Vas19 (293), Maryland, USA Mar 8, 2008 Bomber. Extremely fizzy, literally 90% head. Something wrong with this bottle maybe? I found the nose to be relatively tight, maybe a little caramel. After a few minutes the head settled to reveal a nice black color. The first thing that came to my mind when i tasted it was smoked bacon. There is a hint of sweet malt and coffee but the smoke dominates. I think there was something off with this bottle though. DocHop (278), Baltimore, Maryland, USA Mar 8, 2008 Pours very dark with a massive and thick tan head... bomber may have been dropped at some point... Roasted caramel coffee aroma, smells more sweet then smoky. Strong but smooth coffee taste with a roasted malt finish. Smoke is kind of an overlay to the entire taste. pantanap (1322), Chicago, Illinois, USA Mar 6, 2008 tap had at the Stone Bistro on 3/2.... a dark brown almost black pour allowing some light to penetrate. topped off with a tan had that settled after some time.... nose of chocolate malt with lighter hints of smoke and ash....flavores of smoke, burnt roast, chocolate. really light on the palate overall, smooth and highly drinkable. RunDWP (203), San Jose, California, USA Mar 5, 2008 Updated: Jul 16, 2008Pours a solid light brown head, pitch black color. Slight aroma of chocolate. Rich, toasted malt and chocalte flavors with slight smokey flavor at the end. Not much hops bitterness. Goes down surprisingly smooth for all those strong flavors. I’m amazed how well they’ve balanced all the rich flavors, especially the smoke. It’s easy to ruin something with too strong a smokey taste. SQNfan (591), Wheaton, Illinois, USA Mar 3, 2008 Bomber. Notes are from memory. This was sweeter than the Alaskan Porter drank side by side and did not show much smokiness at all. A soft but weighty palate with a sweet midpalate. McGarnigle (302), Rochester, New York, USA Mar 1, 2008 Bomber. Nearly black, not much head. I agree that the smoke isn’t quite the lead actor here, though it is present along with the usual coffee and chocolate. Mostly dry. I’m not sure I like the smoke...it’s a bit ashy. Body is medium, a tad over-fizzed. I didn’t like this as much as others did. HomeBrewHawk (263), De Soto, Kansas, USA Mar 1, 2008 22oz brown bomber, served in a shaker pint. Poured a dark brown almost black with a couple of fingers of fine bubbled tan head. Not a lot of smoke in the aroma, some chocolate malt and a little hops. Roasty, chocolate malt flavor that quickly gives way to the smoke. Dry finish with the smoke and chocolate malt really lingering. A fair amount of hop bitterness in the middle. Smoke seems to come out more as the beer warms.
A solid smoke flavor without being overwhelming on top of a good base beer. Flavors of the base beer come through. Gregis (1132), Shawnee, Kansas, USA Feb 29, 2008 Bomber purchased at Crown Liquors #15, in Fishers, IN. Pours a deep reddish brown with a sizable creamy/frothy head that leaves behind a trail of sticky lace. The nose is truly interesting. On the pour, I am hit by an aroma that reminds me of a peanut butter and banana sandwich (emphasis on the fruit). As the head diminishes, the peanut butter transitions into more of a cocoa note with a touch of fruity hops in the background. Medium-bodied and slick, with a smoky, roasted and lightly bitter finish. Thr flavor features a lot more roasted character than the nose would indicate. The flavor runs from dark roast, caramel and chocolate malt to a hard wood smokiness and fruity hops at the conclusion. This is a tasty and very drinkable porter with a subtle smokiness that supports, rather than dominates, the flavor. I would bet this pairs well with all kinds of foods. I suppose that i will have to acquire some more and find out if I’m right.
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