Laurentian
HammerHeart Brewing Company

 

Dark brown, opaque pour, clear; thick, light tan head, lasting, dense and creamy; excellent sheets of foam coat the inside of the glass. Wonderful aroma; cacao nibs and chocolate; blue spruce tips. The taste follows along the lines of the smell with a light touch of smokiness; light ash flavor; light overall bitterness. Heavy body; thick and sticky.

Another fine smoked beer from Hammerheart that doesn't overpower with the smoke. The spruce tips presence is fairly subdued, most prominent during the initial whiff when the can was opened. A balanced a tasty porter delivery a nice variation on the base style.

ABV: 6%; pouring temperature: 44 °F; canning info: n/a
Source: beer trade with @VIctory_Sabre1973

From a 16oz can with no date on it.

This beer looks really thick while pouring it. It looks pitch black in color - no light shining through the glass. The head is a thick 3 finger brown color. Frothy looking and long lasting. Amazing sticky lacing on the glass.
The aroma of this beer is actually light. I get some chocolate notes. I get some caramel.
The flavor starts out with a dark chocolate flavor with hints of caramel. The back is where the smoke comes into play. It is fairly light tasting. I get a bit of sweetness off the smoke.
The body is pretty decent. Full and smooth feeling.
Tasty beer overall, and so glad they're back.

16 oz can no date into a nonic pint glass.
L: SRM 40 Pours black with a dark tan 1/2" pock marked head that smooths out over time and has excellent retention, medium textured lacing with some frothy rhythmic banding.
S: Light molasses, dark chocolate, deep caramelized malts, a hint of toffee, brown bread crust, a light metallic note.
T: Darkly toasted grains, light char, gently metallic, dark unsweetened chocolate, very distant molasses, background notes of dark fruits, raisins, black bread, resin, has a long & resinous spruce tip linger.
F: Soft, plush, semi-fluffy at first medium-bodied feel with a lightly broad center and a medium-long moderately drying finish.
O: Another wow beer from this brewery. Gentle smoke, bittersweet and dry. No adjunct tastes and is quite toasty. Beautifully balanced and naturally easy to drink. It is outstanding.

 

Can. Dark caramel brown/brown. Dark tan head. Lace.

Rich, roasted, Smokey. Lots of cocoa and chocolate. The spruce tips add a nice and unique touch. Caramel malt. Very earthy. A bit resiny and hoppy. Reminds me of a black ipa.

 

750 mL bottle. Pours black with a light khaki head. Smells a little metallic with roasted malt, smoke, and a hint of spruce. Tastes of sharp spruce, bitter roasted malt, bitter smoke. The combination reminds me of cardamom. Improved as it warmed. Medium body. Sharp mouthfeel.
It grew on me, but I wasn't much of a fan.

 

L: Bright auburn brown under a thick, creamy 3" tan cap that hangs around for a long time.

S: the smoke is light and in balance with the spruce tips and the two go really well together. There is some chocolate in the background and comes forward as the beer warms.

T: Starts mildly sweet and chocolaty and the chocolate flavors darken towards the finish. The spruce tips become more prominent towards the finish and add an interesting dimension. The smokiness is an accent and not over powering.

F: Very creamy, full body, soft carbonation.

O: Excellent beer. Very drinkable, the various parts work very well together and nothing is over powering or out of place.

 

This is the antidote for a drab day while waiting for Spring. Laurentian is also a great porter.
Many interesting aspects of this brew (and this brewer.) Laurentian Looks spectacular, way-full foamy head whose lace sticker around for a while and then it disappears. This is my metaphor for this porter because I'm enjoying it and, before I'm aware, the porter has disappeared. Smells rival the very best, particularly the firm but subtle use of smoked malts. The spruce comes in for me at the finish. Dry.

Just learned that HammerHeart had been in the Chicago market a few years back, then went away, and now is back. I hope they stay. Since my personality is such that I have to pay to have friends, I don't mind paying for HammerHeart.

 

Poured from 500ml bottle into glass. First time I have seen HammerHeart use this size of bottle for its distributed beers.
Black colored body, with no back lit highlights seen. Partial finger mocha brown head which settles back to a thick cap. Leaves behind some strings and patterns of lacing.
Aroma of rich roasted malts, chocolate, and lots of smoke. All very well balanced.
Taste of smoky roasted malts, with some campfire char. Beautiful deep dark chocolate joins in. Totally dark but no real bitterness. The smoke and char extend into the aftertaste. The spruce tips are subtle but assist in bringing the beer to a true HammerHeart north woods feel and vibe.
Medium to full mouth feel. The mouth feel experience is extensive and expansive. Very rewarding.
I like this newish bottle size, instead of the previous 750ml size. It allows for a more approachable drinking experience. The smoke on this beer is not overwhelming, although it is char strength, but is well balanced with the malt flavors this beer brings. A well managed porter that is expressive with dark chocolate, smoke, and piney reminders. It is wonderful this beer is so dark but avoids the extreme bitterness and sour aspects. I would have to call this beer a smooth sipper.

a mesquite wood smoked porter with spruce tips! an extremely inventive and appetizing mix of flavors, i am not aware of anyone else making a beer like this, which is basically true across the board for hammerheart! the mesquite is really interesting here, less of a campfire, more of a barbeque, but its slow and patient, never too intense or acrid at all, its a slow burn, gorgeous with the dark malts in here, notes of coffee and burnt bread in the aroma and in the flavor. i wish for more from the spruce though, i smell a slight piney freshness at first, but when i start drinking it, whatever might have been there on the first sip is quickly lost to the abyssal grain depth and smoke profile, relaxed as it all is. the spruce could be ramped up quite a bit i think, but this is an ingredient i always want to be forward for the most part, and in a beer this dense and heavy, i think it would serve to provide some contrast. there is a vegetal bitterness here along with the roast, but the essence of the spruce is just a bit muted for what i want here. that however does not diminish how good this beer is or how much i like it. its full bodied and complex even with such a minimal spruce element, and i taste it forever. i am surprised its as low alcohol as it is, there is something warming and cozy about it, excellent in the dead of a minnesota winter!

 

Pours a very dark brown, almost black colour. Smells like molasses, chocolate, espresso, and a smokey mesquite and cherry nose. Tastes like smokey, dark cherries, a light bitterness, and a spruce finish, and lingering aftertaste. Notes of espresso and bitter chocolate.

Hammerheart Laurentian Mesquite Smoked Porter with Spruce Tips, 6.5% ABV,

Full-on brown color, with a rich roasted brown head atop. Looking good.

In the nose, it's malt first, then the smoke uncurls, with spruce coming in from behind. Blended beautifully. Just right, nothing too loud, nothing too heavy.

In the mouth: chocolate flavors check in first, then the roasty, smoked malt comes forth. Spruce tips remain a minor factor, waiting in the wings. It's all growing wider on the palate, hop bitterness keeping malt in check, and the smoked malt remains mellow and smooth. Everything in this is refined and cool, calm and collected. Rich, full, absolutely satisfying...it's just about perfect. If it were any bigger or stronger, I'd be headed for ruin.

 

On tap at the Hammerheart taproom. 16 oz. serving in a tall pint glass.

Appearance: Pours jet black with moderate amount of bubbles. Solid finger of tan head that slowly settles into a thin creamy layer.

Smell: A roasty and smokey dark malt driven aroma with a scent of chocolate and smoke. Dark roasted barley malt with a scent of dark chocolate, smoke, coffee, toast, biscuit, and caramel with some yeast. Subtle hints of spruce tips. Sweet hints of brown sugar. Subtle hints of hops. A very solid aroma.

Taste: Like it smells, a roasty and smokey dark malt driven taste with notes of chocolate and smoke. Dark roasted barley malt with notes of dark chocolate, smoke, coffee, biscuit, toast and caramel along with yeast. Subtle notes of spruce tips along with earthy hops. Sweet taste of brown sugar. A pretty good smokey taste.

Mouthfeel: Body is on the heavier side of medium. Carbonation is moderate. Creamy, slick, and smooth.


Overall: A really nice smoked Porter. Good roasty and sweet dark malt flavors.