Smoked Porter Tasting

Well now that my zombie tirade is over, back to the tasting!  I decided to give my first shot at using smoked malt a try and didn't venture into uncharted territory as I picked a base of a porter.  There was an extra gallon left after bottling, so I did what any illogical person would do and dumped in some wild yeast to start the souring process.  That won't be bottled any time soon though, so on to the review!

Smoked Porter


Appearance- A very dark brown color, not quite opaque but leaning towards black as hints of brown highlights can be seen around the edges.  Layer of tan resilient head composed of fine bubbles that leaves decent lacing on the side of the glass.

Smell- Smooth creamy chocolate with some toasted malt aromas coming through strong in the front.  Slight hint of smoke in the background along with an accompanying earthy smell.  Coffee notes apparent throughout. 

Taste- Both creamy and a slightly bitter chocolate taste in the beginning of the taste.  The milk chocolate taste only lasts momentarily before the bitter takes over.  Earthy notes in the middle much more prominent than the minimal smoke (surprised about its lack of appearance here).  The end brings some hop bitterness that lingers into the aftertaste as well as what seems to be some slight oxidation. 

Mouthfeel- Medium bodied with smooth carbonation as well a slightly noticeable alcohol warmth.

Overall and Notes- Surprised with the subdued smoke character in the beer, was expecting a little more with the 3 pounds of smoked malt I put it.  That being said, this is my first attempt at using smoked malt and as always it is a learning process.  Still enjoyable though and it will be interesting to see how it ages.