Stone Smoked Porter

Brewed by Stone Brewing Co.
Style: Porter
Escondido, California USA

pours out clear black with a thin partially bubbly grayish beige head that settled rather fast. the body is pretty black with no light penetration and no bubbles rising up that i can see. the aromas are bitter chocolate with hints of smoke and dark roasted coffee beans. i also smell peat, grass, malts, and some sugar with no real hoppy smell, but is still bitter to the nose. it is medium bodied and finishes pretty dry. i taste some smokey wood, coffee, chocolate and milk. the carbonation is pretty smooth but still a little to much for the tongue for this style of beer. the aftertaste is nicely sweet and sticks around very nicely for a little while and leaves a watery feeling on the tip of the tongue. very enjoyable and this beer could be paired with a whole range of culinary dishes very well.

Bottle. Pours a beautiful deep, nearly opaque mahogany that light barely escapes. Atop it sits long-lasting tan head around a finger thick. Aroma is predominantly coffee and a little smoky. Flavor is a complex intermingling of bitter chocolate, coffee and smoked malts that linger on the palate for a while afterward. Quite good.

Dark, dark ruby color. Appears black at first. Nice easy pour produces a frickin’ huge head of dense tan foam, which has hellish retention. Will it ever go away? Wow. Impressive for sure, but almost too much. Lacing is nice and sticky. Big chocolatey malts. A touch of smoke. Light hint of some hop spiciness. Hints of caramel and dark fruits. Big earthiness quality. A fairly complex nose. Big flavor of roasted malt. Underlying hint of smokiness, not nearly as much as I expected. Sweetness of vanilla and caramel. Nice earthy quality here, also. Very slight hops bite. Light chocolate and coffee notes. Hints of dark fruits. Good solid medium boby. Good level of creaminess. This is an excellent porter, overall. I would drink many of these, and often, if given the opportunity. Not as smoky as may have been expected, but a very good offering from Stone, nonetheless.

Bomber poured into a snifter; borderline viscous for a porter, nearly ink-black, quickly-developing thick white head that stays put forever. Nose is heavy with a mixture of dark fruits (blackberry?) and bitter coffee; touch of smoke. Tastes of strong dark chocolate, nearly burnt peat, with a touch of espresso on the palate. Finishes clean, but lingers in the sinuses. My new favorite porter.

Definitely "smokey" characteristics. Nice looking dark ruby appearance with lacing. Can’t rate as one of my favorite porters. Looking for some sweetness to balance the bitter smoked malts, but I can see how this might be appreciated by many tasters.

A nice deep rich brown color with a creamy beige head. An earthy peat scent. Has a fairly strong smoky peat flavor with tobacco undertones. Finishes with a medium bitter bite. I expected a stronger, bigger beer from the look of it. Kind of make me think of a beer made from garden soil and mulch. Not totally unpleasant beer but not one that I would recommend to friends.

Bottle. Smoke and coffee dominate the scent. Opaque black pour with a HUGE frothy head. Taste is similar, black coffee with smoky undertones. The smokiness isn’t the main flavor, but it adds a nice background - you can taste it all the way through.

Draft at the Brew House Grille in Camp Hill. Poured black in color with a thin tan head. Aroma of light smoke, chocolate. Tastes of smoked malts, chocolate, roasted coffee. Nice body.