Beer – #154 – Stone – Smoked Porter

Anzac day. I’m going to try a Stone Smoked Porter with Vanilla Bean, not for any reason of remembrance just because it’s time for a beer. Mostly. Brewed by Stone Brewing Co. in the style of a Porter in of all places Escondido, California USA

A rich, dark and delicious porter with chocolate and coffee overtones accented by a subtle smokiness from just the right amount of peat smoked malt. Unlike a rauchbier, the “smoke” in Stone Smoked Porter is an ELEMENT of the character rather than being THE character. — Greg Koch, Stone Brewing Co.

5.9% ABV beer (1.85 standard drinks) in a 330ml bottle, and 53IBU’s

Deep dark colour with a malty coloured head, not a big aroma, but that’s not a bad thing. Head settles away quickly.

It’s quite fruity to be honest, decent carbonation, but I was a bit surprised to think of fruit over other things I could have thought of, like “smoke”, I’m not actually sure there are any dominant tastes in this.

The bitterness is ok, and what there is is mostly balanced out by the malts, but I’m beginning to think that I don’t actually get the smoked malt thing, nor do I get vanilla, both of which should, in my mind give a stronger taste. I could be wrong. I usually am. Without blowing my own trumpet I think I drank enough beer to pick elements, sorry Greg.

It’s not a bad beer, I’m still picking fruits over smokes though, and I hear you saying “well dur that’s the vanilla” and it could well be.

Overall though, not as pleasing as I wanted it to be, and not as rounded as I thought it would be. Disappointingly then the Pdubyah-o-meter would rate this only a 6. It’s an in the pack beer, it’s not setting any standards or setting itself apart. It’s a bit too sweet, a but light on bitters, and lacks a real body or length of taste.