2007 Alaskan Brewing Smoked Porter - Tasting and Aging Notes
By jason on Mar 31, 2008 in Bocks, IPA's, and More, Reviews
Name: Smoked Porter
Brewer: Alaskan Brewing
Style: Rauchbier (Smoked Beer)
Vintage: 2007
Cellared On: November 28th, 2007
Original Tasting: March 31st, 2008
Check out that picture - it’s not too bad of an award haul for a single beer, wouldn’t you say? Alaskan Brewing’s Smoked Porter picked up yet another medal at this year’s Great American Beer Festival - a bronze metal in the “Best Aged Beer” category for the 2004 vintage of this ale.
There were no great surprises as I poured this brew into my glass. It was midnight black with a smokey tan head on it. Interestingly enough, the head wasn’t very stable - it was dropping visibly even as I poured. A rich smoke flavor, reminiscent of campfire was coming from the glass.
What was surprising was the first sip I took of this brew - it wasn’t smoke! A rich delicious flavor of dark roasted malts filled my mouth instead. The smoke, however, wasn’t too far behind. A very deep, rich smokiness quickly comes to the front, quickly overwhelming the malty flavors. The smoke remains strong right through the beer’s finish, and is joined with a little burst of hoppy bitterness at the end. An hour after I finished this brew I was still tasting the smoke.
Although interesting and enjoyable to drink, it would be hard to have more then one right now. The smoke’s just a bit too much right now.
Cellar Outlook: Here’s a few quotes from the Alaskan Brewing Smoked Porter web page that pretty much says it all about how this beer should cellar:
“This fine beer ages beautifully and may be cellared like a fine wine”
“As it ages, the smoke becomes more of a subtle background note. Around the third and fourth years the beer’s other flavors such as sherry, currant, raisin, and toffee-like nuances come forward”. The fifth year sees the reemergence of the smoky character to the forefront.”
Next Tasting: December 2007
Jason
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