Where There's Smoke
Cruz Blanca Brewpub

Served from the tap in a stemless goblet of sorts at the Cruz Blanca brewpub.

Pours a deep midnight hickory topped by a finger or so of bone-khaki foam. The nose comprises mild roast, light cocoa powder, mild cherry smoke, and a touch of flowers. The taste brings in more of the same, the smoke billowing out from under the lightly-roasty Czech-ish darkness. The body is a light medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a fluid feel. I'm not sure why I've seen and heard so many say that the smoke is so overpowering here, 'cause I found it to be delightfully understated. I dunno, maybe my capacity for smokiness is higher than others' (what with my near-daily cup o' lapsang souchong and predilection toward rauchs and such), but the comparisons to ashtrays and fire pits seem way too extreme given what came out of this glass. In any case, this is some good stuff, something I hope hits distro near me so I can stock up on plenty more.

Had on tap. Dark brown mostly clear body with a tan cap. Was curious to try this as I have eaten at their sister restaurant that cooks using this smoking pit style. For the beer it just didn't balance out though. Nose is full of intense cherrywood smoke with ash, campfire char and burnt dark malt notes, overwhelming, even by smoked beer standards. Tastes like cigar butts dumped in dirty char filled water, undrinkable. Feel is full bodied for the style, heavily smoky, with char like earthiness sticky to the mouth, good body too bad the flavoring is awful.