Poured into a pint glass starting at about 40 degrees.
This Porter is a characteristic pitch black with a light tan head. A standard pour gives about a finger or so of head that is quite bubbly. After about 45 seconds or so the head thins down to about a quarter finger, but it stays for awhile.
Even cold, the smoke aroma is quite strong and pleasant, with it giving a slightly sweet counterpoint to the darker malt aromas, which are heavier on the coffee, licorice, and dark chocolate aromas. As the beer warms up, the coffee and licorice become more dominant than the other darker aromas, and the smoke strengthens as well.
The smoke adds a nice dimension to the traditional porter flavors as well, with it adding a quick flash of smokiness at the beginning of the sip, and lingering on the palate for the entirety of the sip. It does stick around a bit after swallowing, but it helps balance and hide some of the darker malt flavors that sometimes can overstay their welcome. Interestingly, the more bitter flavors become a little more subdued as the beer warms, and the smoke flavors take over a little bit, while the dark malts add depth.
A medium body, and similar carbonation. Nothing groundbreaking here, but there's nothing off-putting either.
A great drink with just about any meat. I had this one with a couple of beef/lamb burgers, and the beer really helped to bring out some of the earthy and gamey flavors in the meat. I'd love to have another with some barbecue, duck, and may even some smoked cheese.
