Smoke on the Bayou Independence Day Edition
Buffalo Bayou Brewing Co

Poured from a can into a pint glass

Appearance – The beer pours a reddish-brown color with a one finger head of tan colored foam. The head has a great level of retention, slowly fading over time to leave a light level of foamy lace on the sides of the glass.

Smell – The aroma of the brew is very strong of a caramel and toffee smell mixed with a rather good showing of a toasted bready and doughy aroma. Along with these smells comes a little bit of a char smell mixed with a touch of smoke. With the presence of some dark fruit smells of plum and cherry, a very sweet, warming and inviting aroma is produced overall.

Taste – The taste begins as one may expect from the nose, with a bready, doughy, and sweet flavor. The bready taste is of a lightly toasted malt, while the sweet is mainly of a toffee, caramel, and brown sugar flavor. Along with these tastes, are some light flavors of the dark fruit nature, containing a mixture of plum and raisin. As the taste advances, the fruit flavors fade, all while some light nutty and subtle herbal tastes come to the tongue. At the same time, some graininess and a touch of booziness comes to the taste, and with a surge of the brown sugar at the end, it leaves one with a very sweet and warming taste to linger on the tongue.

Mouthfeel – The body of the brew is on the slightly thicker and chewier side with a carbonation level that is on the lower side. For the big sweet and robust tastes of the brew the feel is excellent and makes for a nice slow sipper.

Overall – A rather enjoyable and flavorful drinker with a warming feel (both from the robust malt/sweet, as well as from the light alcohol taste). Overall a quite tasty brew.