Smoked Porter
Ozark Beer Co.

 

 

This is the only smoked beer I've ever had that I liked. I fully expected to hate it, and was somewhat disappointed to see it in place of their Onyx Coffee Stout during my visit. I could not have been more wrong.

I asked for a small sample, not wanting to commit to, or waste, a full glass. It had the look and smell of a smoked beer, but there was something different. It took one sip to figure out what the difference was. It had none of the disgusting ashtray/cigarette taste that I've come to loathe in smoked beers.

Every other smoked beer I've ever had tasted of artificial liquid smoke. This beer had none of that taste. Amazing!

 

 

 

Quick review had this on tap. Standard looking porter with pretty good head retention & lacing

The nose is restrained, you get some smoke some chocolate

Nice layers of smoke (hickory or maybe alder?), baker chocolate with a little coffee.

Pretty good body & carbonation seems right

ABV is well hidden, drinks easy, paired well with my pizza. I wish this had a little more smoke, worth a try though

 

I've never had an Ozark beer I didn't like and this one falls right in line with the rest. Very dark brown to black color, with a large tan head that dissipates as the beer warms. Smells of smoked meats, oak/hickory chips, with a slight sweetness that's hard to define. It tastes just like it smells, smoky and sweet, with a bit of an alcohol burn on the end. The alcohol could be hidden a bit better in my opinion, even for an 8% beer, and the smokiness somewhat overpowers the flavor, but those are my only minor critiques.

Thumbs up!