Stone Smoked Porter (Stone Brewing Co.)

Attention Stone sales reps in New England!!!! Please see this review as yet another blatant attempt to push the distribution of your products north to the great state of Maine. We promise to drink hefty amounts of your beers and thus keep your sales managers happy, hell you might even get a bonus and then you can take your whole family on vacation up to scenic Maine! Think about it...

Pours a ridiculously dark black color with a nice big (some would say huge), thick, rich fluffy light caramel colored head. Held to the light a little redness shines through but other than that, this one is black as night.

Smell is creamy coffee, dark chocolate, caramel, burnt sugars, dark malts and a nice hint of hoppiness. Its a bit hard to separate out the smokiness as this one smells very rich and roasty, like a nice cup of coffee. That smoked malt smell is somewhere hidden in there but I can't seem to find it. Regardless, this is a great smelling porter.

First sip and the first thing I notice is how smooth this beer feels in my mouth. Its like iced coffee. Tastes of bitter chocolate, coffee (of course) and some smokiness definitely stands out but its in no way overpowering. Its actually quite a nice balance with the smokiness. The West Coast hops are present as well in the finish and provide a nice bitter dryness. Wow, this is good.

As far as smoked porters go, Stone's definitely stands out as one of the best. Another one to try and get your hands on are Alaskan Smoked Porter (arguably the best in the world).

BEER FACTS

Name: Stone Smoked Porter

Style: Smoked Porter

Brewery: Stone Brewing Company

Location: Escondido, California, USA

Container: 22 oz. bottle

Malts: ?

Hops: Chinook & Mt. Hood

ABV: 5.9%

IBUs: 53

Urbock Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier

If you've ever drank any of the Schlenkerla smoke beers then you know that they are all beyond unique. Each is an experience unlike anything you could imagine when it comes to beer. When they say "smoke" they mean "SMOKE"!

I grabbed a bottle of the Urbock since it was one I hadn't had before. But, unless you are from Bamberg and drink LOTS of rauchbiers it can be a little tough to get past the smokiness of these beers and taste the styles hiding deep within.

From the Schlenkerla site:

"A smoked bock beer for Bamberg's strong beer season (October through December). Matured for months in ancient rock-cellars underneath Bamberg and tapped freshly from the oakwood cask. Similar to, but much bigger than the classic Maerzen style."

The Urbock pours a very dark brown or ruby color with a thin wispy head. It looks like a nice dark beer with nothing to hide. 

Once the glass gets within 6 inches of my nose I can smell that famous smokiness that comes from the smoking of the malts with beechwood logs. Check out their site for more on that, its pretty interesting. Anyways, this stuff smells smokier than any other beer you've ever smelled (except others from Schlenkerla of course!). It instantly reminds me of smoked meats and even beer jerky. 

The taste is very, very good. Its also very, very smoky! Its intense but you get over that and can really enjoy the uniqueness of this style of beer. There is malt sweetness that goes very well with the smoke taste. The finish is very smooth and its quite drinkable. I'll have to give the other styles a chance and see what other flavors stand out that make them different. 

Don't be intimidated by these rauchbiers. They are quite amazing and should be given a chance as they represent a lot of brewing history and a truly unique style.

BEER FACTS

Name: Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier (Urbock)

Style: Rauchbier (smoked ale)

Brewery: Schlenkerla - Brauerei Heller

Location: Bamberg, Germany

Container: 16.09 oz. bottle

Malts: ?

Hops: ?

ABV: 6.5%

IBUs: 40