Fade to Black, Vol 2

So, it's pretty easy to make a bad smoked beer. I mean, up to this point I haven't really had one I liked. I don't think it's a coincidence that rauch sounds so much like ralph which is a euphemism for hurling, which is not an ice-based Olympic event. In other words, I was kind of expecting this beer to be disgusting, which would be a shame because I bought a six pack for my dad for Christmas because he likes to try unusual seasonal brews. (Irony alert: his name is Ralph, so maybe smoked is the style for him.)

But, long story short, this is not a bad beer at all. The smoke flavor is understated and doesn't at all remind me of my wife's ill-fated attempt to create home-made bacon substitute. (Not something I'd recommend, it nearly made me rauch my guts out.) But this beer tasted like a pretty good porter and made me feel really pretty good. Sad to say, you probably can't try this beer because it's a seasonal one-off, but if you do happen to find a six pack or a single around, I'd say you should try it. If my dad hasn't finished off that six, I'll definitely crack one of these next time I'm at his place.

London Porter

When I began my beer year, I was no big fan of porters, but by this time in my beer year, I've had enough (the count says 15 at the time I drank this one, probably 25 by the time of writing) that I've developed a reasonable taste for them. I've had the microbrew everybody recommends (Black Butte Porter) and a pretty good selection of variations on the theme.

But of all the porters I've had, this is my favorite. The flavors are bold and the texture is silky. None of that stankiness you often get with imported beers. You know what I'm talking about. This is just a purely great tasting beer with strong malts and just enough hops to keep it from sagging at the back end. This is one of those beers I probably commented seven or eight times, "I really like this beer," and was very sad when I finished it. I really wished I'd picked up a six pack.

10-Pin Porter

A decent porter.

Mocha Porter

After the good experiences I'd had with coffee beers, I was looking forward to trying this one, but it was a disappointment.

Anchor Porter

An okay porter. Nothing too special, but not too bad, either.

Smoked Baltic Porter

I was promised that this brew would be pretty light on the smoke. Not so. Definitely too smoky for my taste. Not recommended unless you really like smoke. A disappointing brew from Great Divide.

Cocoa Porter

I got this one at the brewery when working on my article for American Beauty. I was surprised how tasty it is--sweet and delicious. Made with genuine cocoa powder and Colorado wildflower honey, the brewer was pretty proud of this beer, and rightfully so. Strongly recommended for anyone who can find it.

Holiday Porter

See my previous post for my feelings about Sam Adams' beers generally. This one holds true to that categorization.

Sierra Nevada Porter

Sierra Nevada just seems to be very uneven to me, and this one definitely lost me.

Bully!

This is a pretty fair porter from Boulevard. I guess I've come around to a lot of porters.

Polygamy Porter

A tasty-ish porter. A little strong at first, but settles in nicely.

Black Jack

An okay porter

St. Bridget's Porter

A pretty good porter. Middle-of-the-road beer for Great Divide. One of St. Bridget's miracles, apparently, was turning her bathwater into beer. When Tracy heard the story, she said, I can believe she turned her bathwater into something, but I don't think it's beer.

Pipeline Porter

Coffee-infused porter. Not bad for a porter.

State Pen Porter

A great porter. I took this with me on a bike ride / barbecue and truly enjoyed it. Maybe I'm not a porter-hater after all. I'm going to have to try some more and make a decision.

Black Butte Porter

Deschutes. I have heard from its fans that this is one of the best porters around, but I just didn't like it. Either I just don't like porters or, as I guessed before, the brewmasters at Deschutes and I just don't mesh.

New World Porter

Avery