Smoke & Dagger | Jack's Abby Brewing
Brewed by:
Jack's Abby Brewing
Massachusetts, United States
jacksabbybrewing.com
Style: German Rauchbier
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 5.80%
Availability: Year-round
Notes / Commercial Description:
Cloaked in mystery, this dark black beer skirts the line between a schwarzbier and smoked porter. The use of a small percentage of traditional Beechwood smoked malt adds complexity and balances the liberal use of chocolate malt. Notes of roasted grains, beechwood smoke,and coffee accompany a full bodied-and sweet chocolately malt character. Smoke & Dagger uses locally grown unmalted barley from MA.
25 IBU
Added by mduncan on 07-29-2011
HISTOGRAM
View: Beers | Place Reviews
Ratings: 1,087 | Reviews: 196
4.52/5 rDev +15%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Pours a black color with a rich creamy foamy head that shows great retention and yields lacing.
I’m hooked on this smoky aroma. It evokes smoked wood, bacon and smoked cheese. The presence of chocolate malts compliments it beautifully. Modest amount of grassy hops aroma.
Clean tasting at first, the smoked malt flavors soon open up, meaty, woody and rich. The development of chocolate malt flavors is lovely and sublime, hinting at chocolate covered bacon. Very low bitterness but a nice hint of noble grassy hops spice.
Finishes clean. Medium bodied and crisp.
A delightful smoked beer with elements of porter. I’m loving the chocolate and smoky flavors. Pairs well with BBQ. Gotta get some more!
711 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Pours a black color with a rich creamy foamy head that shows great retention and yields lacing.
I’m hooked on this smoky aroma. It evokes smoked wood, bacon and smoked cheese. The presence of chocolate malts compliments it beautifully. Modest amount of grassy hops aroma.
Clean tasting at first, the smoked malt flavors soon open up, meaty, woody and rich. The development of chocolate malt flavors is lovely and sublime, hinting at chocolate covered bacon. Very low bitterness but a nice hint of noble grassy hops spice.
Finishes clean. Medium bodied and crisp.
A delightful smoked beer with elements of porter. I’m loving the chocolate and smoky flavors. Pairs well with BBQ. Gotta get some more!
711 characters
4.26/5 rDev +8.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Have always loved rauchbiers and especially this offering. Scored a nitro version at Valhalla Beer Bar In Hell’s Kitchen, NYC.
A: jet black with thin (1/4”) lacing around the edge of the glass;
S: somewhat lacking but still with sweet malts and a hint of dry smokiness. Was hoping for a stronger hue;
T: off the charts delicious with dark, toffee malts and a hint of smoke;
F: everything you’d expect from a nitro and that makes this already good beer eminently sessionable
O: perfect beer to welcome in fall.
517 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Have always loved rauchbiers and especially this offering. Scored a nitro version at Valhalla Beer Bar In Hell’s Kitchen, NYC.
A: jet black with thin (1/4”) lacing around the edge of the glass;
S: somewhat lacking but still with sweet malts and a hint of dry smokiness. Was hoping for a stronger hue;
T: off the charts delicious with dark, toffee malts and a hint of smoke;
F: everything you’d expect from a nitro and that makes this already good beer eminently sessionable
O: perfect beer to welcome in fall.
517 characters
4.25/5 rDev +8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Looks like Coca-Cola. Black with dark brown edges. The head is small, fizzy, and tan, dying away after a few minutes to leave a thin ring and spotty lacing.
The aroma is massive pumpernickel bread and sweet black tea. Hints of dark chocolate, a whole lot of molasses, and some hints of dried cherry, prune, and raisin.
The taste follows the smell. Very rich pumpernickel bread with black tea and subtle savory smoke. The molasses and dried dark fruits sneak in, offering dried sweet cherry, plum and raisin in abundance. It finishes with a slight bite of black licorice/star anise spice, but the ends very abruptly, cleanly, crisply, and balanced.
The beer feels relatively light but is smooth and fizzy with a good level of carbonation. It drinks very easily, yet rolls around the palate to keep the flavors residual.
Overall, this is a complex and delicious beer, incredibly well made.
894 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Looks like Coca-Cola. Black with dark brown edges. The head is small, fizzy, and tan, dying away after a few minutes to leave a thin ring and spotty lacing.
The aroma is massive pumpernickel bread and sweet black tea. Hints of dark chocolate, a whole lot of molasses, and some hints of dried cherry, prune, and raisin.
The taste follows the smell. Very rich pumpernickel bread with black tea and subtle savory smoke. The molasses and dried dark fruits sneak in, offering dried sweet cherry, plum and raisin in abundance. It finishes with a slight bite of black licorice/star anise spice, but the ends very abruptly, cleanly, crisply, and balanced.
The beer feels relatively light but is smooth and fizzy with a good level of carbonation. It drinks very easily, yet rolls around the palate to keep the flavors residual.
Overall, this is a complex and delicious beer, incredibly well made.
894 characters
4.04/5 rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
16-oz. can needed a strong pour into a 20-oz. mug to get a ½ finger sized rocky tan head made up of large and fine bubbles. Head was short lived with minimal lacing.
Vintage rosewood dark brown, semi translucent shows amber-brown in front of light.
Smell features roasted malt with a hint of banana, semi-sweet malt and a touch of smoke.
Taste has added chocolate and roasted coffee with a very malty middle. The smoke flavor is light with a slight hop bitterness at the finish. Alcohol is well disguised.
Although it is very malty the body is on the lighter side with low carbonation. The drink starts out semi-sweet and finishes semi-dry with a short lived bitter and smoky after taste.
Octoberfest-like due to the roasted malt taste minus the smoke, Porter like in body and smokiness.
Big taste profile, not to smoky with a nice balance between semi-sweet and bitter flavors.
880 characters
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
16-oz. can needed a strong pour into a 20-oz. mug to get a ½ finger sized rocky tan head made up of large and fine bubbles. Head was short lived with minimal lacing.
Vintage rosewood dark brown, semi translucent shows amber-brown in front of light.
Smell features roasted malt with a hint of banana, semi-sweet malt and a touch of smoke.
Taste has added chocolate and roasted coffee with a very malty middle. The smoke flavor is light with a slight hop bitterness at the finish. Alcohol is well disguised.
Although it is very malty the body is on the lighter side with low carbonation. The drink starts out semi-sweet and finishes semi-dry with a short lived bitter and smoky after taste.
Octoberfest-like due to the roasted malt taste minus the smoke, Porter like in body and smokiness.
Big taste profile, not to smoky with a nice balance between semi-sweet and bitter flavors.
880 characters
4.04/5 rDev +2.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
4.25/5 rDev +8.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
3.98/5 rDev +1.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Canned 12/27/17. Received from connecticutpoet. Poured into New Belgium snifter.
Dark black pour as expected with a nice firm finger of beige head. Hilly lace skirts the glass.
Lovely smokey aromas - meat locker, campfire, slight plum and apple. Yum.
Comes across a little thin on the flavor, although that could be due to the age. I get definite puffs of smoke, with hints of roast beef, apple, and plum. slight chewing tobacco, prune, slight metallic, faint herbal. Teetering between a 3.75 and 4 on this.
Feel is nice and creamy yet lends a smokey feel with a good carbonation, Nice dryness on the finish. Lingering dryness and parch.
Overall an enjoyable smoked beer with nice hints of apple, pear, and plum. Recommended if you're not sensitive to smoked beers (most are).
786 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Canned 12/27/17. Received from connecticutpoet. Poured into New Belgium snifter.
Dark black pour as expected with a nice firm finger of beige head. Hilly lace skirts the glass.
Lovely smokey aromas - meat locker, campfire, slight plum and apple. Yum.
Comes across a little thin on the flavor, although that could be due to the age. I get definite puffs of smoke, with hints of roast beef, apple, and plum. slight chewing tobacco, prune, slight metallic, faint herbal. Teetering between a 3.75 and 4 on this.
Feel is nice and creamy yet lends a smokey feel with a good carbonation, Nice dryness on the finish. Lingering dryness and parch.
Overall an enjoyable smoked beer with nice hints of apple, pear, and plum. Recommended if you're not sensitive to smoked beers (most are).
786 characters
4.24/5 rDev +7.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
3.78/5 rDev -3.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
3.75/5 rDev -4.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
4.32/5 rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
4/5 rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
-Black Lager.
A: Beautiful burnt auburn pour sits an almost dark plum in the vessel accompanied by a slight saddle brown capping that was whispy and quick to dissipate.
S: Aroma of dark fruit, black cherries, dark malts, with an underlying smokiness factor. Soft eloquent roastiness, lightly oily, freshly grounded, medium roast, is earthy and very silky smooth with light charred hints of toasts. A faint background of fruitiness, perhaps from the yeast, has some smoky apples, and lightly charred pine that was very smooth with a nice awareness.
T: The flavor was very smooth and roasty, oily with some bitterness and smoked malt. Charred toast with some notes of fruit, apples. Some lightly smoked pine hops, silty smooth ash, earthy with some deep chocolate notes.
M: Tight and tingly carbonation bubbles, slick oily texture, with a malty feel. Silty smooth roasted warmth.
O: Overall in terms of craftsmanship its hard to bet against Jack's Abbey. Lagers refinement is their specialty. Eloquently brewed, silky roast, makes for a slow methodical drinker that impress with its nuances.
1,100 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
-Black Lager.
A: Beautiful burnt auburn pour sits an almost dark plum in the vessel accompanied by a slight saddle brown capping that was whispy and quick to dissipate.
S: Aroma of dark fruit, black cherries, dark malts, with an underlying smokiness factor. Soft eloquent roastiness, lightly oily, freshly grounded, medium roast, is earthy and very silky smooth with light charred hints of toasts. A faint background of fruitiness, perhaps from the yeast, has some smoky apples, and lightly charred pine that was very smooth with a nice awareness.
T: The flavor was very smooth and roasty, oily with some bitterness and smoked malt. Charred toast with some notes of fruit, apples. Some lightly smoked pine hops, silty smooth ash, earthy with some deep chocolate notes.
M: Tight and tingly carbonation bubbles, slick oily texture, with a malty feel. Silty smooth roasted warmth.
O: Overall in terms of craftsmanship its hard to bet against Jack's Abbey. Lagers refinement is their specialty. Eloquently brewed, silky roast, makes for a slow methodical drinker that impress with its nuances.
1,100 characters
4.21/5 rDev +7.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
Dark brown with a light tan head.
Smells like fire and burnt wood with some malty sweetness.
Very malt forward with chocolate and dried fruit flavors coming through. The smoke is less present in the taste but more noticeable in the nose and the aftertaste.
This is a great go to beer for me. Dark and malty, but not heavy, and just enough smoke to give it some edge.
369 characters
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
Dark brown with a light tan head.
Smells like fire and burnt wood with some malty sweetness.
Very malt forward with chocolate and dried fruit flavors coming through. The smoke is less present in the taste but more noticeable in the nose and the aftertaste.
This is a great go to beer for me. Dark and malty, but not heavy, and just enough smoke to give it some edge.
369 characters
3.4/5 rDev -13.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
From the can, it pours a nice black with a modest light tan head. The head eventually dissipates to a nice ring. I get licorice in the nose and mouth. Hmm.
158 characters
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
From the can, it pours a nice black with a modest light tan head. The head eventually dissipates to a nice ring. I get licorice in the nose and mouth. Hmm.
158 characters
3.39/5 rDev -13.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
3.77/5 rDev -4.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
3.8/5 rDev -3.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
3.21/5 rDev -18.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
4/5 rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Appearance - The beer poured a shiny black color with aggressive tan foam crowning the glass.
Smell - A light hickory smoke nose crowns glass.
Taste - The hickory smoke comes at the front with a hint of sweetness. The dark coffee malts come with a light sweetness. The bitterness lingers with the smoke being oddly sweet in the finish.
Mouthfeel - The feel, which is already thin, seems even more thoroughly with the carbonation.
Overall - This is a nice version of the style.
486 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Appearance - The beer poured a shiny black color with aggressive tan foam crowning the glass.
Smell - A light hickory smoke nose crowns glass.
Taste - The hickory smoke comes at the front with a hint of sweetness. The dark coffee malts come with a light sweetness. The bitterness lingers with the smoke being oddly sweet in the finish.
Mouthfeel - The feel, which is already thin, seems even more thoroughly with the carbonation.
Overall - This is a nice version of the style.
486 characters
Smoke & Dagger from Jack's Abby Brewing
Beer rating:
3.93 out of
5 with
1,087 ratings
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