Knave
Hidden Cove Brewing Co.

 

A: Pours a pitch black color with 2 fingers of head that fades down to a thin cap

S: Roasted malt, bourbon, smoke, and oak up front. Some dark fruit in there as well

T: Follows the nose. Starts off with the roasted malt, bourbon, and smoke and picks up vanilla and caramel notes. Oka comes through towards the finish. Finishes with lingering smoke and roasted malt

M: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation

O: A great smoked BA porter that is easy to drink given the sub-7% abv (6.8% according to the bottle). Plenty of barrel character without the added abv. Worth checking out if you're into smoked or BA porters/stouts

 

 

 

 

I had high hopes for this beer. But was left a little disappointed the great smokiness was there from the start but I think it really over shadowed the BBA. I found little bourbon flavor in this beer. Not a bad smokey porter but would have liked a little more bourbon.

In a snifter the beer was a very dark brown, near black, color. There was a medium-sized cocoa head that retained well.
Aroma of roasted malt and vanilla.
Taste followed the nose. Chocolate, a little coffee. Sweet vanilla. A little oak.
Medium-bodied.

 

 

From the corked, caged bottle with no date on the bottle. Sampled on February 8, 2017.

The pour is just about black with a gorgeous, foamy brown head that fades slowly and laces some. Opaque and lovely to look at.

The first aromatic sensation I get is the wooden barrel character. Then I get sweet caramel malts, smokiness, milk or cream, and dark malts with a low to no hop profile. It smells slightly boozy even though it is under 7%.

Creamy and smooth medium body.

The taste is just sweet, dark, milky, burnt, delightful with its dark smoky malts, sweetness, and just a touch of wood. No bitterness to speak of at the end. It smells slightly boozy but there is none of that in the taste. It's just a perception maybe? But overall, a very nice beer.

500 ml bottle into stemware.

Appearance: Very dark brown. Near black. Big tan head.

Aroma: Good smoke presence. Black coffee, dark chocolate malts.

Taste: Follows nose. Nice mix of smoke and bitter coffee. Kick of booze and bourbon on the finish. Dark malts are there.

Mouthfeel: Complex. Lots of flavors. Very appealing. Dense. Stout-like.

Overall: Well executed. Better than its cousin, Stave. A winner among the barrel-aged crowd, and a great porter.

 

 

 

Had on tap. Pours opaque, dark brown in color with minimal head. Taste is roasted malt, beech wood, and big smoke. Really impressed how much smoke is in here and how it still tastes like beer. One of the better domestic smoke beers I have had in a while. I would drink this all day.