Smoked Porter - Stone Brewing Co.

Smoked PorterSmoked Porter

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BA SCORE
90
exceptional
-
2,728 Ratings
THE BROS
90
exceptional
-
read more »
rAvg: 4.04
pDev: 11.39%
Reviews: 1669
Hads: 1059

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Brewed by:
Stone Brewing Co. visit their website
California, United States

Style | ABV
American Porter |  5.90% ABV

Availability: Year-round. bottle (1495), on-tap (155), growler (15), cask (3), nitro-tap (1)

Notes:
No notes at this time.
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Reviews

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Photo of Hunter
Hunter

Arizona

3.55/5  rDev -12.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Black ale, tan head of dense foam with good tracing.

Smell: Smoke, coffee, cocoa, dark malts, and so help me - blood. I actually smell blood. Not entirely unpleasant, either.

Taste: Surprisingly not as complex or heady as the smell would suggest. Smoked malts, espresso, and bitter chocolate notes dominate.

Mouthfeel: Again, not as chewy as one would expect. Thinner than some porters/stouts, but still leaves a nice aftertaste.

Overall: This might be a good transition for those looking to move into the darker, heavier beers without being overwhelmed from the get-go. It's a fine porter to sip slowly, letting it warm to room temperature and discover more subtle flavors/aromas, or a good one to quaff straightaway.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2013 20:14:18 | More by Hunter
Photo of RenaudNW
RenaudNW

Washington

4.03/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 4

Overall a very nice experience in a Porter. It has a very good appearance with a moderate head and good carbonation. The aroma is what really makes this beer an experience. A nose fulling experience with good complexity and a nice smokiness. In addition, the taste does not disappoint. It is both full flavored and relatively clean. I can drink a full 22oz bottle and never feel like I'm being overwhelmed; very satisfying. The one potential weakness of this brew is the mouth feel. From the initial aroma, one gets the impression that it should be smooth and silky on the tongue. Unfortunately, after the fine initial experience with the aroma and color, the mouth feel comes across as somewhat watery. However, close your eyes and concentrate on the flavor and you won't notice the weak mouth feel after a few sips. Overall about a 4 out of 5. It's good enough that I keep a few bottles in the back of the refrigerator as a regular stand by.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2013 01:17:49 | More by RenaudNW
Photo of vkv822
vkv822

Oregon

3.76/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

22oz : tulip
Enjoy By: 03/30/13

Very nice looking, very deep brown, near black with a thick, billowy tan head and nice lacing.

Roasted cocoa and coffee, lightly smokey malts. Fleeting hints of smoked meats.

Medium- body with mild, foamy carbonation.

The smoked aspect of this porter is well done, with just barely enough to be noticeable, but at no point becomes overwhelming.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2013 10:15:49 | More by vkv822
Photo of hreb
hreb

Washington

4.05/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Cold 22 oz bottle served in pint glass. Beer pours black, opaque except for a tinge of red, and a medium chestnut head. Aroma is smoky, as expected. Smoke and roasted malt pick up the front of the flavor, too. Smoked flavor is the major player here, but it doesn't overpower the substantial malt bill here. Burnt toast is big here. In the background there are subtle coffee and mocha flavors. Finally, there's a bitter edge to bring out the dry finish. This is a really good smoked porter and worth coming back to again and again.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2013 02:17:38 | More by hreb
Photo of rodlavers
rodlavers

Pennsylvania

4.06/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Reviewed from notes taken 02/17/13.

Served on tap, 12oz. pour, at Yard House in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

Very dark brown, not quite black, certain hints of red. Thin light mocha head with lots of lacing.

Roasted/spiced malt aromas are light; not too prominent or pervasive. Wish it had more.

Roasted/spiced and smokey, definitely more hoppy than expected. It tastes very good.

Very smooth up front, with a dry finish; light to medium carbonation.

Overall this was surprising, did expect it to be as good as it was. Will try to again. Cheers.

Serving type: on-tap

02-20-2013 23:28:59 | More by rodlavers
Photo of Kerrie
Kerrie

Michigan

4.03/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Hmm, for a smoked porter, I don't detect any smokiness, but it's still good.

A- Nearly opaque black with a nice frothy head (good retention) and heavy lacing.

S- Smells hoppy, like an IPA, with the porter smell being more in the background.

T- I can taste the hops, so this isn't a typical smoked porter. More hoppy than malty. Thankfully, I've been getting into IPAs lately or else I probably wouldn't like this as much. But it just doesn't taste like a smoked porter. Hoppy finish/aftertaste, too.

M- Not too thick or thin.

Overall, I don't think it's a good representation of the style. IPA lovers would most likely enjoy it if they're trying to branch out to porters and stouts.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2013 02:37:50 | More by Kerrie
Photo of kawilliams81
kawilliams81

Illinois

3.65/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Poured from a 22 oz bottle into a Lost Abbey chalice.

A- pours black with a 2 finger tan head. Big trails and blotches of lacing remain on the glass.

S- big chocolate and pine.

T- smoked malt, chocolate, pine.

M- medium body and carbonation. Very easy drinking.

O- good beer, but very one dimensional. All smoked malt, chocolate and pine hops.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2013 07:10:58 | More by kawilliams81
Photo of Goblinmunkey7
Goblinmunkey7

Massachusetts

4.04/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Appearance: A relatively clear deep rich brown. Appears black until held to light. Pours with a solid, creamy tan head. Retention is decent. Drops to a small creamy cap over a few minutes. Sheets of sticky lacing. Very pretty.

Smell: Chocolate and coffee. Roasted malts. Slightly burnt with a nice solid smoky push. Some char. Cocoa and ash. Vaguely grassy with some corn and earth. It smells like every porter should. Sweet caramelized malts in the back. Smokiness builds a bit as it warms.

Taste: Light smokiness. Solidly, but not overly, roasted. Some backing coffee bean and dark chocolate. Hints of cocoa. Some ash and char, but more smoky than either. Underlying nuttiness. Some caramel malt sweetness. Sweet smoky roast.

Mouthfeel: Slightly creamy and smooth. Mediumish body with a moderate carbonation. Drinks like a champ with a bit of warmth.

Overall: Because...screw you!

Another benchmark provided by Stone. This isn't a knock your socks of porter, but damn if it's not tasty and sets a bar for the style. I'm not a huge porter fan, but this could change my mind.

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2013 00:17:27 | More by Goblinmunkey7
Photo of bnes09
bnes09

Illinois

4.14/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Dark color while still allowing some light to pass through. Creamy foam with excellent retention and lacing.

Roasty, smokey, even burnt aroma. Lots of coffee and smoked meats.

Burnt toast malt character provides a pleasant bitterness. Smoked sausage compliments the roasted malt. Earth and spinach hop bitterness. HInt of maple sweeteness. Finishes dry with lingering bitterness.

Medium bodied with a crisp, dry feel throughout. Plenty of lingering malt texture.

Solid porter.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2013 00:44:31 | More by bnes09
Photo of Theheroguy
Theheroguy

Maryland

4.3/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Dark reddish brown with a thin head (as expected for a porter)

Smoky aroma with hints of sweet chocolate
Taste wise you get chocolate, roasted malt, licorice and a tiny bit of coffee. Bitterness in the beer is minimal.

I would happily recommend this porter the flavors are very complex and I would need to have it several times to identify them all.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2013 05:08:42 | More by Theheroguy
Photo of TheConnMan
TheConnMan

Michigan

4.35/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

Poured from a bomber into a pint glass, 2012

A: Pours dark amber brown, two finger dissipating head, leaves a lasting film

S: Chocolate, dark berries, and a little bit of cinnamon. As it warms up, the smell really becomes great, the best aspect of this beer

T: Starts with chocolate and roasted malt, followed by cherries and blackberries. Finishes with a pleasant slight bitterness. Really great caramelized flavor without going too far. Not as sweet as some other porters, which is a good thing.

M: A little thin, but carbonated well

O: A really great porter, one I would recommend to anyone looking for a benchmark porter, or trying to get into darker beers in general. I think its one of the best go to bombers widely available

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2013 02:04:43 | More by TheConnMan
Photo of ncketchum
ncketchum

Wisconsin

3.93/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Bomber served in a Duvel tulip, cellar temperature. 2008 vintage.

A - Pours a dark brown, clear, lots of carbonation. 2 fingers of mocha head fade to a ring of lacing

S - lots of roasted (smoky) malt, milk chocolate

T - smokiness from the toasted malt again, good amount of bitterness from the hops, with chocolate undertones. Hints of cherries emerge at the end as well.

M - smooth, no alcohol to speak of, a little thin

O - I've held on to this one for some time, not sure what to expect as other smoked beers I've had left some to be desired. This was nice, however, as the smokiness was well balanced by the rest of the beer. I would be interested to try this fresh to see how a bit of age has changed it. If only Stone still distributed to Wisconsin....

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2013 03:41:04 | More by ncketchum
Photo of thecheapies
thecheapies

Pennsylvania

4.01/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Pours very dark brown. Pillowy beige head with loads of sticky lacing. Looks amazing.

Light mocha and light smoke. Very subtle. Rustic roastiness, but soft. Dark and faintly fruity.

Roasty malts, a touch of smoked grain, and lightly citric hops. Softly malty, with coffee and mocha pulling through. Still maintains some substantial bitterness. The smokiness is a little sweet, like hickory, but not as rich. Sweet in the finish, as well, which makes it an easy 'like'.

Charming mouthfeel. I like the bitterness level on the tongue, because it's still ooey-gooey on the backend. Soft gas promotes a fuller and chewier body. A bomber that never intimidates.

I think this is solid. Needs a bit more, aromatically. Tastes good and feels great. I'll be back.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2013 05:09:46 | More by thecheapies
Photo of Huhzubendah
Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

4.03/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The beer is dark brown with crimson highlights visible when held to the light. The beige head is an inch thick, displaying lasting retention with plenty of sticky lacing left behind.

The aroma brings smoke, roast, brown bread, a touch of resinous hops.

Nice flavor with a forward smoke character. A touch of campfire and charred roast. Additional notes of salami, summer sausage. The finish offers a touch of bitterness with lingering pine and resinous hops. Quite flavorful and enjoyable.

Medium bodied and pretty smooth sailing with moderate carbonation. Alcohol content feels low and unobtrusive.

A solid beer. As easy as this one is to find, I definitely see myself buying this again.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2013 03:16:20 | More by Huhzubendah
Photo of kangarooAdam59
kangarooAdam59

Pennsylvania

4.18/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Into a pint glass:

A: deep dark black body yielding a spectacular two finger white foamy head leaving some nice lumpy valleys in the head. The head dies within a minute

S: roasty, dry coffee, decent amount of light hops in the background, light cocoa

T: dry, roasty, bitter and sweet at different times throughout the beer. Some burnt malts seem to come through a bit as the beer warms.

M: medium to heavy coating my mouth and tongue nicely like it should on a winter's night. Sharpness is there, but tends to go away as the beer warms

O: I had this a long time ago, well before I was on BA, glad I found it recently to put out a review on it. I liked it then and though never thought about how it related to the style back then, I see how it is good for the style as well.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2013 01:49:06 | More by kangarooAdam59
Photo of tectactoe
tectactoe

Michigan

4.31/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Pours a deep mahogany color, mostly black, especially when viewed in dim lighting, some dark ruby highlights around the edges. Super thick and creamy tan head that sustains and leaves some excellent lacing behind, something that seemingly all Stone brews do.

The aroma hits you before you bring the glass to your nose. Roasted, dark malts, some dry cocoa powder, slight char, some leafy, ashy, and dry hop character. The smoke is hard to notice at first, maybe because the beer is a little to cold. Upon warming up a bit, the smoke definitely comes out and becomes quite nice. Liquid smoke, burnt wood, campfire char - it adds such a great element to an already aromatically pleasing beer.

Stone Smoked Porter tastes exactly like the nose would lead you to believe it tastes. Roasted, nearly burnt malts, dry, light cocoa, bitter coffee beans, herbal hops that are just bitter enough to be called "perfect", and of course, a helpful heaping of smoke. Just like on the nose, the smoke comes out more and more on the palate as the beer warms up. It goes from being a tertiary flavor to a primary flavor over the course of 15-20 minutes.

Along with the smoked flavors comes the charred woodiness and an even more intense roasted profile that sticks with you through the aftertaste. A delicacy that coats your palate and keeps the flavor in your brain long after it's gone. The body is heavy and creamy, not quite chewy, nice amount of carbonation in this one.

Had this a long time ago, didn't care for it. Had it again recently and loved it. Not a huge fan of smoked beers but it works perfectly here and it's anywhere close to overpowering. Plus, only 4-5$ for a bomber? What a steal. Best "smoked" beer I've had to date.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2013 17:54:37 | More by tectactoe
Photo of jazzyjeff13
jazzyjeff13

United Kingdom (England)

3.91/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A 22oz bottle with a BB of 7th Nov 2012, so it's a little out of date. I figured a dark smoked brew wouldn't age too badly. Purchased from Trembling Madness in York a while back, and stored in my garage.

Poured into a Duvel tulip. A very dark reddish-brown hue that appears black unless held to the light. Good carbonation. Produces a vast head of creamy beige foam with superb retention; this slowly subsides to a thick surface layer. Nice lacing. Aroma of rich roasted malt with notes of burnt grain, coffee, chocolate, smoke, mild kippers, molasses, dried fruit, pine resin and earthy yeast. Complex, dry and slightly sweet. The alcohol is well hidden.

Tastes of roasted malt with a mild smoky character and a dry bitter finish. Notes of burnt grain, coffee, molasses, mild smoke, faint chocolate, dried fruit, pine resin and earthy yeast. A subtle sour hint lurks in the background - this occurs with other rauch beers. Complex and somewhat fruity, with a strident bitterness upon swallowing. Mouthfeel is rich, smooth and spicy, with tingly carbonation and good body. Rather astringent - dries the palate. An aftertaste of dark roasted malt, fruitiness, pine and bitter stewed hops.

Tasty - an impressive effort, though it comes across as more subtle than the other Stone beers I've tried. I'm not sure what effect has resulted from allowing it to go past it's BB date; perhaps a reduction in hop aroma? I was expecting it to be smokier - it appears that the brewers held back on the rauch to produce a brew with a well-judged balance between smokiness and traditional dark malt flavours. The hoppy pine notes that define Stone beers are noticible but take a back seat for a change. However, the overall effect is unique; how many other breweries combine smoked malt and hops the way this beer does? A solid brew with a delicious range of flavours - it goes down a treat. Well worth sampling if you have the chance.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2013 03:22:16 | More by jazzyjeff13
Photo of thegodfather1076
thegodfather1076

Ohio

4.24/5  rDev +5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Presentation: Bottle is awesome. Great gargoyle graphics in the traditional Stone style with eye catching font and color scheme. Label is painted on. Gives and excellent description of the beer and about the “Stone” philosophy when they decided to brew this beer. Also gives ABV info, a small ingredient list, web info, and a small food pairing suggestion.

Appearance: After warming for 20min I poured this from its 22oz bomber bottle into a 20oz dimpled beer mug. This poured out a deep dark coffee brown with a 3 finger mocha foam head of medium density. Head retention was an amazing 7min 7sec before fading to a thick coating. Phenomenal lacing.

Smell/Aroma: Smells heavy on the smoke with a charred chocolate malt aroma also detectable.

Flavor/Taste: Taste is again very heavy on the smoke and roasted chocolate malts on the front end followed by a smokey licorice bite that is very nice. The finish is full of smoke and a slight hop bitterness with a charred coffee aftertaste.

MouthFeel/Drinkability: Medium bodied with medium carbonation. Very smooth almost velvety mouthfeel. Very drinkable.

Overall/Comments: An excellent complex brew that is done extremely well. Very well balance. If you are a porter fan, this is a must try. Classified as an American Porter at 5.9%. consumed 1/19/2013.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2013 11:04:50 | More by thegodfather1076
Photo of TheFightingMongooses
TheFightingMongooses

New Jersey

3.75/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.75

Had on 12/10/12. Let sit at room temp for 10-15 minutes before pouring vigorously into a goblet.

Appearance - Soft black with a tawny glow along the edges when held to the light. A cm of beige head stays with lots of lacing and some visible carbonation around the head.

Smell - The smoke hits immediately and reminds me of a rauchbier. Mostly bonfire, campfire, and a bit of cigarette ash. There is a tad of sweet malts with some hints of roasted coffee.

Taste - Taste is of sweet, roasted malts mixed in with the smoke and herbal hops at the back end. Sweetness and bitterness fight it out in the finish, and the bitterness wins. Actually, the bitterness is getting to me as I continue to drink.

Mouthfeel - Really nice, good medium body with a soft fluffiness. Just like a porter should be; pretty drinkable.

Overall - The bitterness detracts from the drinkability and overall taste. Otherwise, very enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2013 03:00:31 | More by TheFightingMongooses
Photo of Chadhowie
Chadhowie

California

4.58/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

I am fairly skeptical of Porters generally because I feel that they are hard to pull off. The Smoked Porter from Stone definitely does a good job and keeps the smokiness genuine without overdoing it. This is a great sipping beer and very nuanced. Highly recommend.

Serving type: on-tap

01-17-2013 23:58:12 | More by Chadhowie
Photo of devilben02
devilben02

North Carolina

3.43/5  rDev -15.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

Pours from the bottle with a deep, nearly opaque black/brown color and generates a foamy sand-colored head. The aroma is disappointingly subtle, with only a bit of milk chocolate and weak coffee being discerned. The flavor is more what I had hoped for, with some soft, woody smoke, chocolate, and a bit of spicy, herbal hops for balance. The mouthfeel detracts from the varied flavor profile, with a fine, fizzy carbonation that borders on unpleasant. Overall, this is a fine porter with a bit of extra character, but it is is sadly subtle.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2013 15:09:52 | More by devilben02
Photo of NuclearDolphin
NuclearDolphin

Minnesota

3.9/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a Pint Glass

Appearance - Pitch black with dark crimson on the bottom of the glass. Head is rather thin but has good retention.

Smell - Burnt Barley, Smoke, Chocolate, Coffee, Malts and some mild Grassiness. It's a strong porter smell with a Pils-like grassy scent.

Taste - Ham, Smoke, Chocolate, Barley, & Burnt Malts. Flavor is more defined and a bit more smoky in flavor than I've had before. The smokiness does subdue as it warms up and give way to a more balanced flavor. Aftertaste is very resiny and smoky too.

Mouthfeel - Moderate Body with a distinct molasses feel. Carbonation is also feel mild so it's easy to drink

Overall - A bit chalky/smokey for my tastes, but still a decent beer all around, though this would not be my first choice in terms of smoked ales.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2013 02:33:42 | More by NuclearDolphin
Photo of TWM
TWM


2.3/5  rDev -43.1%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

I was excited when I bought this one... no more. Just not put together right or something.

Appearance- beautiful porter, fine white bubbles, 1 finger of head. Pretty lacing, all around a pretty glass of beer.

Smell- Subdued, but definitely a porter. Lacking that caramelized hint in the aroma, not much in the way of smoke smell.

Taste- A good porter battled it out with a ton of wood smoke. I at first didn't think either of them won, but now, near the end of the bottle, I keep thinking I'm at a campfire. The smoke flavor has overwhelmed all but the bitterness of the porter, and my mouth tastes like ashes.

Feel- texture was nice, smooth, but the ashy afterfeel is bad. Not real happy here. Feels like I need a drink to wash away the flavor of the smoke. Hmmm...

Overall... already said it. Just wondering if perhaps it would go better with a particular meal (BBQ? Fried chicken? Smoked Sausage?) than standing alone... or perhaps I shouldn't have planned on drinking all 22 oz by myself.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2013 05:46:16 | More by TWM
Photo of Dools9
Dools9

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bottle best before 2/26/13 poured into a Guinness tulip.

A: Dark brown, some red hues. Nice light brown head retains well, leaves patchy lace.

S: Lightly roasted malt aromas mixed with even lighter smoke. Some coffee, mellow cocoa sweetness.

T: Roasted malt upfront, in comes the ever so light smokiness, a good amount of roasted coffee and cocoa bean, finishes quite dry, theres a noticeable hop character as well but its subtle.

M: Medium feel and medium carbonation. Smooth feel and sessionable feel.

O: Nice roasty porter, not too much char or smoke which I like and a good dose of coffee and cocoa to balance the roastiness.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2012 20:53:27 | More by Dools9
Photo of rickyleepotts
rickyleepotts

Arizona

2.78/5  rDev -31.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 3.5

When deciding what beer we wanted to taste today, Sheryl said, “Try something dark.” So I grabbed a porter. It’s dark! Plus, I have been on a porter kick lately. Last month I was hooked on reds and the month before that IPAs. Next month, maybe I will switch to Belgian beers! Speaking of Stone, we were just in San Diego for Thanksgiving and visited the brewery. I couldn’t be that close and not visit. The brewery was nice, but it wasn’t as big as I thought. I did get to see some of the 12/12/12, and the 11/11/11 that has been aged in red wine barrels. I would rather try that one than the 12/12/12. At any rate, today we are drinking the Stone Smoked Porter. I had the Alaskan Smoked Porter a few weeks ago for the first time. Beer bloggers are raving about the Alaskan Smoked Porter. Not sure why… it was just OK. But the way people talk about this beer, it will be better. Let’s drink, people!

In the Glass: This beer is pitch black in the glass. It has a really nice head, too. A white head that leaves a gorgeous lace on the glass. For a beer that is only $3.99 a bomber, regardless of the ABV, it is worth buying to see/experience this head. I haven’t even tasted it yet and it was worth 4 bucks. Let’s see what it smells like.

Nose: Before I smell this, know that I had a smoked porter last night at Fate Brewing Company here in Scottsdale. They are producing some incredible beers, and their smoked porter is excellent. As it gets close to room temperature, the smokiness really comes out and leaves an aftertaste like I just smoked a cigarette. It is lovely! So the Stone has some tough competition here… and it smells OK. It has more chocolate aroma than it does smokey notes. But that’s OK. I like chocolate, too. I might be picking up some burnt caramel/vanilla notes toward the end there.

Flavor: The flavor is not as big as I expected. Granted, if you look at the price, it fits. But the expectation that I get from Stone is that their beers are “epic” and loaded with flavor. This one is not. It’s decent, don’t get me wrong. But it is not something worth writing home about. The best part of this beer is the aftertaste. Not really getting much smoke on the palate. If I am getting anything, it is dark chocolate notes.

Mouthfeel: What mouthfeel? It sort of just slides across the tongue and is gone. There is not much going on in the mouth here. I expected something thick, fluffy, and something that would have me excited to take a second sip. But this beer, in regards to the mouthfeel, is pretty boring.

Aftertaste: Here we go. The aftertaste. What makes the Fate smoked porter good is the aftertaste. That is what makes this one tolerable. The ABV is pretty low on this, under 6%. But as a porter, I expect something a little thicker with a little more flavor. The aftertaste is where you get the smoke flavors. Still not much flavor, but the aftertaste is still here a few minutes after I swallowed. This is good, but not the best offering from Stone. Sorry guys, but Fate Brewing has you beat on the smoked porter.

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2012 21:20:44 | More by rickyleepotts
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Smoked Porter from Stone Brewing Co.
90 out of 100 based on 2,728 user ratings.