La Smoked Porter
COAST Brewing Company

 

 

A: Pours an absolutely opaque jet black with close to 3 fingers width of dense tan colored head that has great retention before dissipating down, but leaves essentially zero lacing. 4.25

S: Tons of smokey char notes pair perfectly with sweet porter characters including chocolate and heavy cream. Wonderful nose. 4.5

T: Lots of roast and smokey char notes, particularly up front, with some sweet characters on the finish. Herbaceous, charred wood, semi-sweet cocoa. Delicious. 4.25

M/D: Full bodied, quite smooth for the style, just the right amount of carbonation, drinkability is very good. 4.5

O: Another excellent offering from COAST. I’m usually not a huge fan of smoked beers, but in this one the smokey char pairs great with the other components of the beer. Well done! 4.25

 

Pours almost pitch black. World Class massive head, lacing and retention. Very nice nose of moderate campfire smoke, with a meaty note, over a subtle light cherry wood sweetness. As it warms, a very light note of roast is detected. Medium body with a smooth texture that is almost creamy. Normal carbonation with a hint of carbonation in the middle and a bit in the finish. The flavor profile is reasonably intense, very complex and extremely well balanced. It begins with a burst of moderate smoke, that lacks the meatiness of the nose, then flows into a light sweetness with a subtle cherry flavor. The sweetness fades into a light roast bitterness. As the hop/roast bitterness fades, a bitter dark chocolate note is detected. The finish is slightly dry and leaves you with a light lingering bitterness with distinct smoke notes.