Smoky Mountain Porter
Natty Greene's Pub & Brewing Co.

 

 

 

 

Enjoyed at the Greensboro brewpub this smoked porter shows an opaque black-brown color with a fair light tan head that settles to a dusting with good lacing. The nose picks up smoked salmon and light cracker malt. Polite but nice enough. The flavor offers sweet charcoal malt and light smoked apple-ham. There's some grassy biscuit that provides a biting finish. This is medium bodied with modest carbonation and a somewhat chalky feel. Pretty liquid and drinkable for the style. A very solid porter with tasteful smokiness.

Stopped by for $2 pints on Thirsty Thursday. This came out a full-to-the-brim pint with just a thin sheet of khaki head on top. Deep blackness allows no light to penetrate at all. Great roasted nose with a touch of smokiness. I love the subtlety here. This would never be confused with an all out Rauchbier. But there's a pleasant campfire-like smokiness that is really inviting.

Creamy firm mouthfeel. Carbonation level is spot on. Excellent finish. Thinks drinks fantastically. This beer is a bounty of chocolate, roasted malts, smoky bacon. But again, the smoke, though present, isn't so bold to just wreck this beer ham-style. A pleasant mild smoky finish that lingers just a touch on the palate. I can't help but gulp this beer. So well-crafted.

Another standout brew from the boys at Natty's.

 

 

 

On tap at the pub.

Pours jet black, no head.

Smells smokey with hints of caramel.

Flavor is smokey and chocolatey with notable spiciness.

Medium body with a tingle of carbonation.

The spiciness really works here. Great compliment to the chocolate malt and smoked flavors. Would love to have this again. Maybe a bit of a novelty, but one that is worth returning to.

On tap at the brewpub.

Pours a dark black with a thin creamy tan head that retained well with nice thick lacing down the sides of the glass. The aroma is deep with notes of sweet caramel and chocolate, nuttiness, and a nice smokiness.

The taste matches the aroma for the most part. Roasted chocolate notes blend with a caramel sweetness that is completely wrapped up in pleasant blanket of smoke flavor. It finishes with a surprising amount of hop bitterness that punches up the end. The mouthfeel is full bodied with good carbonation.

Wow, I always relish the chance to try a Smoked Porter and this was a good one. Nice full flavors, fantastic smoked charactter, and a great drinkibility make this a winner in my book!

Appearance: Black body with a small, beige head.

Smell: Burnt, black malts with notes of charred chocolate blocks and smoke.

Taste: Roasty black malt flavor accentuated by a rich, though reasonable smoke component. Hint of baker's chocolate. Not too much in the way of sweetness, but you do get your money's worth in roasty bitterness. Bitter, smokey, even ashen finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Medium carbonation.

Drinkability: An enjoyable smoked beer where the smoke character isn't grotesquely overdone.

Had this on draft on site during my first visit to the pub. Excellent porter. Only the second smoked beer I've ever had, but I can tell, this is most likely how a smoked beer should be. The smokiness was very present, but did now get in the way of the usual characteristics of a good porter. The subtle coffee and cocoa was there and played themselves off very well with the smoke. Very enjoyable, I would love to be able to try this again.

This is thickly dark brown in color, and heavy looking. Nice inviting head too. Nose is sweet, roasted and smokey. Nicely balanced with yummy porter-like depth. Coffee, chocolate, caramel, nuts, woody smoke and even a touch of vanilla sneaks its way to my nostrils. Taste is quite enjoyable too. Typical roasty porter flavors again with the mellow smoked quality coming along for the ride. Hops fit in nicely and add appropriate bitterness alongside the roasty bitterness. Nice velvety mouthfeel has substance but doesn't bring me down. Body is the right size for this brew. Certainly a drinkable porter.

A growler of this is far from too much.

A fantastic big, fat, thick, tan head rests atop an opaque black body. Solid soapy retention and lots of lace. Sweet roasted aroma with nuts and creamy coffee. Roasted malt flavors, mocha, and a soft smokiness to round it all out. Nice and smooth in the mouth, a little creamy yet not too heavy.

I like everything about this porter. I had several at Natty's last night and it was so tasty I had to bring home a growler. Well done!

Enjoyed on-tap as my first offering at the brewpub today during my lunch. Reviewed from notes.

Pours an extrem deep black. Pitch black. But rather thin as it swirls around the glass. Slightly tan head that receded fairly quickly to a thinner film. Nose was like those times you walk outside and can smeel someone in the neighborhood having a wood fire in their house.

Not so much a smoked beer as a beer with smokey tendancies. Camp fire smokey when you throw a fresh log onto the fire and kick up all those sparks and ash. Also, just some ever-so-slight hints of chocolate. Hops give it just a slight gree edge that balances out the smokiness. Medium to full body that thins out a bit as the beer warms. Yum. I did not want to let Cleanfeet have a sip and she rolled her eyes in pleasure at this beer.

They're giving this one a good push at Natty Greene's at the moment, and for good reason. It's the best offering I've tried from them so far.

Looked great, a big tan head that retained from full to empty. Super-black body with dabs of lace all up and down glass. Can't report on the carbonation levels...can't see through that infinite black fog.

The smells are mild, but there are indeed roasted malts and espresso characteristics at the fore.

Flavor impresses with a good balance of roasted grains, coffee, chocolate and a balancing layer of hops. One of the smoothest porters I've tasted. Hangs hefty but not heavy in the mouth, holds up really well. I would've like a more extreme smokiness, considering the name, but for what it is it's still very very good. An easy-drinking porter.

On tap at 1st St. Draught House in Winston.

Pitch black colour with a nice 1/2" head. Lots of beige lacing around the glass.

A touch of smoked malt. Nice, but lacking in complexity... and not nearly as forceful in the nose as I would have liked.

Once again, smoked malt in the flavour. Following the smoked malt is a bitter charred wood-smoke flavour. Decent... rather tame for a smoked porter though.

Way to thin in the mouth, and a bit too much carbonation for a porter.

Drinkable and enjoyable brew, just not a great example of the style. As I already mentioned, a bit watered down from where I would like it to be.

A damn nice porter, as style is concerned.
I'm not a fan of 'smoked beers' but this one actually benefits from the flavor. A lovely looking, almost black, beer to begin. Some smoke, malt, bread, smell. Taste is porter but with lots of smoke and earth to start. Mellows quite a bit after a few sips. Medium to thick in the mouth, creamy and slick. A session beer if there is one at Natty's. A great porter, and the smoke does not turn me off. Go figure.

cheers...

My first smoked porter. The wall sez "Beechwood smoked, 2 row malt and dry hopped with Progress from England."

Jet balck colour with a creamy tan head that lasts (I imagine it would, as the beer itself did not last long).

Roasted malt, sweet nose.

Lighty smoked black malts followed by some peatiness. Balancing bitter backup.

Medium-full body with a very smooth and fairly clean finish.

Good session beer for a fairly heavy malt brew.

Cheers!