Smoked Porter
Mickey Finn's Brewery

Serving: On-tap, pint
Served: 30 December 2013

One of the last brews available from the old brewpub before they move locations down the street.

Appearance: Pitch black with a dirty brown, foamy, one-finger head that collapses to just a ring of bubbles on the outside of the glass. No lacing.

Smell: Dark and roasty. Deep, dark roasted coffee notes and some faint smokiness. You can definitely tell there's an edge to this porter because of the addition of the smoked malts that is not present in other porters. Very faint hop aroma.

Taste: That edginess returns in the taste- while some porters might have sweet, dark chocolate notes, the smoked malts in this keeps that sweetness at bay. What you get is a really great, smokey, roasty brew. The smoke is very, very subdued though (nowhere near a rauchbier) and really just serves to add some roasted depth to the beer rather than being the primary taste profile.

Mouthfeel: This brew definitely wasn't on nitro-tap unlike some of the others, but the mouthfeel was still pretty great. Silky smooth with just enough carbonation.

Overall: A great offering from Mickey Finn's, and probably one of my favorite brews of theirs to date. A superbly drinkable, roasty porter that paired great with a hamburger from the pub. Would highly recommend.

 

At brew Pub. Side note. waitress told us this wasn't on nitro. My GF takes a look at it and asks her if she is sure. The waitress says yes she is sure. My GF tries it and says "That is definitely Nitro". She was right. That's a keeper!

A-Black with a nice white head that retains

S-little bit of malt. Little smokey

T-Nice malt and smokiness. Very good and could drink this all day

M-Medium body and so smooth.

O-Very solid brew. Really liked it on nitro Insanely drinkable

Served in a shaker pint glass at the brewpub.

I've been anxiously waiting for this guy to return. Oh yes. It pours a straight matte black topped by a finger of stolid light ecru micro-froth. The nose comprises smoked honey-baked ham, dark chocolate, light roasted malts, and a twinge of straight charcoal in the background. The taste seems stripped of much of this smokey character, leaving only a footprint of charcoal, some cocoa, and some very light roasted malts. Now it seems like more of an oatmeal stout, with just a bit o' smoked malts used in the recipe. The body is a solid medium, with a nice nitrogenation and a silky smooth feel. Overall, I think this is the first time I've come across a beer that suffers from a nitro-tap. Had this been served normally (like it was the first time I had it many moons ago), I think it would be a great beer. Unfortunately, the smokey character is pretty much gone, and the rest can't quite make up for the loss.

Served in a Absolut pint glass at Mickey Finn's

This beer is a dark dark brown beer where no light can shine through, the smell is mostly of cocoa, coffee and a heap of smoked malts. However, this aroma while seemingly mild isn't nearly as mild as the flavor. There is barely anything to taste. Kyle put it right, "This beer is a victim of nitro-tap" the flavor is pretty much a mute point. The smoke is there, it's pretty much all I can taste with only a hint of cocoa alongside. It feels velvety smooth in the mouth. It is drinkable for days on end. A very good beer, just wished they'd have kicked the smoke up a bit on the tastebuds.

(Served in a pint glass)

A- This beer pours light tan body that soon separates into a jet black body with no sign of light shining through it and a light tan head of cream that last for a good while eventually fading to nothing. The beer is a bit to dense to see any carbonation but I don't even see a random bubble stuck to the glass.

S- This beer has a rich dark roasted and smoky aroma, but the aroma is more meaty with no peat or band-aid notes. The dark malt has a slight bakers chocolate note and some dark roasted coffee notes that come through as it warms. But the smell is dominated by the smoke.

T- The taste of dark chocolate is not sweet and has a pronounced roasted malt quality to it with a soft black bitterness to it. The smoke flavor to follow is full and more charred meat, think rib tips not charcoal, flavor than peat or alder smoke. The finish is a nice bitterness that could be some hops and some malt together.

M- This beer has a medium-full mouthfeel that last as long as the head but then gets a bit thinner. There is no alcohol heat or astringency noted.

D- This beer has a big smoke flavor that is unique and delicious but it also has a big malt flavor that can hold its own. I don't think I could drink lots of these in a row but it is a tasty beer that I will try again next time if it is one tap.