coldmeat23 (185), Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA Nov 18, 2009 Dark, dark ruby color. Appears black at first. Nice easy pour produces a frickin’ huge head of dense tan foam, which has hellish retention. Will it ever go away? Wow. Impressive for sure, but almost too much. Lacing is nice and sticky.
Big chocolatey malts. A touch of smoke. Light hint of some hop spiciness. Hints of caramel and dark fruits. Big earthiness quality.
A fairly complex nose.
Big flavor of roasted malt. Underlying hint of smokiness, not nearly as much as I expected. Sweetness of vanilla and caramel. Nice earthy quality here, also. Very slight hops bite. Light chocolate and coffee notes. Hints of dark fruits.
Good solid medium boby. Good level of creaminess.
This is an excellent porter, overall. I would drink many of these, and often, if given the opportunity.
Not as smoky as may have been expected, but a very good offering from Stone, nonetheless.
jlruthven (136), Milledgeville, Georgia, USA Nov 16, 2009 Bomber poured into a snifter; borderline viscous for a porter, nearly ink-black, quickly-developing thick white head that stays put forever. Nose is heavy with a mixture of dark fruits (blackberry?) and bitter coffee; touch of smoke. Tastes of strong dark chocolate, nearly burnt peat, with a touch of espresso on the palate. Finishes clean, but lingers in the sinuses. My new favorite porter. matthewjk (57), Cincinnati, Ohio, USA Nov 14, 2009 Definitely "smokey" characteristics. Nice looking dark ruby appearance with lacing. Can’t rate as one of my favorite porters. Looking for some sweetness to balance the bitter smoked malts, but I can see how this might be appreciated by many tasters. redtechnj (8), New Jersey, USA does not count Nov 13, 2009 A nice deep rich brown color with a creamy beige head. An earthy peat scent. Has a fairly strong smoky peat flavor with tobacco undertones. Finishes with a medium bitter bite. I expected a stronger, bigger beer from the look of it. Kind of make me think of a beer made from garden soil and mulch. Not totally unpleasant beer but not one that I would recommend to friends. pete4999 (125), Buffalo, New York, USA Nov 13, 2009 Bottle. Smoke and coffee dominate the scent. Opaque black pour with a HUGE frothy head. Taste is similar, black coffee with smoky undertones. The smokiness isn’t the main flavor, but it adds a nice background - you can taste it all the way through. Miver (559), WillowStreet, Pennsylvania, USA Nov 13, 2009 Updated: Nov 15, 2009Draft at the Brew House Grille in Camp Hill. Poured black in color with a thin tan head. Aroma of light smoke, chocolate. Tastes of smoked malts, chocolate, roasted coffee. Nice body. Pwn3d (1049), Manhattan, New York, USA Nov 12, 2009 On tap with rattle n hum with CUJO. Pours very dark, near black. Beige head atop. Taste of tobacco, smoked malts, nutmeg, chocolate. Call me crazy but, I find the palate on most porters a bit too thin.. this one is not an exception. tomthompson89 (1465), Toronto, Ontario, Canada Nov 12, 2009 black pour with tanish head that seems to last, nose is smokey with some wood and some chocolate malt, taste is smokey but not overpowering, some chocolate and coffee, really like this smoked porter.
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