Town Hall Northern Waters Smoked Porter

Pours a clear and dark reddish brown, topped by a huge head of soft frothy suds, pock-marked with lots of craters (like the surface of the moon, or at least the surface of an English muffin). Great head retention, decent lacing. Chocolate malt and smoke in the aroma. Flavors of roasted malt, bitter chocolate, sweet chocolate, a little toffee, and lots of smoke. Smoky up front, and more so in the finish – nicely woody with just a little sharp and acrid (which is a compliment, by the way). Medium to full body, solid carbonation.

Oaky brown color. Aroma is tilted heavily on the woodsy, charcoal, briskety thing, obviously. The first sip is a rush of roasted malt that’s quite savory, and tinged by some flavor of copper like sucking on pennies. Aftertaste of oversalted beef jerky. The smoke handily complements the richness of malt in this example, not being strong enough to overpower, but with assertiveness enough to matter. Well done.

Grainy, chocolatey, lightly roasty, lightly smoky aroma. Opaque black body with low tan head that recedes to ring. Chocolatey, lightly roasty flavour with subdued smokiness. Dry medium body with moderate carbonation that is engaging on the tongue. Sampled at GABF 2005.

On-tap at the brewpub: Nice deep and dark brown body with nearly black appearance in lower light. Large cap of speckled tan foam sits for good length before finally settling to a firm skim and lacing sticking in minimal blobs and strings. Aroma is roasted grains and chocolate with a slight smokey bonfire cedar chip hint. Flavors are mild to start with smooth and adequately easy roasted grains and malts. Small bits of chocolate make its way in around the edges. Finish totally makes this all the while with a fantastic little realm of smokey cedar over light molasses and roasted grain coming across with a very subtle growth of charcoal and smoldering wood and grasses. Very nice on the finish with this particular porter. Nothing like the Sparnfarkel from beers past that was more tangy and sweetness sitting in the back. This stays steady with a light roast and a chocolate coating that eases right down. Then that fun little finish slides in and takes a wonderful turn of smoked wood treats. This pint was gone in no time flat as it goes down very well. Keeping a medium to light carbonation and body to its character. A pleasant surprise to find this still on the board along with the Grand Cru and Thunderstorm. This made our lunch visit a longer then expected one.