted malts, and cocoa, with a bit of smoke as well. Taste was vanilla, brandy, roasted malts, and chocolate. Creamy mouthfeel, but somewhat thin. Thanks John!

Thank you egajdzis for sharring this one! Poured a deep brown color with an averaged sized off white head. Aromas of butter cream, vanilla, wood, chocolate, and brandy. Tastes of vanilla, fruity, lighter wood, and chocolate. Body on the thinner side.

EBF NOTB. A little smoke / toasted malt and sweet brandy in the aroma. The burnt flavor wasn’t as good as I remember it being, but the brandy was a nicely done compliment.

I had this on draft at Stone’s World Bistro during Winter Storm 2006. This is a brandy barrel aged version of their Smoked Porter. The flavor and nose hit you with lots of brown sugar and molasses sweetness. It’s far less roasty than their regular smoked porter. Definitely very tasty.