Alaskan Smoked Porter

Brewed by Alaskan Brewing Company
Style: Smoked
Juneau, Alaska USA

Serve in Dimpled mug, Lager glass, Stein

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Bottle: fairly typical porter look. Deep, dark brown with a smallish medium brown head. Aroma was smoky, but not overly so. Flavor of mostly smoke, but somehow it did not overpower. Next to no bitterness. Mild chocolate and roastiness. A very nice brew.

Very dark. Ruby highlights flashed occassionally, but this was dark enough to be a stout. The head was weak and dissipated quickly. The aroma was smoky, but it wasn't overpowering. I'm not a big smoke fan, so this was a positive. The smoke actually worked nicely in the beer as it melded with the malts nicely. Smoked chocolate and a bit of pear flashes as the beer warms.

I am a lover of a porters and Rauchbiers, so with that said... this beer was made for me. I really liked the smokey/roasted malt aroma from the first pop of the cap to the end of the glass. Alot more hops than I was anticipating. Smooth chewy roasted barley flavor with a smoked malt profile, that was not over the top. I suggest serving this warmer to get the fully monty of flavors that eminate from this one...I think that this would pare nicely with a good steak !

Holy salty pork grinds batman! This smells an awful lot like bacon, salt and pork grinds combined. Definite smoky aspects, dark brown color with significant carbonation and a semi-long lasting soapy head of a slight off orange color. Very full of flavor. Heavy salts and smokes...good roasts. Dry, salty finish, slight tingle of sourness. Very pleasant... This was aged since 1999 so the aging absolutely did wonders. PS... THANKS MITCH~

(2000) Dark, thick looking beer under minimal to zero head. Smoke is readily apparent in the air and I'm glad there isn't much head or it might be nauseatingly pungent. Hops only show up in bitterness as this porter is mostly reminding me of burnt malts. Dry bitter finish. I think this beer would definitely benefit from some rest in a cellar.

I liked this Smoked Porter its a very well balanced. Pours Jet Black. At first taste it reminded me of Smoked Italian Mozzarell. Smokey, malty, coffee, and lite fruit flavor. Finnishes smooth, dry, and clean. Recommended.

This porter pours with a dark brown to black body topped by a medium thick creamy tan head with lots of lacing. The aroma is full of smokiness with subtle hints of malt, coffee and chocolate. The flavor is smokey and malty with a touch of roasted coffee. Medium to full bodied, smooth and slighlty dry.

Black like an Alaskan winter's night. Mega-thin beige head. Harsh woodsmoke aroma, like a bottle of artificial smoke-flavored liquid was dumped into my brew. This so-called "alder-smoking" technique Alaskan Brewing uses is certainly potent, whatever it is. Roastiness is simply massive, but the smokiness dominates even that. There's a hint of coffee here, as well. What makes this beer interesting is the dichotomy between its thinness and the strength of its flavors. This is indeed more of a porter than a stout. I can see some hardcore rauchbier lovers getting into this beer. Look for the subtle whiff of bacon when you taste it.

UPDATED: APR 1, 2004 2003 Vintage sampled Jan 04 Bottle. Jet black, thin beige head, moderate condition. Excellent smokey aroma from the start with chocolate and roasted barley developing with time and a slight beefiness. Hugely smokey in the mouth with a slight metallic edge and some roast barley, but the chocolate and hops of last years batch are much more muted in the 2003. Roasted dryness in the mouth with a lingering hint of woodsmoke. Hugely more enjoyable than the 2002 vintage, much more pronounced sweet smokiness all round. 2002 Vintage sampled Jan 04 8-3-8-3-16 3.8 Bottled, jet black, low beige head and moderate condition. Fruity aromas with hints of berries, roast barley chocolate and coffee, some smokey phenols noticable but at low level. Harsh woodsmoke initialy in the mouth but balanced by some sweet chocolate and roast barley. Sweet in the finish with strange lingering hint of cola. Same batch as previous tasting, hope the remaining five bottles don't go downhill at the same rate. 2002 Vintage sampled May 03 8-3-9-4-17 4.1 Bottled. Black, moderate beige head and moderate condition. Complex aromas that began with dominant chocolate and roast barley that then developed a delicate smokey edge with a resinous herbal note as it warmed. In the mouth the chocolate and roast barley were more apparent that the smoke but it still made its way through into the finish but the roast barley dryness lingered longest in the earthy finish.

Why is this not a top 50 beer? Amazing brew - knocked my socks off. Charcoal nose, dark brown color, low frothy head. Roasted malt with burnt and smokey flavors dominating. Espresso-like finsih. Thinish, but a great great balance. Thanks, Joe!