Valley Winter Ale
Redemption Rock Brewing

 

 

On tap at the brewery in a 12 oz stemless tulip. A dark brown beer with minimal head, a little translucence around the rim of the glass. The lacing fades quickly, yet the beer tastes more carbonated than many porters do.

The aromas here are cherry, cocoa, and smoke. Not jumping out of the glass, but strong enough. The flavor of the beer really shines. A heavy dose of smoke fades to chocolate and cherry, with the smoke more evident as the beer warms.

This is a great smoked porter.

Extremely good. I love the flavor of smoked anything so when I say this tastes at first like a lump of coal I mean that in a good way. Make that a lump of coal wrapped in dark chocolate and dipped in coffee and it describes this pretty well. I really liked this one, certainly the best smoked dark beer I’ve ever had and among the best beers of any kind as well.

Enjoyed on tap at the brewery today.

A - Poured into a stemless tulip a nice dark brown almost black hue with a fat mocha head that fades to leave light lacing and a thin blanket.

S - Big aromas of dark bakers chocolate, flashes of almost fruity chocolate and coffee that translates to cherries, little bit of smoke, not aggressively so though very balanced. Almost a bit of vanilla.

T - Taste is similar to the nose with huge almost chalky level dark chocolate. There are lovely flashes of softer slightly sweet cherries that come across more as a chocolate or coffee element than wood. The smoke is super balanced and drifts throughout. The smoke level is harmonious with the roast level. Finish is a touch on the chalky chocolate side that lingers.

M - Mouthfeel is lightly carbonated, little creamy, alcohol hidden wonderfully.

O - Overall this was a very solid porter. Clearly this is an excellent base porter made even better by the inclusion of smoked malts and cherry wood. Really well crafted, might be my favorite to date.

Serving Type: on tap

Draft at the brewery
Pours a large dense rich foamy bread with a couple layers of thickness, good retention and sticky lacing, jet black beer

Nose brings a really nice porter base, deep cocoa and dark chocolate, light roasted charred malt and coffee, bit of caramel and toffee, faint fruity note with cherry like, chocolate covered cherry, just a touch of smoke which could be as much roasted malt as smoked malt

Taste a bit more smoke up front, light flavoured smoke like a little from the roast and some from a lighter smoke, fruity cherry wood smoke like, then roast, roasted malt and roasted coffee and back into dark chocolate, bitter cocoa, fair bitterness, a touch creamy maybe some oats, and light caramel, with a drier finish that gets roasty bitter and a little char, light fruity cherry wood late as well, drier finish, fair bitterness kicking in with charred roast notes,

Mouth is med to fuller bod, rich, alcohol hidden well, medium carb

Overall this was fantastic, starting with a great porter base and light cherry smoke integrated without overpowering, and alcohol hidden well. My only gripe is the bitter roasty bite on the finish, which I feel a touch of unfermentables would balance it nicely, but I'm nitpicking