Short's Smoked Apple Ale - Short's Brewing Company

EROlsizzle

Ohio

2.65/5  rDev -25.8%
look: 1.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.5

Brought a 6 pack back home with me after a visit to my parents' up in MI. I don't know if I got a bad 6 or what, but the beer is over-carbonated to the point that I can only pour about 2 oz. in any kind of glassware at any time before the head explodes almost to the point of overflowing. It lingers too, so it takes me 10 minutes to even pour one. The aroma and flavor are very, very smokey, which I like. It tastes a little odd with the apples, however. I'm sorry to give such a low rating to another interesting beer from a fine brewery. I'm anxious to get my hands on some more of this to see if this was an isolated problem.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2011 01:53:00 | More by EROlsizzle

JohnnieNepal

Michigan

3.75/5  rDev +5%

03-20-2013 18:54:42 | More by JohnnieNepal

SaisonRichBiere

Michigan

3/5  rDev -16%

03-02-2013 02:12:09 | More by SaisonRichBiere

DmanGTR

New York

4.25/5  rDev +19%

01-30-2013 13:17:43 | More by DmanGTR

klipper

Michigan

4/5  rDev +12%

05-13-2012 21:34:07 | More by klipper

szmnnl99

Michigan

2.75/5  rDev -23%

03-24-2012 00:36:13 | More by szmnnl99

ygtbsm94

Virginia

2.5/5  rDev -30%

01-13-2012 07:02:38 | More by ygtbsm94

Marti403

Michigan

2/5  rDev -44%

01-01-2012 23:28:38 | More by Marti403

TCgoalie

Michigan

3/5  rDev -16%

12-29-2011 20:00:49 | More by TCgoalie

TasteTester

Ohio

3/5  rDev -16%

12-17-2011 00:37:14 | More by TasteTester

zoso1967

Michigan

4/5  rDev +12%

11-25-2011 05:46:48 | More by zoso1967

Jips

Kansas

4/5  rDev +12%

11-23-2011 19:24:48 | More by Jips

mmcnaughton

Michigan

3/5  rDev -16%

11-23-2011 12:47:06 | More by mmcnaughton

thebouch01

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +12%

11-15-2011 02:20:07 | More by thebouch01

hippityhops85

Pennsylvania

3.13/5  rDev -12.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Poured from a 12oz bottle into pint glass.

Pours a relatively clear burnt orange with a thin white head that quickly dissipates. Aggressive carbonation is evident.

The nose smells almost like a berliner weisse. Tart apple notes. Reminiscent of DFH Festina Peche except with apples.

The taste is woah. The carbonation takes over the mouth which then follows to a... well tart smoked apple flavor. Initially the tartness is noticed followed by a green apple flavor. As the beer enters the back of the throat the smoked qualities come out but not in an overwhelming way.

The mouth feel detracts from the flavor of the beer in my opinion. The carbonation is so aggressive it creates a prickly feeling on the tongue that is almost uncomfortable. I think some of the apple notes are lost in the carbonation.

All in all, not a bad beer. Very interesting. Verging on a cider.

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2011 18:25:54 | More by hippityhops85

r3o

Florida

2.65/5  rDev -25.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

this one did not go well, it has a hazy orange color, very opaque, no head on mine. On the nose I got a sense of wet vegetables, not really pleasent, uninviting. The taste got better, felt like cider at first, I got the apple flavor but missed the smoke, it did not quite feel like a beer. It has a sweet malt aftertaste. its light-medium body works, high carbonation. I had a sense of void in my mouth after each sip, I could not make up why. Definitely an interesting trip but would pass next time.

Serving type: on-tap

04-30-2011 19:50:41 | More by r3o

emmasdad

Colorado

3.78/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to schmittymack for bringing this one over to the house last Saturday night. I had been wanting to try this one for a while, and I was pleased. Bottle poured a clear gold with a lasting ivory head. Aromas of apple, smoke and light carmel. Palate was medium bodied and smooth. Flavors of apple, smoke and light carmel with a smooth lingering smokey finish.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2011 19:48:22 | More by emmasdad

koopa

New Jersey

3.53/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Appearance: Pours a dull and cloudy orange with a 3 finger white crown that shows moderate retention and some lace. Crown is noticeably rocky as well.

Smell: Faint but nice mixture of sweet red and sour green apples coupled with a moderately strong smelling light charred smoke note. I dig it.

Taste: Big sharpness from the apple (cider like) up front that really isn't very enjoyable in my opinion. Fortunately it reduces as the beer warms. The light char and smoke presence is much stronger than the nose led on. I definitely enjoyed it more as it warmed a bit, as "cold char" was a challenging experience.

Mouthfeel: Light side of medium bodied and slightly over carbonated.

Drinkability: Eh...

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2011 00:53:59 | More by koopa

flexabull

California

4/5  rDev +12%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bottle courtesy of mikesgroove, thanks again!

Pours a hazy gold color with a nice large white head.

Aromas are of cider and lemon zest . Smells good, but where is the smoke?

First sip, ok there is the smoke. Crisp apple cider, lemon zest, creamy toasted caramel malts and nice hints of smoke on the finish.

Mouthfeel is nice, good carbonation, smoothness, and nice body.

Drinkability is quite good. When I poured this, I was kind of stunned that this wasn't a darker beer, but when I sipped, I noticed that this is complex and flavorful. I would like a little more smoke, but this is still a tasty beverage.

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2010 01:03:26 | More by flexabull

tetonka4kzoo

Michigan

3.78/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Has a thin lacey head. It has a nice orange-amber color, looks like a typical wheat ale.

The aroma is a light apple cider vinegar. It has a pleasant scent.

You notice the taste of smoked malt immediately. The apple taste is light which isn't a bad thing; ciders are too sweet. The smoked flavor is nice and not overwhelming. It's also present in the after taste but still enjoyable.

This brew has a typical medium-bodied feel like most wheat ales.

Not too shabby drinkability. I usually only like a couple of smokey or wheat beers for a sitting. I always like trying the varieties from Shorts.

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2010 01:11:45 | More by tetonka4kzoo

hughesm4

Ohio

3.3/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

a- Very carbonated golden brown in color. It starts as a light gold in the bottle of the glass and gradients to a darker brown towards the top of the glass.
s- More of a smokey taste than an apple taste, however there is a slight apple smell towards the end of the drink.
t- There is a little smoke flavor up front, but the majority of the taste is a sweet apple taste that fills the mouth. There is a little bit of a sour taste towards the end of the drink.
m/d- It smells more smokey than it tastes and has a finishing taste of a sweet apple sider. It is a very interesting drink, not one that I would recommend as a must drink, but worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2010 02:37:38 | More by hughesm4

mwa423

Ohio

2.73/5  rDev -23.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

A - Pours a slightly hazy golden with ample heavy white foamy head, if anything far too much head.

S - Very smokey, with a bitter sweetness and a sour apple aroma. There is also some sourness that goes along with this beer. Overall..strange

T - This beer tastes oddly like apples held over a campfire. Along with the smoke, wood and old apple flavors there is a sourness that is unlike a typical artificial sour apple flavor and closer to an apple that should have been thrown away weeks ago.

M/D - Mouthfeel is rough and strange and just odd. As for drinkability, this isn't a beer for everybody and really a concept that should be tried in limited batches.

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2010 02:32:38 | More by mwa423

DavoleBomb

Ohio

3.48/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a pint glass.

4.0 A: Hazed golden orange color. First pour was about 4 fingers of frothy white head. Pretty good retention and moderate lacing.

3.5 S: Dank sourish smokiness with tons and tons of burnt wood. Only a touch of apple in there. The smoke is powerful, like a rauchbier, and covers up a lot of the other flavors.

3.5 T: Interesting like any good Short's brew. The smoke is a bit less powerful than in the nose. Sourish apple comes through a lot more. Apple and smoke are by far the dominant flavors, but there is a solid neutral malt depth underneath with some toffee and toastiness.

3.0 M: I really wish I could drink one goddamn beer from Short's that wasn't sickeningly overcarbonated. This is damn hard to drink stright from the pour because the beer blows up in your mouth. Lighter medium body I think. I can't really tell due to the carbonation. Not smooth at all due to the carbonation.

3.5 D: I probably would have given this a 4.0 for taste if I had been able to taste it. The carbonation level is just way too damn high. It makes the whole experience an ordeal. Still, like many Short's brews, this is both interesting and tasty. I'd want to drink this stuff all the time

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2010 01:28:32 | More by DavoleBomb

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4.58/5  rDev +28.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

so i decided last night to break out 10+, thats right 10+ new shorts beers for a nice sampling with the family. turns out my and my brother in law were the only ones willing to go down this road, so long afternoon for sure. serve cold and consumed on 10/02/2010.

this was easily one of my favorites of the night, and also the one that was the hardest for me to get ahold of. having only the one bottle of it i was the hog here for sure. pours out a nice light amber color with a foamy head that almost breached the glass. lots of very active carbonation.

aroma is equal parts tart green apples and rich campfire smoke that really catches you off guard. letting it warm though brought tears to my eyes. simply amazing character here as the flavor bouncings back between tart apples, sweet notes of brown suagr and rich smoked malts. i do not know how they got this one to work so damn well, but it was blowing me away. clean and crisp with a smooth finish that ends with lots of roasted notes that tingle the palate.

overall an outstanding experiment that was just the top of the night for me. would do this one again in a heartbeat.

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2010 17:20:55 | More by mikesgroove

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

4.28/5  rDev +19.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle into a pint glass.

Very foamy initial pour on this but it quickly settles down into a clear gold, with about 2 fingers of thick and frothy bright-white head. Retention is fairly rich here, holding steady at nearly a finger and throwing some robust swathes of heavy lacing up on the sides. The aroma smells of apple juice and sugary malts, along with some floral tones. The smoked character is fairly pronounced and emerges quite quickly as this warms. Each sniff of this alternates evenly between the notes of apple and smoke.

There is a lot more tartness here in the taste from apples up front, mixing with those bready sugars from the malt to impart a sharp tanginess on the rear on the palate. I love the light bitterness that is present, which adds some earthy accents that perfectly balance out the fruity tartness and sweetness here. The smoke is mostly felt in the backend, lingering with just the faintest feel on the breath and in the back of the throat. The mouthfeel is lighter bodied, with a mellow sharpness that still flows rather nicely, despite just the tiniest bit of alcohol warmth being present.

You know, this one was pretty straightforward but it worked for me. The simplicity of the smoked apples, malt, and hops, kept things uncomplicated and were all in balance with each other, while the flavors were complimented by an easy feeling and smooth body despite the higher ABV. Short's impressed me with this one. It was quite tasty and drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2010 19:05:52 | More by Kegatron