Napa Smith Bonfire Imperial Porter

Brewed by Napa Smith Brewery
Style: Imperial/Strong Porter
Napa, California USA

Serve in Shaker, Snifter

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Bottle. Dark brown body and a tan head. Nose has dark fruit and mild coffee and chocolate notes. Taste is medium sweet and mildly bitter. Flavor is mostly of raisin and sweet dark fruit with roast and coffee notes secondary. Kind of a lightly roasty doppelbock at times. Body is on the lighter side of medium and is fairly smooth. Not bad but definitely doesn’t live up to its billing as an imperial porter.

Amber brown pour. The nose is a little bit chewy and sweet. The body has a soft sweetness. Slightly toasty with a fairly clean aroma and flavour. No real roastiness or cocoa so it comes across as more dunkel than it does porter. A touch of light vanilla on the back of the palate.

bottle thanks to bhensonb. pours a light black with an average tan head... some coffee and light chocolate notes on the nose... medium body with a smooth roasted malt character... more light coffee, a touch of bitterness and some lingering dark fruit notes. sweet finish with some roasted coffee...

Thanks Hayduke. A big thick tan three finger head with excellent retention. Body is very dark brown with ample red. A delicious aroma highlights the hops with complex fruit and some earth. That also describes the flavor profile. Throw in some soft chocolate. That fruit is all over the place. Sweet and soft citrus to raisins and figs. Alcohol is also present. There is a bit of root, perhaps sassafras, that defines the aftertaste. Not a porter in any classic sense but quite pleasing.

Bottle, home. Not bad but fairly boring for a big porter. Deep ruby with a head that puffs up and fades relatively quickly, leaving no lacing. Aroma is plums, apricots, apples, chocolate, very mild roast and some alcohol - it’s pretty good, leaning toward the fruity malt side of things without entirely leaving the chocolate/roast out. Flavor is sweet and fairly boring. There’s none of the ashy flavors of most good porters or the rich fruitiness of others. It’s just kind of a mild sweetness with a bit of hops in the finish. Feel is good enough. This is a fine beer and not a bad price, but it’s just another relatively boring beer from Napa Smith.

Tap @ small bar. Mostly clear deep amber pour with a small beige ring, light lacing. Nose and flavor consisted of roasted malt, coffee grounds and a ouch of bittersweet chocolate.

Bottle shared at JoeMcPhee’s during the 2010 Winter Olympics Gold Medal hockey game: Deep brown pour with a tan film of head. Mild roast, chocolate, mild smoky notes as well (though subtle). Creamy body with a chocolaty fore flavor. There’s also a very subtle smoky presence in the mid-flavor which precedes a more spicier character on the back with peppery notes and anise. Dry, balanced, a solid Porter.

Bottle I think from wavers1. Pours dark brown with a thin off white head. Smells of roasted malt, raisins, some spicy hints. Tastes spicy and chocolatey with some sweet fruity hints.

Bomber. Pours dark brown with red highlights, and a dense brown head. Aroma is sweet, with roasted malt and chocolate. Flavor is sweet malt, almost syrupy at times, with some dark fruits. Considerable roastiness in the finish. Quite creamy. An odd example, and a bit straightforward and sweet, but enjoyable enough.

650 ml bottle from Holiday in Escondido. Pours black with amber highlights and a small khaki head that soon recedes to 1/4 inch and holds. The aroma is mild with roasted grains, some dark fruit and dust. The flavor is rich and complex with earthy flavors in the forefront; roasted grains, dirt, raisins and biter walnuts. The palate is just a bit uneven starting thin and gradually building to a pasty conclusion, the carbonation is lively. The finish is long with lingering earthy hops. Overall: I really like the strong porter category, this one, while not one of the greats, did not disappoint.