Smoked Pecan Porter
Brouwerij Kees

Pours a clear dark brown color. 1/5 inch head of a tan color. Decent retention and slight lacing. Smells of strong wood, strong sweet malt, alcohol, slight smoke, yeast, and hint of hop. Mouth feel is smooth and clean, with an average carbonation level. There is also a noticeable dryness and roasted malt bitterness. Fits the style of an American Porter. Tastes of strong wood, strong sweet malt, alcohol, slight smoke, slight Euro yeast, hint of hop, hint of dark fruit, and roasted malt. Sadly, lacking in pecan notes. Otherwise, good aroma, body, and complexity.

So the cap says best by... best I can read was actually a long time ago. Like I think a year ago. Though it's tough to actually read the date on there, so *shrug.* So take this all with a grain of salt. It doesn't strike me as tasting 'old' in any way though (at least without having a fresh one to compare it to...)

Pour is a dark cola not-quite-black, but no head, looks flat, a touch of lacy bubbles if you really look for them, but really not much going on here.

Nose is nutty and sweet. Don't get much smoke, but there's a good amount of vanilla and some chocolate as well. But sweet and nutty is the note of the day. It's actually quite inviting.

Flavour is more what I would have expected based on the label, and diverges from the nose in a couple of key manners. First and foremost is that the smoke that was almost completely missing from the nose is very present and is the first thing that jumps out at me. It's not overwhelming nor unpleasant, just very present. Under that there is some of that same nuttiness and a vague hint towards the vanilla sweets that permeated the nose.

My biggest complaint once I start sipping is just that it's much lighter than I prefer. Still carries its flavours and all that, but thinner and more watery underneath the smoke and nut than I would prefer. Tiny pinpricks of carbonation are nice, but this is a really really light bodied porter.

I'm enjoying this overall. II'd say it's a fine beer. It's fine. Not great, but not bad. Does what the label says, but not much more. I'd happily drink it again if offered, but don't necessarily see myself picking another one up any time soon.

 

Pours a ruby-tinged brown with much effervescence & one finger of tan head. Paltry lacing & head retention

S: Dark fruit, a little smoke

T: Smokeyness, a little carob & cocoa up front. Coffee grounds, charred grain & smoke as this warms, some serious bitterness, but not so much that it detracts, along with some dryness, faint dark chocolate as well. Finishes dry, roasty, a little smokey & just a little chocolate

MF: Medium body, pretty firm carbonation

Drinks pretty easy, a good take on the style, but pretty pricey, Give me an Alaska Smoked Porter any day

Poured into a Fremont small snifter. Pours a very dark mahogany brown, appearing opaque in the glass with a thin khaki head that dissipates to patches in the glass with light lacing. Aroma of sweet dark toasted malt, nuts and light smoke. Flavor is toasted malt, pecans and light smokiness with a little astringency in the finish. Finishes with mild smoke and lingering light bitterness. Medium bodied with good carbonation. Somewhat light bodied for a porter with understated pecan and smoke flavors. The nut and smoke flavors are nice, but could use a bit more robustness. A good nut porter, but nothing really stands out.

Bottle poured into glass

Off white pencil thin layer of foam settles to a ring and thin raft of bubbles. Dark cola brown liquid

Aroma of smoked Malts , not as heavy as a rauchbier. Bit of sweetness

Taste of roast Malts with a hint of pecans and smokiness

Medium mouthfeel , almost like a brown ale, low sudsing , slight lingering bitterness

Good beer