Querkus Smoked Oaked Porter - Ridgeway Brewing

UDbeernut

New York

3.73/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottle from coldbrewky, no freshness info, poured into a pint glass.

Deep amber with tan on the edges, no head what so ever. Nose has nut, light smoke, caramel. Taste is wonderfully complex with the the same as the nose minus the nut, add flower. Mouth is medium bodied and creamy. Yum.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2012 03:55:18 | More by UDbeernut

StonedTrippin

Colorado

3.64/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

a cool beer, I think understated next to some of the American versions, but I like that in this context. it pours deep deep ruby to brown, with a real short lived off white foamy head. the nose is dark and toffee rich English malts, medium to light roast, with a touch of smoky malt and a charred oak finish. the flavor is identical, mildly bitter in the finish, mildly sweet up front. the wood presence is good, better that it might be from whiskey barrels, its fresher than that, and the flavors all work together exceptionally well. some subtle licorice flavors too, blending with the wood. the malt is a little off, sort of sweet sort of stale, it stands out in the finish as out of place, but its not at all unpleasant. the feel works. mellow carbonation and a robust medium body. the more it warms the more I like it, going to drink the last half of this bottle slowly on those grounds. a well made beer, a cool new step out of the box for ridgeway.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2013 01:10:47 | More by StonedTrippin

MarvinSnyder

West Virginia

4/5  rDev +9.3%

03-16-2013 16:00:14 | More by MarvinSnyder

Arborescence

Finland

3.6/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Served in room temperature. I had the version designed for the Finnish stores, with 4.50 ABV.

Appearance: Dark, but not fully opaque. Pours a one finger foamy head that recedes quickly.

Aroma: Malty, with a hint of peat and smoke. Not as smoky as you might expect, but it's clearly present.

Taste: The malt is the most prominent flavour, with a hint of caramel. The smoking brings in some bitterness, but it's not a particularly smoky beer otherwise. Tasty, but rather mild.

Mouthfeel: Smooth, medium bodied

Overall: I think that the 5.80% ABV version of this would probably be better, as now the beer tastes rather mild. Although it could use more of the smoky flavour too. It's perfectly drinkable, but nothing spectacular.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2012 16:26:12 | More by Arborescence

PEIhop

Massachusetts

3.75/5  rDev +2.5%

11-18-2012 01:18:02 | More by PEIhop

CWhite

Wisconsin

3.75/5  rDev +2.5%

11-11-2012 03:20:21 | More by CWhite

Salsais

Finland

4.5/5  rDev +23%

09-07-2012 18:38:57 | More by Salsais

MarkyMOD

Colorado

4/5  rDev +9.3%

08-07-2012 06:00:01 | More by MarkyMOD

smcolw

Massachusetts

3.5/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Four fingered head, leaving plenty of spotty lace. The brew is solid brown where light shines through faintly.

Cocoa aroma with a background metal distraction.

I like that the smoked element is mild. Starts with a neutral chocolate flavor. There's a bit of hop in the swallow, but the aftertaste is mostly cocoa. The metal does show up but in the background. Good body.

Serving type: bottle

07-22-2012 00:05:27 | More by smcolw

jazzyjeff13

United Kingdom (England)

3.95/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A 500ml bottle with a BB of Aug 2012. ABV is stated as 4.5%. Acquired a while back from Beeritz in Leeds. The label mentions that this is made with Scottish peated whisky malt and is matured over fragments of French oak barrels. Bottle conditioned.

Poured into a tulip pint glass. A deep, hazy reddish-brown hue with medium carbonation. Yields a large head of creamy off-white foam that quickly subsides to a surface layer. Aroma of dark roasted malt with notes of smoke, coffee, woodiness and stewed hops. Hints of yeast and caramel.

Tastes of roasted malt with a smoky, woody character and a dry finish. Notes of earthy smoke, oakiness, coffee, burnt grain, bitter cocoa, stewed hops, subtle caramel and yeast. A restrained, dry bitterness upon swallowing. Mouthfeel is smooth and tingly, with well-judged carbonation, however a tad too thin for the style. Mildly astringent. Aftertaste of smoky roasted malt.

Tasty - an interesting and impressive effort from Ridgeway. It's not everyday that you come across a smoked beer from the UK, particularly one that uses peat-smoked malt. The smoke and wood come through nicely in the aroma/flavour, without overpowering the overall character. The only fault is a rather insubstantial body which doesn't live up to the beer's flavour. However, this is a minor peccadillo that can be overlooked. A quirky brew that is well worth sampling if you have the chance.

Serving type: bottle

07-14-2012 23:28:24 | More by jazzyjeff13

Bung

North Carolina

3.73/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

500ml. Very dark brown, thin layer of off white.

Aroma, malt, caramel, peat. Fairly simple.

Taste, More carmelly malt, peat, toffee. Vanilla and fainter nutty chocolate.

Lighter bodied than I'd like. Ample carbonation. Drinks pretty easy, though it is a little sweet.
A little more basic than I had hoped, but it is still good.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2012 05:07:11 | More by Bung

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.7/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Chocolate and wood. Roast and chocolate aroma. Medium bodied porter, pours jet black with virtually no head. Good drinkability as soft carbonation, though the wood was not that well integrated and enjoyable. Understated roast, mild smoke. US version at 5.8%.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2012 01:01:04 | More by northyorksammy

Fermenticusrex

Pennsylvania

3.65/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from 500 ml bottle into pub pint glass

Appearence deep mahogony red cream colored head with nice lacing
Smell slight oak notes not much else
Taste some nice oak flavor, a little vanilla, little smoke, some nice roasted flavor
Mouthfeel carbed perfectly, not too thick, not to thin, just right
Overall pretty good, compares well to great divides smoked baltic porter. Would love to try on cask.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2012 23:39:24 | More by Fermenticusrex

DarthKostrizer

California

4.18/5  rDev +14.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Thanks to Alucard4 for sharing this one

Look: Very dark mahogany color with a 1/4 inch off white head and little to no retention

Smell: Great nose consisting of smoke, oak, and vanilla

Taste: Upfront is a great amount of smoke. The smoke does hide a bit of the other flavors and I don't have a problem with it one bit. In the background are chocolate, vanilla, and oak

Mouthfeel: Thin body and mildly carbonated would have liked the body to be thicker

Overall: A great smoked porter. Great smokey flavor that is not overpowering perfectly balanced. Great example of what a smoked beer could be

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2012 22:56:48 | More by DarthKostrizer

peoplewithhands

Nebraska

3.5/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a bottle into a pint glass

Appearance: Poured with a large creamy head that thins out quite a bit but stays throughout, lacing the glass as you drink. Dark black body slightly reddish.

Smell:Strongly of coffee and smoke with some sweet malt.

Taste: Initial hit of smoky bitterness with an overtone of coffee. Under all this is sweetness.

Mouthfeel: medium body with some carbonation

Overall: Decent porter

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2011 06:27:23 | More by peoplewithhands

RuckusDu

Colorado

3.9/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Sometimes I don't always know what I'm doing, so I picked this up one day thinking it was a different beer.

A - Pours a nice black body with 3 finger light tan head that sticks around for a bit becoming a little rocky and stick so the sides of the glass.

S - Standard porter scent. Faint chocolate, but mostly roasted malts. Not much else.

T - Definitely some milk chocolate followed by roasted coffee flavors. The oak is very scares.

M - Light like a porter with good carbonation.

O - A nice tasty porter, but nothing too exciting here.

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2011 00:30:18 | More by RuckusDu

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.9/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served in a Gale Sayers shaker pint glass.

I've had some good experience with the smoke and oak combination before (Eiche, baby!), so I'm jazzed for a potential encore. This stuff pours a clear ruby-auburn topped by a finger of creamy tan foam. The nose comprises caramel, light char, light cocoa, honey, and buttery biscuits. The taste holds notes of rich toffee, mild hickory smoke, very light molasses, buttery biscuits, and a few drops of honey. The body is a light-leaning medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a slightly creamy feel. Overall, a solid brew, one that seemed to emanate a smoked-Heath-bar kinda vibe. Works for me...

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2011 04:43:53 | More by TMoney2591

czechsaaz

Washington

3.6/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Lots of roast malt aroma and as advertised, smokey and woody. Hops not a factor in a porter.

Deep brown with red highlights held up to light. Poured with a really small head that ends up a little ring of tan around the glass.

It's a very nice british porter right off. Malty sweet with a god amount of roast which provides more bittering than the hops but hop bittering is in there. But I don't get much wood or smoke.

Medium-low bodied and right for english porter. Lively carbonation.

Well, a good English porter that hits all the right notes but... Since they've marketed it as smoked and something special, kind of misses the mark.

Serving type: bottle

07-30-2011 06:31:06 | More by czechsaaz

emerge077

Illinois

3.33/5  rDev -9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Dark brownish black coloration, thin skim of tan foam. Murky appearance, nothing too exciting. Low retention.

Mellow vanilla and cola notes, not unlike the Innis & Gunn Rum Cask sampled recently. Light molasses sweetness, wet peated barley, not especially smoky. Sort of watered down and not particularly expressive.

Flavors were similarly muted, mild vanilla and brown sugar, mellow smoke notes. Kind of watery in the body, not too memorable unfortunately. Best shared, not a repeat buy.

Serving type: bottle

07-18-2011 04:46:29 | More by emerge077

drpimento

Wisconsin

3.93/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Not bad, not bad. Let this warm up a bit out of the fridge. Poured with a medium sized tan head the mostly settles down quickly and a tiny bit of lace. Color is a very dark, clear garnet with bubble trails. Aroma is roasty dark malt, toffee, and a whiff of smoke. Flavor is similar to nose, only slightly sweet and cut through by carbonic tang. Body is decent and carbonation leans towards fizziness. Finish is like flavor, quite mild and medium in length. Session beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-15-2011 23:16:57 | More by drpimento

ppoitras

Massachusetts

3.9/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

500ml bottle purchased somewhere localish.

Poured into an imperial pint glass, formed a 1/2" beige head over the clear reddish brown brew. Head dwindles at an average pace, with slow-falling coating lace. Aroma is lightly smoked.

Taste begins with moderate sweet malts, smoke wisps through int he middle, citrus hops in the close, along with more smoke character. Mouthfeel is soft over the tongue, and drinkability is easy. It's no Schlenkerla, but it'll satisfy the smoke fix for a bit.

Serving type: bottle

06-25-2011 01:27:14 | More by ppoitras

wschmit

Illinois

3.78/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Half-liter bottle into a Duvel tulip.

A: A large, creamy, off-white head caps a nearly opaque ruby body. Not hazy at all, but difficult to see through. More red and ruddy than I expected, but pretty nonetheless.

S: Just a hint of toastiness and peat on the nose, with a surprising amount of hops coming through. It even smells a touch alcoholic, despite an average ABV. I expected a killer nose, but this is subtle, and a bit underwhelming.

T: The taste makes up for that. All the right notes are there: toasted, crusty bread, damp coffee grounds, noticeable hopping, and then a bit of vanilla and, if I strain a bit, some smoke. Akin to Stone's Smoked Porter, with a very mild smoke profile, but this is a touch better.

M: Smooth and rich without cloying. Carbonation's mild, and thus appropriate. A relatively easy drinker.

O: A pretty good beer, but at 6.50, I don't think I'd get it again. Stone Smoked Porter is a better value, even if it isn't oaked--the oak here isn't enough to merit the premium price.

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2011 04:09:12 | More by wschmit

Tone

Missouri

3.8/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a black color. One inch head of an off-white color. Great retention and great lacing. Smells of slight smoke, sweet malt, hint of roasted malt, slight yeast, and hint of hops. Fits the style of an English Porter. Mouth feel is smooth and clean, with an average carbonation level. Tastes of smoke, slight sweet malt, slight roasted malt, and hint of hops. Overall, good appearance, aroma, and blend.

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2011 12:15:56 | More by Tone

jlindros

Massachusetts

3.58/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Nice fluffy almost 2 finger head fades at a med pace over dark brown color with hints of brownish light coming through, and some lacing.

Nose is lots of malts, toasty and very nutty malts, light toasted pecans, maple and brown sugar, some light toasted oak, light smoke, light syrupy dme like aroma.

Taste starts with more syrupy malts, plenty of crystal malts, light toasted oak, light maple and brown sugar, some smoke but not a lot, nutty malts again, light earthy slight herbal hop, a bit sweet and hint of dark fruit, finishes a bit better and spicy hops, sticky but dry, lingering light smoke and lots of malts and syrupy tasting almost.

Mouth is med bodied with decent carb.

Overall decent, nice flavors, a but syrupy and light on the smoke, nice malts and good hop addition.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2011 03:00:08 | More by jlindros

albern

Massachusetts

3.73/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This beer deserves better than a C+ for sure. It is an English Style porter with lots of toffee flavors and aromas, and it just isn't your typical American Porter so I think it's getting panned on that basis. The pours a nice ruby brown color with a slightly foamy head, a touch of lace, some retention. The nose is English Pale Malts, toffee, caramel, roasted notes. This is very typical for the style. What I'm not getting is much of the smoked and oaked flavors in the nose.

The flavor is a bit more smoked, and oaken barrelled, but still very toffee flavored, a touch of diacetyl, some caramels, roasted notes, and a touch of bittering hop, maybe a tiny bit of spice. The taste is quite a bit drying in the finish, very British in character. This is a good British style porter with lots of toffee.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2011 20:33:10 | More by albern