Smoke & Dagger - Jack's Abby Brewing

Sean9689

Illinois

4.08/5  rDev +2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Thanks, Alex. Poured into tulip.

A - Pours a medium brownish color, off-white head, thin ring.

S - Light smoke & roast, chocolate, nice level of malty sweetness. All very subtle and enjoyable, easy to sniff and really good.

T - Similar to the nose. Light smoke, roast, malty sweetness, and perhaps some light carmel in there too. Goes down easy and there's no alcohol notes at all. One of the easiest-drinking Rauchbier's I've had.

M - Light, good carbonation, smooth.

O - This was a really nice Rauchbier that was super-easy to drink for a style I find hard to have much of. I would say this is more of a lager with some smoke qualities added in there. Good stuff, would drink again.

Serving type: growler

02-09-2012 17:10:56 | More by Sean9689

MasterSki

Illinois

4.3/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Growler courtesy of Reagan1984 - the crazy generous guy who sends two growlers as extras. Served in a Hill Farmstead glass.

A - Quick-dissolving tan foam settles to a thin collar, wispy patches, and spotty lace. Dark brown body with some ruby highlights to it.

S - Smoked ham, dark chocolate, roasted malts, and hickory. As it warms more the honey-glazed meat character intensifies.

T - The taste is more balanced, with chocolate, dry roast nuts, roasted malts, and a hint of caramel on one side and smoke, hickory, and campfire on the other.

M - Medium body, pleasant carbonation, lightly dry and smoky texture, and a fairly clean finish.

D - A very good and authentic Rauchbier. This isn't the most sexy style of beer, and I was a bit apprehensive about having 2L of Rauchbier. I needn't have worried about it, as I returned to this for numerous refills during the course of the Super Bowl.

Serving type: growler

02-06-2012 21:54:40 | More by MasterSki

taez555

Massachusetts

4.43/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This beer poured a dark coca cola, but darker, body wit an off-white head. I'd say you can't see through it, but held up to the light it has a mild opaqueness.

Nose has a nice mild roasted dark malt and mild smoke smell.

Taste is medium bodied and very smooth and easy drinking. There's an immediate smoked malt taste, but not overpowering at all. Lots of mild chocolate, coffee and mild roasted bitter malt flavors. Hops aren't over the top, but keep things mildly in check. The mild smoke flavor gives it almost hint at a rauch beer, but it never really goes there, just sits nicely on the pallate. Ends very smooth (it is a lager after all).

Another fabulous beer from Jack's Abby. Almost runs the fine line between black lager and mildy smoked porter. The meaty smoke flavor in this beer is absolutely stunning. Good stuff.

Serving type: growler

12-10-2011 21:28:18 | More by taez555

jlindros

Massachusetts

4.15/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a light fizzy head that fades semi quickly over pitch black lightless beer.

Nose brings a nice smoke to it, like a light hickory smoke but not really the typical smoked meat aroma, a bit of campfire as well, then some light roasted malt and hint of chocolate, caramel, and even some vanilla.

Taste starts rich, quite malty actually, the smoke comes first again with some light wood smoked malts, hint of hickory but lighter overall on the smoke, not overpowering. Again with a touch of campfire, and maybe a hint of smoked cheese. The malts bring a rich luscious mouth, with some caramel, slight roast, some vanilla, and asome black patent malt that seems to turn slightly to chocolate but barely (or my mind playing tricks on me). A nice creamy malt that almost feels like oats are there. Finishes fairly crisp with a nice lager flavor late on the finish, and quite a bit of bitterness that starts to finally come through, more from the roasted malts and smoke than any hops. A bit drier but slightly sticky.

Mouth is med to a bit heavier bodied, creamy, decent carb for growler.

Overall nice, smoke is done well without the heavy smoke flavor, not too bitter or tannic either, and nice soft malt and lager flavors, nice oats and even a hint of chocolate coming late. Much different than anything I've had before I think, and done fairly well. They easily could have gone overboard on anything, but didn't. Perhaps a touch more of the lager flavors and crispness would have been nicer.

Serving type: growler

10-25-2011 21:59:41 | More by jlindros

morebeergood

Massachusetts

3.6/5  rDev -10%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I was graciously given a growler from a friend who made a visit to the brewery last weekend. He knew my affinity for dark beers. Poured into a tall beer glass. Super dark black body. Great looking white head forms with a vigorous pour, but that soon fades. The body looks a bit undercarbonated once the beer has sat for a bit. The smell is a wonderful aroma of campfire smoke. The taste is great too. Love the earthy, peaty aroma. But I get less smoke flavor as I drink, and more of a burnt-end brisket taste. While BBQ is not a bad thing, it's more charcoal flavor than smoke. Mouthfeel was a bit thin, but that's what I expected from a smoked lager. Overall it's a decent beer, and I liked it better than the Red Lager or the IPL. This one just seemed more unique. A nice intro the brewery and I wish them well.

Serving type: growler

08-23-2011 23:47:43 | More by morebeergood

tendermorsel

Massachusetts

4.3/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Great to see a craft brewery out in my old hood.

Great looking beer dark black with a long lasting layer of head.

Roasty toasty and malty. Chocolate and coffee notes.

Extremely smooth. A dark drinkable lager. Very high drinkability on this one.

I am not sure if this is a Rauchbeer. There was only a small hint of smoke in this beer. Honestly I would catogorize this as a black lager. I was a bit disapointed in the muted smoke on this one. I guess I was expecting a bit more based on the name. That being said this was a delicious and highly quaffable beer. Me and my buddy Nicco took down this growler in about 30 min tops. I rarely drink beer this quickly.

This was a great beer. I usually don't go for Lagers but these guys are definately doing things right.

Serving type: growler

08-16-2011 00:14:26 | More by tendermorsel

peensteen

Ontario (Canada)

4.24/5  rDev +6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Bottle shared by Liam

Deep brown head, decent ring of whiteish head, good amount of lace here too. Smell is of roasted malts, chocolate and smoke, a little bit of liquorice, a mild but noteable hop presence as well here, bit of a dark bread note as well. Taste is of dark malts and chocolate, well roasted malts, lightly bitter, a bit of anise as well, roast-chocolate finish and aftertaste. Lightly carbonated with a medium-full body, a bit of an oily feel as well. Awesome stuff here, great flavours and really drinkable, worthy of revisits for sure.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2013 20:11:44 | More by peensteen

dbrauneis

New Jersey

4.01/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

Served in a bottle at The Whiskey Priest in Boston, MA

A: Pours a clear dark brown in color with some moderate amounts of visible carbonation and some ruby red highlights. The beer has a finger tall sudsy light tan head that quickly redues to a medium patch of very thin film and a thin ring at the edges of the glass. Light to moderate amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Moderate aromas of smoked malts (you can definitely pick out the fact that it was smoked with beechwood) with lighter notes of chocolate malts and coffee. Very light notes of earthy hops.

T: Upfront there are moderate flavors of chocolate malts and smoked malts, with just the most subtle hints of a BBQ pit. There is a light hint of nuttiness and some light caramel sweetness as well. Next come the flavors of roasted coffee and the touch of dark chocolate. There are light amounts of earthy hops in the finish which give the beer a light amount of bitterness which fades pretty quickly.

M: Medium bodied with a moderate amount of gentle carbonation. Smooth with a light amount of dryness in the finish.

O: I enjoyed this beer - the smoke flavors are quite pleasant and really add to the beer without being overwhelming or having too much of an iodine flavor. The beer was easy to drink and I had no problem putting down a 22 oz bottle on my own - in fact, I wish there was a little more of it to drink. Would pair very nicely with meats.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2013 17:53:50 | More by dbrauneis

liamt07

Ontario (Canada)

4.43/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle from Boston Wine Exchange, 500ml into a tulip. Bottled March 7, 2013.

Dark brown, tan head. Light roast and chocolate on the nose, along with some lightly bready and doughy notes. Taste is chocolatey, roasty, lightly sweet, smoke is peripheral. Lager yeast qualities come through. Medium light body, perfectly medium light carbonation. More of a schwarzbier, and perhaps the best I've ever had.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2013 20:47:39 | More by liamt07

sommersb

Tennessee

3.89/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 4

Tasted On: 04-22-2013
Freshness: Bottled 02-18-2013
Packaging: 500ml brown bottle, pry-cap
Glassware: Willi Becher
Purchased: Received in a trade

Thanks to DrewShal9 for this trade!

Appearance is a clear and dark brown beer, nearly black, with red edges on the glass when held to light. The huge off-white head is frothy and has a great deal of retention, plus an excellent ring of lace.

Smells have a big dose of toasted grains, as well as smoked malts. The campfire smokiness is not as heavy as most rauchbiers - this one is more tame in the smoke, with some sweetness in the aroma. Also has some wood and vanilla notes.

Taste starts with smoked malts; meaty like most smoked beers. Also has earthy/woody characteristics, and bittersweet chocolate.

The mouthfeel is creamy with a moderate carbonation. The finish is dry and tastes of coffee-like bitterness and some unpleasant chalky textures.

Overall a curious melding of several styles; schwarzbier, porter and rauchbier. I think they all worked together very well, but this is kind of one-time beer that I wouldn't probably seek out again.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2013 03:13:35 | More by sommersb

angrybabboon

Rhode Island

4.05/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Consumed 4/16/13

Appearance: Dark, dark brown with some clarity around the edges - creamy, light tan head - keeps a solid cap and leaves some nice streaks and spots of lacing

Smell: Moderately smoky, with a nice malt base - nicely malty, with a great level of chocolate malts and caramel - some nice chocolate and roasty coffee - some hints of hops in the background

Taste: Nicely balanced with chocolate and smoke - smoky wood, roasty coffee, dark chocolate, cocoa, nuts, caramelized malts, and caramel - smoky and roasty without going overboard, very nice - some grassy hops - medium level of bitterness - clean, especially considering the smoke

Mouthfeel: Medium body, remarkably smooth, nicely carbonated, oddly clean finish

Overall: You can really taste the dagger!

I split a bottle of this with Goblinmunkey7 roughly a year ago, and this bottle is even better than I remember. There are some nice smoke and chocolate notes here, in an impressive amount of balance. Another winner from Jack's Abby.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2013 05:11:00 | More by angrybabboon

BEERchitect

Kentucky

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

Who says that traditional lager makers lack imagination or are passe in taste. Jack's Abby puts on a full-out display of charisma and quality in this smoky dark ale that borrows influences from German Black Beers, Rauchbiers, Dunkels and Baltic Porters for a refined taste that's highly complex for its drinkability.

The stealth-like "Smoke & Dagger" pours with the mystery-shrouded dark brown hue that's only pierced with crystal clear highlights of mahogany and chestnut. Ats it quietly releases a light khaki foam, the beer captures the eye with a frothy whipped topping that retains firmly and laces the glass with intermittent and artistic patterns.

A ton of malt and phenol complexes converge in aromas for blend that keeps speaking, "smoky chocolate". With the air of lightly scorched barley, the scent hinges on toffee, caramel and brown sugar. Grounded notes of toast, coffee, heavy whipping cream form the underpinnings of a classic dark lager.

It's smooth taste relaxes the taste buds with medium malt sweetness of the same caramel and toffee that the nose promises. More earthy and rustic notes of coffee, woodish hops, and a light alcohol & peppercorn spice ushers in a balancing bitterness to close. All this flavor is wrapped in a cocoon of heavy whipping cream and beechwood campfire.

It's creamy. It's dry, It slices; it dices- it Juliennes! The beer is a Swiss Army knife in that it starts creamy and rich, but turns roasty and powdery midway through before diving into a drinkable sensibility to close. Creamy like milkshake and bitter like coffee- the beer spans the gamut of mouthfeel descriptor en route to a grainy-sweet alcohol warmth to finish.

With a touch of confusion, I can see why the beer doesn't settle on a set style when a blend of well-tested recipes will obviously work better. Jack's Abby proves that there's a ton of imagination that if not bound by the "rules" of beer making.

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2013 05:26:51 | More by BEERchitect

nataku00

California

3.8/5  rDev -5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Bottle poured into a tulip glass. Beer pours a dark cola brown, bordering on black, with a finger and a half of tan loose foam head. Head dissipates after a few minutes to a slick of bubbles and a collar of foam, leaving some light lacing. Decent carbonation visible at the edges of the glass.

Nose is smoked malt, roasted malt, coffee.

Taking a sip, typical rauchbier flavors of smoked and roasted malt. A touch of coffee and chocolate as well. Finish is all smoke.

Light body with some decent soft carbonation. Easier to drink rauchbier, with the smoke being subtle but flavorful and not in your face.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2013 03:38:03 | More by nataku00

PicoPapa

Connecticut

3.93/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

16.9oz bottle. Pours a dark cola color with very little head. Some lacing. The aroma is rich with some smoke, roasted malts, and earth. The taste is a nice mix of smoke, roasted malts with some earth and hints of chocolate . Has somewhat of a cola taste at the end. Nice roasty/smokey flavor. Heavy mouthfeel. This beer certainly does taste like a mix of a Schwarzbier and a Smoked Porter. Nicely done. Overall, a great autumn beer but it drinks just fine year round.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2013 17:37:59 | More by PicoPapa

BEERMILER12

Maine

4.01/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a slightly hazy dark mahogany color with 2 fingers of tan head

S: Roasted and smoked malts, some dark fruits, and a hint of earthy hops and coffee

T: Follows the nose. Starts off with a very light smoke and roasted malts, followed by dark fruits, earthy hops, and a hint of coffee and chocolate

M: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation

O: A nice, easy-going smoked schwarzbier with a restrained smokiness that goes well with the roasted malts and dark fruits. At under 6%, this is an easy-to-drink dark beer

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2013 01:43:52 | More by BEERMILER12

tkelley

Massachusetts

3.93/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Bottle poured into a tulip glass.

A - really dark but not quite black, red hues. Pale, lingering head with moderate lacing.

N - woody and smoky. Chocolate roast too.

T - close to the smell. Nice and chocolatey roasted character with obvious smoke features. An appropriate level of smoke.

M - goes down easy. Medium to low carbonation. Sits easily in the mouth with being an agitator.

O - really well done. Love the combo of smoke and chocolate. Would be a great camping beer.

Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2013 23:40:00 | More by tkelley

AnitaBrewski

Massachusetts

4.16/5  rDev +4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I love everything about this beer. I love that Jack's Abby makes such wonderfully unique lagers, and that it's a neighborhood brewery for those of us in the Boston area. The 1/2 liter bottle and label are beautiful, and the color and aroma are great. What's exceptional for me was the mouthfeel, so very smooth and silky, and the taste is great. Drinking this beer was a treat!

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2013 23:06:13 | More by AnitaBrewski

jdhilt

New Hampshire

3.95/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours with a four-finger, khaki head that fades slowly leaving some lace. Black color, hints of mahogany highlights. Light-medium carbonation and medium bodied. Nose is light smoke and chocolate and flavor is smooth baked chocolate with hints of smoke. $3.50 for a 500ml bottle, from Giles Fine Wine Arlington, MA.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2013 21:21:48 | More by jdhilt

donkeyrunner

Massachusetts

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

Dark brown and sporting a friendly, pale tan head. Steady retention leaves a few worm trails of foam. Neat German influenced (I'm assuming) .5 liter bottle.

Smells like woody cocoa nibs and mild smoke. Tastes like it smells: gentle smoke wraps around smooth roast malt. A very gentle beer. The smoke is present but not overpowering and the roast malt is dark and mildly chocolatey but never acidic or charred.

I just found out that there's a peanut butter of this beer which I now must have.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2013 14:57:39 | More by donkeyrunner

oline73

Maryland

4.13/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from the bottle into a goblet.

Appearance: The beer pours a dark brown color with some red light coming through at the edges. There is a half finger of off white head that fades rather quickly.

Smell: Not as roasty as I would have expected, but the roast compliments everything else nicely. I'm getting bready malt sweetness along with some dark fruit. Just a bit nutty with mild smoke.

Taste: Not quite as nice as the smell, but still quite good. Some bready malt with dark chocolate and smokey notes. I'm getting mild caramel and dark fruit. The finish is slightly bitter with a nice smoke to it.

Mouthfeel: The body is medium with very full carbonation and a slightly dry finish.

Overall: I really enjoyed this beer. I was super easy to drink and quite interesting. I would definitely have more in the future.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2013 01:25:01 | More by oline73

BlackBelt5112203

South Carolina

4.35/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

4 oz pour at Jack’s Abby in a tasting glass at cellar temperature.

L – Brown color with a 2-finger frothy tan head. Great retention and really nice lacing. Clear with a good amount of bubbles as far as I can see.

S – Chocolate malt and a good amount of smokiness as well.

T – Starts off sweet with chocolate and caramel malt and gains spicy smokiness that is almost reminiscent of rye. As the spice mellows at the finish, smooth and sweet cocoa becomes apparent.

F – Light-to-medium-bodied with great prickling carbonation, a mouth-coating but crisp feel, and a sweet finish. Sweet chocolaty malt lingers nicely.

O – This is a great smoked beer. It smells nice and tastes great with much more complexity than expected from the nose. This is really tasty and very drinkable, especially for a smoky beer like this.

Serving type: on-tap

12-30-2012 23:51:49 | More by BlackBelt5112203

LeRose

Massachusetts

4.33/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

First, I was happy to discover that this beer is not over the top with aggressive smoke or heavy with the roasted malts. Sometimes less is more.

Poured a deep brown with two fingers of rich creamy tan head that thinned quickly, but plenty of foam clung to the glass. Aroma was a whiff of smoke, maybe a little malt underneath. Not much there, really. But the flavor really popped in a nice little surprise package. Definite smokiness, definite roasted malts, some chocolate tones in the dark sweet area, nothing dominates and very well balanced. A little bitter on the finish, but carbonated well enough to brighten things up and make it lively. Crisp and clean. A very balanced, enjoyable brew.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2012 01:23:03 | More by LeRose

dasenebler

Maine

4.15/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Jack's Abby Smoke & Dagger
12/17/12
.5L bottle, no date

Not really black, more of a dark mahogany with reddish highlights. Modest head dissipates quickly, average lacing. (3.5)

Aroma is clean, though very lagery. Some earthy notes and subtle hops, but that's it really. (3)

Rich chocolate malts and a moderate level of smoke on the palate. Not nearly as smoky as a Schlenkerla, however. Bready, light-roast coffee. Not sweet at all, with a dry, crisp finish. Smooth bitterness complements the malt character without overwhelming the subtleties. Carbonation is medium-low, with a soft, lilting mouthfeel. A very authentic and elegant lager. (4.5, 4.5)

This is one of the best American-made lagers I've had. I love the dryness combined with the malt complexities, all in a highly drinkable package. The other Jack's Abby brews I've had have been somewhat underwhelming, but Smoke & Dagger is excellent. (4.5)

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2012 22:53:00 | More by dasenebler

homebrew311

Illinois

4.05/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Received in trade with cbeer88- thanks man! Appearance is a deep auburn with crimson highlight, layer of tan head with plenty of sticky lacing. The nose is like a campfire, heavily smoked with layers of hickory, ash, and roasted malts. The taste meets the palate with some caramel malt character which brings a little sweetness before the smoke cuts through. Roasted malts and smoke take turns as it finishes with heavy woody smoke character. This is a very flavorful and smokey rauchbier, lots of depth in the flavor. The mouthfeel is somewhat thin with moderate to high carbonation. Overall, a winner, especially if smoked beers are your thing.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2012 04:57:27 | More by homebrew311

BigCheese

Massachusetts

3.9/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle purchased right at the brewery.

A: Pours a dark ruby brown, near black. Medium sized tan head. Some decent lacing.

S: Toasted and roasted malts, got an english nutty bready smell.

T: Caramel, Molasses, brown bread. Roasted malts. Slightly smoky/peaty and a tad salty ham flavor. Some chocolate notes too. Its got a malt bitterness to it in a robust porter kinda way. Espresso notes/dark coco mixed with smoke.

M: High carbonation, lighter mouthfeel, still got a decent creamyness to it. Definitely sessionable and has that refreshing lager character.

O: Havent had many black lagers or rauchbiers, but I like this one. Theres a smoky aspect but its not overpowering. A solid session brew that I think would be easy to like.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2012 02:32:04 | More by BigCheese