Big Butte Smoked Porter
Highland Brewing

Big Butte Smoked PorterBig Butte Smoked Porter
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From:
Highland Brewing
 
North Carolina, United States
Style:
Smoked Porter
ABV:
7%
Score:
90
Avg:
4.06 | pDev: 7.39%
Reviews:
30
Ratings:
34
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Apr 07, 2013
Added:
Sep 19, 2009
Wants:
  5
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
 
Rated: 4 by baklo from North Carolina

Apr 07, 2013
 
Rated: 3.75 by Rifugium from North Dakota

Jan 26, 2013
Photo of thagr81us
Reviewed by thagr81us from South Carolina

3.93/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Served from bottle into a Spaten Optimator dimpled mug. Poured a massively dark brown with a half finger beige head that subsided to a minimal amount very quickly. Maintained phenomenal lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of sweet malt, roasted malt, dark fruit, milk chocolate, and smoke. The flavor was of sweet malt, roasted malt, dark fruit, subtle dark chocolate, milk chocolate, and smoke. It had a medium feel on the palate with mild carbonation, almost velvety. Overall this was a fairly good brew. I was really surprised at how well the flavor turned out on this brew based on the first impression from the aroma going on here. The aroma wasn’t bad, but I did find it to be rather weak unfortunately. Still quite easy to drink and enjoyable. Definitely worth trying if you get the opportunity.
Apr 14, 2012
 
Rated: 4 by DavidEddie from Illinois

Jan 16, 2012
 
Rated: 4 by brendaniel from Pennsylvania

Dec 06, 2011
Photo of JISurfer
Reviewed by JISurfer from Utah

4.1/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Got this one from the back room at Brawley's in Charlotte. I'm a fan of HBC and smoked porters, so I jumped on it when I saw this one. I noticed that it was only released in NC, which makes it cool that I could get it. Had a thick tan head that stayed around for a little while, then went into a thin lacing. The smell had a slight smoked meat mixed with heavy malts smell to it. The tasted definitely got better, the closer to room temp it got. It wasn't bad when it was cold, but it was much better as it warmed. It really helped bring out the smoked malt and meat flavors. Glad I picked this one up as it's definitely worth grabbing if you can. Once again, HBC puts out another great product.
Oct 10, 2010
Photo of mikesgroove
Reviewed by mikesgroove from South Carolina

3.53/5  rDev -13.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Another new one for me, we brought a bunch over to the fourth of July cookout. Served cold and poured
into a nice tasting glass, this one was consumed on 07/04/2010.

Nice deep dark brown pour I have to admit, this was quite impressive. Nice head, maybe an inch or so
high that came up and over the top, settling down nicely with some decent lacing along the glass.

Aroma was dark and very bitter chocolate, hints of smoked malts, a touch of vanilla pokes through as
it warms as well. Interesting flavor as burnt coffee and deep, dark malts take over. Really bitter
dark bakers chocolate led to the flavor being distorted in a way I was not ready for. Still though it
was nice, I just think there is too much bitter flavor rolling through here. Finish is strong, again
though deep bitter coffee notes pull it in one direction.

Overall a nice solid choice but if I am being honest I was expecting more out of it. Thankfully the
olde ale made up for it.
Jul 09, 2010
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Reviewed by yourefragile from District of Columbia

3.46/5  rDev -14.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4.5
22 oz bottle shared with Jeff.

Pours a solid near black dark brown with a thick bubbly tan head with very thick long lasting sheets of lacing. Aroma is smoky and sweet while the flavor is much more milk choclately than smoky. Body is also slightly thin and watery for the style with light carbonation. Flavor also has very little smokiness and a light hop bite in the finish. A nice beer, but at best an average smoked porter.
May 15, 2010
Photo of RomaniIteDomum
Reviewed by RomaniIteDomum from Florida

4.25/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Pours like black frothy goodness with a nice one finger tan head.

There is a lot of roasted smell in this beer. It has a very tasty aroma.

The taste follows the nose with a little added sweetness. Unlike most smoked porters I don't taste that fake chemical bacon taste akin to dog treats. The smoke is more subtle and natural tasting.

The feel is nice and creamy with a nice body.

Pretty damn drinkable. One bomber is enough, but I wish I had a second for future drinking.
Apr 30, 2010
Photo of therica
Reviewed by therica from Maryland

3.65/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Brewed once for the 2009 Highland Cup contest where it placed best of show in March 2009, available only in North Carolina, purchased in Surf City NC in September 2009, consumed and rated April 2010.

Let this warm to 50F plus if you hope to find much of quality in this porter.

A= near-black, little head, hardly any rimming or lacing.

S= rather unexpectedly light nose for a porter at 45F, some smoked wood scent, some mild hops florals, roasted malts evident, chocolate in the first whiff but that disappeared quickly. At 50F+ some caramel became evident as well as the smoky traits.

T= very dry and astringent, chalky molasses, burnt malts and raisins evident, a bit too carbonated which is surprising since there was little head et al. Not quite balanced in my opinion but interesting. Some dark chocolate here and there. I'm not getting the smoked effecs, just burnt and dry at any temperature. Light caramel after it was nearly warmed.

M= dry and astringent with burnt molasses, light syrup.

D= drinkable for a query but I don't know that I'd buy an extra bottle, maybe share a bottle with some friends for samples. Try Smuttynose Baltic Porter and you'll forget this stuff ever existed. There are just too many better porters out there especially at this $5.99 price (Sept 2009).
Apr 19, 2010
Photo of JohnGalt1
Reviewed by JohnGalt1 from Idaho

3.55/5  rDev -12.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
Jake65 brought this to a freaking epic tasting at Ditmier's house last weekend.. Glad I was able to attend.. amazing! Reviewed from paper notes.

Very clear dark brown brew.. nice tan head.

Wow... very smokey.. lite caramel.. minor brown sugar..

dark malts with some dark fruits, but the main player is "beef jerky" .... dark cocoa if I try and pull it out... bits of char... medium body and a bit heavier carbonation...

Seems waaay more of a "smoked beer" than an American Porter.... I hope that changes. Overall, I appreciate what came out of the bottle, but I honestly don't like most smoked beers because they're overdone.. this is no exception.

Thanks Jake for all the super cool beers, but this one left me flat.

4/4/3.5/3.5/3
Mar 05, 2010
Photo of sholland119
Reviewed by sholland119 from Pennsylvania

4.23/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
A-Pours a lovely dark brown with just a hint of light at the bottom. A thin pool of off white head leaves some nice lacing.

S-Medium levels of wood smoke and a bit of bacon goodness.

T-While the nose is maybe a bit underdone, the taste is really nice. Rich chocolate malt in the front, some very nicely balanced smokiness and a nice roasty hop bite in the finish.

M- Very nice richness, medium bodied and a really long lingering roasted malt.

D-Two for two on smoked porters tonight, with this following Ng Smoke on the Porter. This is quite delicious, lighter on smoke. longer on flavor and body.

HV
Feb 26, 2010
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Reviewed by beer2day from North Carolina

4.38/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Pours near black, but really just a very, very dark brown. 1-finger of dark cream head sits atop the glass. Faint retention, but still a thin sheen of head at the very end. Laces well.

Just a hint of smoke greets the nose. More bitter chocolate with sweet caramel underneath.

Very dark and rich taste. Bitter hit followed by a slightly smoky transition into a nice roasted, fired malt middle. Finishes with a nice burnt flair of bitters. As dark a porter as I can remember having in quite a while.

Excellent body for the porter style. Really more stout-like.

Very easy to drink. No hint of alcohol.
Feb 20, 2010
Photo of marvin213
Reviewed by marvin213 from North Carolina

4.1/5  rDev +1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5
It's a dark porter that could easily pass for a stout. Even the head is brown and thick--almost creamy. Swirling evidences lacing like wine legs, and the brew's look doesn't change. The top's almost like an eyeball as the hoppy foam hits the edges while an almost circular patch spots the center. In between is black American porter. It's an impressive-looking beverage.

The nose is a burnt, roasted, smoked malt. The smell offers layers of complexity as the roasty smokiness fails to hide lingerings of chocolate in the background. The Fuggle hops do add a grass-like earthiness. It smells like a lil' chocolate's been added to my Lay's mesquite barbecue chips.

I taste even more smoke than I smell. I'd call it a rauchbier without blinking an eye. The malts (which I couldn't distinguish as German without reading the bottle) make a potentially biting smokiness much more palatable. I verge in to mouthfeel because the seemingly perfect carbonation really meshes what's a great assortment of flavors. This is really a unique brew, and it's complex enough (roasted, malty smokiness combined with a chocolate grassy earthiness) that it changes significantly with temperature and, I'd imagine, with age. It's just a cool liquid to swish as if it were mouthwash. Although these aren't my favorite ingredients for a beverage, I'd offer that they're thrown together right nice in this Big Butte bottle o' beer.

There are certainly many porters more drinkable than this one. That's probably owed largely to the fact that few porters are as flavorful as this one. It's absolutely appropriate as a beer to take outside to flame up the grill, to sip as you throw on the ribs, to enjoy as you wash down the sauce, and to savor just after you've turned off the heat. As with most smoked beers, however, the occasion and cuisine are relatively limited.
Jan 24, 2010
Photo of indiapaleale
Reviewed by indiapaleale from Maine

4.1/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Pour - super dark brown, nice and smooth and rich looking in the glass. The head on this is toffee colored and sits nicely upon a dark sea.

Aroma - slightly vinous, earthy, caramel, light smoke along with some cherry. Not a smoke bomb in the nose, just a very nice smelling porter.

Taste - sweet maltiness with some of the vinous tanginess as well. Its a bit thin in body but as this warms it becomes bolder and richer. The smokiness takes a backseat for the first several sips of this beer before it begins to creep out. About halfway through this glass I really begin to experience just how well the flavors in this beer mesh.

Overall - a great, very drinkable smoked porter. This is very nicely balanced with the smoke flavor contributing just enough. I wish I had a fireplace or another bottle of this beer that I could crack open around a campfire this spring.

Would I buy more of it? - yes, if I lived in North Carolina I would. Great smoked porters are not so easy to find.
Jan 20, 2010
Photo of blackie
Reviewed by blackie from Oregon

4.32/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
a: tight, creamy mocha head recedes to a nice layer atop the mahogany, nearly black colored beer

s: a full caramel back carries big roasts and extra dark chocolate, supporting an aroma of richly smoked, fruity meats - nice balance on this end, very well executed

m: soft, light-medium carbonation on a medium body

t: this is what a smoked porter is all about - big meaty smoke well entwined with a roasty body, rich toffee, and very dark chocolate, the drier finish pulls out more woody, charcoal flavors, dusty cocoa, and burnt barley, finishing with a lingering flavor of campfire and mild bitterness

d: no issues here - great beer

bomber from Peace Street Market, Raleigh
Jan 12, 2010
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Reviewed by drunkboxer1 from Texas

4.15/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5
Pours almost a solid black. Thin white colored head. Smells heavily of roasted grains with a bit of smokiness behind it. Tastes pretty much the same but just more in you face. The smoked malt kinda shines through on this one, unlike a few other smoked porters I've had. It's good that it does, I think, that way you know you're having something different. A little bit reminiscent of smoked meats, but not glaringly so as in a few rauchbiers that I've had. Overall, I like it a lot and it's a really good example of the style.
Dec 31, 2009
Photo of Durge
Reviewed by Durge from Connecticut

4/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
An extremely opaque dark colored liquid with a modest light tan ring of head and nice lacing. The aroma brings a very tart chocolate burnt pumpkin blend, unique and enjoyable. My taste buds pick up on the smoke and plenty more tart coffee bitterness. There's not a lot more to be said, a touch of creamy chocolate in a mid-bodied plus brew with a delicate carbonation. It's reasonably drinkable for the style but the theme here is pretty much all tart with a modest smoke overtone. Very tasty and an agreable porter option.
Dec 30, 2009
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Reviewed by brentk56 from North Carolina

4.42/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Appearance: Pours a espresso brown color with a roacky tan cap that leaves a fair amount of lacing behind

Smell: While you can tell this is a smoked beer, there is an unexpected amount of plum and blackberry in the aroma; the smoke is subtle and more like hickory smoked BBQ than the typical ash bomb; sweetened coffee underneath, as well

Taste: Biscuits and dark fruit, up front, with the plum and blackberry flavors joined by the BBQ smoke at mid-palate; some caramel in the profile, up front, as well; after the swallow, the sweetened coffee flavors join in, along with some milk chocolate; the smoke re-asserts itself in the finish

Mouthfeel: Medium to full body with moderate carbonation

Drinkability: One of the best beers to come out of Highland, this one had relatively little publicity but will not be forgotten for some time
Nov 28, 2009
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Reviewed by farrago from New Jersey

4.32/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
About a half finger head of dark tan color, thin foam interspersed by many larger bubbles, very good sheet of lacing. You want to call the liquid very, very dark brown but it's more or less opaquely black. The nose is indeed smoky, loads of roasted coffee, then caramel, butterscotch and nutmeg spice, the cherry, plum fruit has a lighter apricot streak, granola cereal and grains fit in seamlessly, very full nostril presence helps it linger for a long time. Full-bodied, for its density moves at a good pace and doesn't bog down. The smokiness here comes close to evoking pork rinds and fried pig. Here the coffee more bitter and has less support from toffee or butterscotch, more bitter dark chocolate. The carbonation is rough and tumble but the right kind of turbulence. The cherry, blueberry, apricot, apple fruit speaks clearly, of few words. The smokiness is hard to wash out of your mouth. Not sure how much one could pound in one sitting but it's good stuff for the style.
Nov 14, 2009
Big Butte Smoked Porter from Highland Brewing
Beer rating: 90 out of 100 with 34 ratings