Smoked Porter - Chocolate And Orange Peel
Stone Brewing

Smoked Porter - Chocolate And Orange PeelSmoked Porter - Chocolate And Orange Peel
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From:
Stone Brewing
 
California, United States
Style:
Smoked Porter
ABV:
5.9%
Score:
82
Avg:
3.6 | pDev: 12.5%
Reviews:
56
Ratings:
361
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Apr 06, 2020
Added:
Jul 29, 2014
Wants:
  11
Gots:
  57
We decided early on that we wouldn’t do seasonal beers for the sake of doing seasonal beers. Summer ales and winter lagers certainly have a ring to them. Big-beer focus groups prove consumers get a kick out of them, and macrobrew marketing analyses suggest they sell well. But for us, beer comes first, much as Stone Smoked Porter came first. Actually, it came second—oddly enough, in the form of a seasonal. Our co-founder and original brewmaster, Steve Wagner, thought it would be an innovative, warming creation suited for winter…and it was. Legend has it Greg’s mom agreed. But rather than relegating fans to nine peat-smoked-porterless months and building revenue-generating fervor for the cold season, we made it a year-round release. Nowadays, we brew a trio of tasty takes on this smoky, sultry vanguard. But the closest they come to being “seasonals” is that they are enhanced with seasonally driven ingredients such as vanilla bean and chipotle peppers. This version, released in the literally gray area separating sunshine and snowfall, incorporates dark chocolate and dried orange peel, making for a semisweet, citrus-nuanced porter that comes across like a break-apart chocolate orange enjoyed by a campfire. It’s not a seasonal—it’s just a phenomenal beer, regardless of the time of year. Throw out the calendar and enjoy.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Risenhower:
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Rated by Risenhower from New York

3.65/5  rDev +1.4%

Nov 29, 2014
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.5 by RiceOwls27 from Texas

Apr 06, 2020
 
Rated: 4 by 1971bernat from Virginia

Jan 03, 2018
 
Rated: 3.39 by N1Nkasi from Connecticut

May 30, 2016
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Reviewed by hreb from Washington

3.42/5  rDev -5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
22oz bottle dated 10/17/14. Beer pours brown, but relatively light for a porter. Thin chestnut head. Aroma is like orange candy. Flavor brings in an ample amount of citrus hops to combine with the candied orange peel. Surprisingly bitter for a flavored porter. Chocolate comes through the middle to the back of the palate. Dark cocoa, bittersweet chocolate. This is no milk chocolate stout. As for smoke, I find it's missing entirely. Perhaps this beer needed to be drunk when it was fresher. Still, a pretty enjoyable novelty.

Update: there were some serious chunks in the second half of this bottle. Pretty gross.
Aug 26, 2015
 
Rated: 3.25 by Howlader from Canada (AB)

Aug 23, 2015
 
Rated: 3.66 by Kubrickx from Illinois

Aug 08, 2015
 
Rated: 3 by jaswilson2 from South Carolina

Jul 23, 2015
 
Rated: 4.26 by stompilator from Texas

Jul 06, 2015
 
Rated: 3.98 by B_B from California

Jun 21, 2015
 
Rated: 2.88 by TomG2751 from Maryland

May 17, 2015
 
Rated: 3.24 by QuakeAttack from California

May 11, 2015
 
Rated: 4 by zenithberwyn from California

May 11, 2015
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Reviewed by Jadjunk from Georgia

3.24/5  rDev -10%
look: 2 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
Brewed in the style of an American Porter with dark chocolate and orange peel added. Available as a one-off release in 22 oz. bottles and on limited draft.

Poured from a 22 oz. bottle to a Stone Brewing pint glass. Served above 51 degrees Fahrenheit.

(Appearance) Major gusher alert! I nearly lost half of the bottle prior to the pour as the beer continued to foam over the mouth of the bottle for several minutes pouring over the table and later into a pitcher, in a super-wild start to this review. Pours a crisp, short-lived fizzy head of a medium tan complexion over a murky medium brown body with visible thickness and pulpiness in tow, the bottom of the bottle has some of the thickest and most massive chunks of pulpy matter I have seen in a beer. Lacing is thin and sticky with what appears to be orange pulp settling in and around the glass making for much of the lacing residue. Issues with over-carbonation or possible infection have negatively impacted the appearance of this beer. 2

(Smell) Atop the base aromas of medium roasted malt, caramel grain and delicate chocolate malt comes more robust cocoa nib flavor and the distinctive sharp citrus characters of bitter orange peel. I pick up on them both and they work surprisingly well for a porter, but the smokiness of the standard porter is nullified in this variation. The end result is not necessarily an enhanced nor overly complex aroma. 3.5

(Taste) Chocolate character and toasted caramel grain malts up front, not much bright nor bitter orange character, although I pick up on some more candied orange flavor on the finish, notably thicker and more earthy with the flavor of lower acid citrus than anticipated, almost like a syrupy mandarin or a blood orange. Some mild but unusual holiday spiciness and peppery character and notable funk hints at potential infection. Although I don't consider the flavor to be a total disaster, I was hoping for a more vivid orange flavor, equal at least to that of the aroma. 3.25

(Mouthfeel) The texture is residual slick, moderately chewy, pulpy, moderately dry. Carbonation is modest, generating a low frothiness and a lightly crisp finish. Body is medium for the style, medium+ overall. Balance is moderately earthy and roasty bitter over sweet. Alcohol presence is light and there are no off characters. 3.25

(Overall) As per my particular bottle, I think quality control let one explosive and sloppy ale slip right into my hands. There's no denying that this ale has considerable chocolate and orange flavor and aroma that distinguishes itself apart from the standard smoked porter, but I don't think that the presentation works as well as the idea. I don't care much for the syrupy candy presentation of the orange peel flavor in this beer and the chocolate by itself isn't much of a distinguished enhancement over the standard recipe. I've had variations of the Smoked Porter that I've enjoyed and hoped for this version to be equally enjoyable if not the best of all. Unfortunately, it's too messy for me to recommend, especially with the heightened price tag over the standard Smoked Porter recipe, I'd sooner go for the cheaper option than try this again. 3.25

Stone Brewing Co.'s
Smoked Porter With Chocolate & Orange Peel
3.24/5.00
May 05, 2015
 
Rated: 3.3 by dsshuck from Delaware

May 04, 2015
 
Rated: 3.75 by paulish from New York

Apr 30, 2015
Photo of Nugganooch
Reviewed by Nugganooch from California

2.37/5  rDev -34.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 2.25 | taste: 2.25 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.25
22oz bottle with my Firestone Walker snifter glass
Tasted on 11/11/2014

A: Oily black body with some dark brown hues mixed in. A choppy and sporadic cloud of khaki fluff formed over with some minimal hang time and only a few light dots of stick left behind.

S: Smells like smoked malt accompanied with some sort of sharp phenols. Almost solvent like. Then comes in the orange oil with some chalky cocoa powder and a faint trailer of coffee grounds. Strange and something slightly off really.

T: Tastes like something is way off here. The beer is super thin and overly bitter to the point of astringency. Very solvent like with some loamy flavors and a backdrop of smoked malt, orange oil, and cocoa powder. In that order by strength. Very odd and I am sure was not the intent here. Even without the off flavors it’s just not enough chocolate for me which seems to sort of clash with the smoked malt anyways. The orange itself is kind of nice like a fresh oil can be but it doesn’t seem to really embrace any of the other flavors. Kind of polarized here. Just really not sure what to make of this one other than no thanks!

M: Thin and watered down. Like more than usual. Astringent and sharp on the palate. Chalky feel at times.

D: Another one of those “Looked good on paper” kind of concoctions. Can’t possibly recommend this one. In fact I read on here that Stone tried recalling bottles so I am sure there be something afoot. Definitely came out clumped which is a bummer.
Apr 29, 2015
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Reviewed by seedyone from New York

3.18/5  rDev -11.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
On tap at Rattle n Hum, NYC. Seems someone got carried away. The chocolate & orange are a favorite combo, but since the smoke dominates from the get go, this didn't stand a chance. B for effort...C- for result.
Apr 29, 2015
 
Rated: 3.61 by Stinger80OH from Ohio

Apr 29, 2015
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Reviewed by Burkbom23 from Connecticut

2.74/5  rDev -23.9%
look: 1.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 2.5
This beer looked horrible. It had big chunks of floaties in it. Not sure if it was yeast, orange peel or what, but it did not look appetizing. The smell was pretty bland, mostly chocolate, not much orange at all. Taste was smokey, chococolate, little more orange than in the taste but not much. Mouthfeel was boring and thin. Overall a pretty disappointing beer. Below average for sure.
Apr 16, 2015
Smoked Porter - Chocolate And Orange Peel from Stone Brewing
Beer rating: 82 out of 100 with 361 ratings