2.9 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 3/10 PALATE 2/5 OVERALL 12/20
Sampled a keg from 2005 at The Blind Tiger’s Very Special Keg Night 11/19/08: "Smoke water," according to my friend Joe. I had to agree. Nice smoky notes, but no balance. No malty bass notes to play off of the bitter, smoky aftertaste. One dimensional.
3.7 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 15/20
Tap at the Blind Tiger VSK event. Deep dark black beer. Aroma is loaded with smoke and ash. Deep cherry character with a lot of light fruitiness as well. Pretty solid flavour, rich smokiness with a touch of tartness. Smoky and chewy, but the smoke has a different quality than most other smoked beer. Chewy palate... really damn tasty.
3.7 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 14/20
Tap at the Blind Tiger for VSK, 2005 keg. Very chocolatey, rich, great smoke. Surprisingly pungent considering its age. Chalky with great roast, cappuccino flavors. Reminds me of Valentines Day. Very dry smoke, not hammy at all like most American smoked beers. A solid offering. Must have been fantastic fresh.
3.4 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 14/20
2005 Version on Tap at Blind Tiger VSK 2008: Pours a very deep brown with a tan ring of head. Aroma has some smokiness, leaning towards sweet peat and roasted chocolate malt notes. Average carbonation. The flavor is slightly smoky with chocolate malt notes accompanied by a sour dough note in there. Sweet peat and cocoa roasted flavor come through into the finish. Has held up well over three years, showing little age, it just needs more smoke!
3.4 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 14/20
Draught at The Gate. Minimal tan head atop the usual dark brown-black body. Dark coffee and chocolate aromas with fairly substantial infusion of campfire smokiness in the nose. Flavor much less chocolate than dark roast, almost charred, coffee with a woody smoke which brings it to a meaty/bacon finish. Smooth mouthfeel with fine carmonation. Another nice one from the Brewmaster seiries.
3.3 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 12/20
On tap at Blue Dog Pub. Pours a deep black with a medium size dark bubbly tan head. Aroma of caramel, butterscotch and hints of smoke. Flavor of milk chocolate, light campfire smoke, caramel, hints of coffee, interesting mix of smoke, sweet malts and chocolate. Also picking up on some dark fruits.
4.1 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 17/20
On tap at the Old Toad. Black pour with a nice creamy head. Aroma is smoked but not peat. More like hickory smoke. Very nice body, rich flavor of chocolate and smoke. Very nice.
3.5 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 14/20
On tap. Poured a dark brown color with a small sized off white head. Aromas of light smoke, chocolate, and vanilla. Tastes of smoke, chocolate, light roast and vanilla. Although the body was on the thin side, I found it nice and smooth. I would have preferred the smoke piece to be a little stronger.
3.9 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20
Dark brown pour with a medium and tight beige head. Strong coffee aroma with notes of vanilla, roasted malt, melting chocolate and only mild smoke. Sweet but balanced flavors of milk chocolate, toffee, coffee, and deeply roasted malt all enveloped by a thin veil of smoke. Mouthfeel is silky and the finish is refreshing. This is a well-crafted porter which I would buy fairly often if Brooklyn ever decided to offer it in bottles.
3.4 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 14/20
TAP NY. Pours almost black wtih a thin tan head. Has a slight smokey aroma and somewhat medicinal, but the pronounced wood smoke that I am familiar with in smoked porters wasnt very apparent. Flavor is thick sweet malts, lots of roast and some campside smokefire hints along with a hint of phenolics. Somewhat sweet upfront but finishes off a bit harsh, dry acrid and lightly smokey. Pretty good overall, but not as intense as Alaskan, or as smooth as Stone.
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