New Glarus Smoke on the Porter

New Glarus Brewing – New Glarus Smoked on the Porter – 12 oz. bottle poured into a tulip – 6.1% abv.

Product description: Smoke on the Porter began with our neighbors at Hoesly’s Meats. Their smoke house aromas waft through our door creating a special kind of decadence that must be shared. Wisconsin barleys were generously cold smoked with apple wood by the Hoesly family. Brewmaster Dan then harnesses dark malts smoked in Bamberg to create a team that steps out as a creamy smooth black brew that will forever linger in your mind as Smoke on the Porter.

It’s very exciting to try this old classic, which is back by popular demand after a nine-year hiatus. This review is from a 12oz glass bottle poured into a tulip glass. The beer is clear, deep mahogany generating healthy tan foam with incredible retention.

The aroma is assertive with sweeter smoked meat and maple-glazed bacon. Warming up there is slight cinnamon raisin and sweet dates. The flavor begins with powerful smoked meat turning just a touch ashy like a cigar. The mid-palate is surprisingly light-bodied and the beer is overall super clean especially given the style. Carbonation is lively with sugar and alcohol notes absent. The finish is a touch bitter and mildly roasty. It is quite the complete beer with everything working for it. As much as the term “smoked porter” sounds like an intense beer that you would want to sip and savor, this one is the exact opposite. It is endlessly drinkable and its smoked barbecue savoriness becomes addictive.

Overall, this one is top notch. Where many breweries fail to integrate a smoked character into porter, New Glarus accomplishes it with ease.