Smoke Dark
Blue Star Brewing Company

Beer Geek Stats
From:
Blue Star Brewing Company
 
Texas, United States
Style:
English Porter
ABV:
Not listed
Score:
Needs more ratings
Avg:
3.52 | pDev: 16.76%
Reviews:
4
Ratings:
6
Status:
Active
Rated:
May 20, 2015
Added:
Feb 24, 2008
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  1
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews.
Ratings by elNopalero:
Photo of elNopalero
Reviewed by elNopalero from Michigan

2.5/5  rDev -29%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5
The smoke dark. I’ve been on a rauchbier kick as of late and was curious to see how theirs came out.

Beer poured with a nice bit of foam and a good amber color to it. Not dark as I’d expect from the name. There’s a slight smoky nose to this beer, but no where near as pronounced as some of the other beers I’ve had in this style. Didn’t expect the sour aftertaste. I am not sure if it is intentional or not. Perhaps a bad batch? Yeast that’s been cycled too many times? At first I thought, cool, experimental smoke-sour pairing. Still could work, or would be worth a try. Just not in this beer. The sour taste become off-putting as it warms, and the beer is overly carbonated which I felt obscured the smoky notes even further.

They had a smoked beer and a sour beer listed on their board and it didn’t occur to me to ask if they were indeed one and the same. But according to the reviews and on-line their sour is more in the line of a Flander’s red, which leads me to believe this was just a plain bad batch. For my first beer at Blue Star this was definitely not a winner!
Sep 02, 2011
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.73 by Bobhoya from Arizona

May 20, 2015
 
Rated: 3.08 by kylehay2004 from Illinois

Apr 11, 2015
Photo of Mora2000
Reviewed by Mora2000 from Texas

3.58/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
On tap at the brewpub. The beer pours a dark reddish-amber color with a white head. The aroma is definitely smoky. The flavor is more of the same. I get some toffee malt notes but the smoke really comes through. The smoke makes the beer fairly dry. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation.

Not really sure this is a porter, I would classify it as a smoked beer.
May 22, 2011
Photo of YonderWanderer
Reviewed by YonderWanderer from Colorado

4.3/5  rDev +22.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Far and away the best brew that Blue Star had on tap during my time there. I had this one several times and loved it each sip. It pours a dark brown with hints of ruby around the edges. A decent head forms and dissipates at a decent rate. The smell is full of roasted malts, hints of chocolate, a slight hint of smokiness, and a bit of sweetness.

The taste is where this beer really shines though. The flavor starts off with a nice blend of caramel, toffee, chocolate, and roasted malts, followed by a nice hit of smokiness. Smoke flavor is almost similar to a rauchbier, but much more subtle in this case. Damn good and the best brew they had on the menu. I'd gladly go back and have more of these.
Mar 05, 2008
Photo of albern
Reviewed by albern from Massachusetts

3.95/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Of the beers that Blue Star has on its regular menu, the Smoke Dark is the best of the bunch. The beer pours a very dark, nutty brown, but when held up to the light, it has ruby highlights. The aroma is caramel, toffee, some smokiness as well. The smoky, peat like flavors don't really come through until the beer is tasted, and then its full character is evident. The beer is medium bodied, with a burnt malt, peat cured taste, with elements of caramel, molasses, and toffee lingering about too. The mouthfeel is creamy, not too carbonated, and quite drinkable. There is no strong alcoholy notes present. I don't know the ABV but things are masked over quite well, assuming there is an elevated ABV rating to this beer, which is my guess. If you're going to try just one of the Blue Star beers on its regular menu, this is their best. L'Chaim.
Feb 24, 2008
Smoke Dark from Blue Star Brewing Company
Beer rating: 3.52 out of 5 with 6 ratings