Jackie O's Pub & Brewery Bourbon Barrel Wood Burner

Brewed By: Jackie O's Pub & Brewery in Athens, Ohio  

Purchased: 375ml/12.7oz single bottle bought at And Beer in Athens, Ohio; 2014 

Style/ABV: American Bourbon Barrel Stout/Smoked Beer, 11.0%

Reported IBUs: ?

I don't know if I have had a Bourbon Barrel aged smoked beer before. About Jackie O's Pub & Brewery:

Jackie O's is a brewery and brewpub based out of Athens, Ohio. The brewery was founded in 2007 by Art Oestrike and his friend, and brew master, Brad Clark. In 2012 when the production facility expanded, brew master Sean White joined the company. For more info, check out their website or Facebook.

The Bourbon Barrel Wood Burner is so OG it doesn't have a website entry. The bottle reads: "Over the years we have brewed a plethora of big stouts and porters, and the idea of brewing an imperial smoked stout was something we had been kicking around for awhile. When an open brew day presented itself, we knew exactly what to do. The base stout focuses on rich caramel and chocolate notes with a deep savory/smokey backbone. The entire batch found its way into bourbon barrels where it rested for over a year. An enticing combination of sweet and savory, with waves of dark chocolate and vanilla that wash over the palate. Cheers to stoking the creative flame in all of us!"

Jackie O's Pub & Brewery Bourbon Barrel Wood Burner

As you can imagine, this pours into some dark, inky body, with a finger of brown head. There is some lacing and alcohol legs...usual stuff from the Stout assembly line. 

The aroma has mad bourbon appeal, with luscious Bourbon County-like chocolate, brownie, coconut, macaroons, and raisins-cherry sweetness. There's some alcohol jumping around in here, but nothing you wouldn't get in the spirit itself. The barrel isn't overtly pronounced, and I'm not getting the smoke on the aroma. 

Wow, this is really good. Like, Bourbon County good. Like holy shit, I was not expecting this banger after the other Jackie O's bottle offerings I have had. This has giant chocolate, brownie, vanilla, complex coconut and macaroon notes, intense oak/bourbon/barrel, and lots of alcohol spiciness. The smoke is more of an afterthought here, and the beer is all the better for it. Between the fruity whiskey notes, the cherry-raisins hints, and the sugary sweetness, this dips into alcohol and smokey spice. This stays away from the intense smoke...this isn't a Rauchbier, there is no bacon...and I'm not even mad. 

This is full-bodied, but the intense bourbon sweetness balances out the alcohol heat. It appropriately feels like an 11% beer, without any baggage. Palate depth is good, with lengthy duration. Complexity is high. I'm not gonna wax poetic, this drops Bourbon County chocolate, macaroons and coconut up front; whiskey sweetness, dark fruits, rum, alcohol spice, and smoke show up in the mids; the back end drives home nuanced barrel, bourbon, and smokey notes. This is fan-fucking-tastic and totally caught me off guard.

Rating: Divine Brew (4.5/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Divine Brew on this. I would need another bottle or two to convince myself that this deserve the 5.0/5.0, but it feels like it is basically there. It's like Bourbon County with that spicy, smoke wrinkle. This would pair well with a cigar, or just as a sipper like I am sipping now. Fantastic stuff...and just what I was looking for to round out the evening. 

Random Thought: There are many things about craft beer that suck, but one of the top annoyances are all the misconceptions about aging beer. 

Against the Grain MacFannybaw

Brewed By: Against the Grain Brewery (and Smokehouse) in Louisville, Kentucky   

Purchased: 22oz bottle bought at Friar Tuck in Urbana, IL; 2014 

Style/ABV: American Smoked/Rauchbier, 8.5%

Reported IBUs: 25

Tonight's beer is just so much wuuutt. It's literally wutt. About Against the Grain Brewing: 

The Against the Grain Brewery and Smokehouse is a brewery (and smokehouse) that was founded back in October 2011. The brewery is located in the southeast corner of Louisville Slugger Field at the corner of Jackson and Main Street, in Kentucky, and is run by four dudes who are cooler than you. For more information, check them out on Facebook or check out their website. 

The MacFannybaw is a barrel-aged Rauchbier, aged in Angel's Envy Bourbon Barrels. The bottle reads: "We're not blowing smoke up your rear! This barrel-aged rauchbier offers up all the complexity and flavor you could ask for, without all the highfalutin and grandiloquent ideas folks have about that famous islay liquid gold. MacFannyBaw is a sweet, smooth, smokey, and salty lionn, brewed with alderwood smoked salt and conditioned in barrels to add a touch of Kentucky flavor." With a Munich malt base and tons of Beechwood and Peat smoked malts and Alderwood smoked salt...this should be weird. 

Against the Grain MacFannybaw wuttt

This basically pours out exactly not how you would expect: orange and bright, with two fingers of gold-tinged head. This is as clear as my kidney infection, and looks like some sort of juicy and dank Saison or IPA.

I'm wondering again if this beer is infected, because it sure brings an ample supply of band-aid funk to the aroma. Along with the band-aid funk are rubber bands that would make T.I. jealous, and copious layers of smoked malts. Beneath all that are some honest-to-goodness citrus and pineapple notes. I just don't know.

This is more or less a wuttt affair with weird ass band-aid funk whiskey smoke notes piling on like a Comedy Roast. Honestly, this is equal parts confusing as hell and interesting, with smoked malts, beechwood, and salt coalescing with whiskey, barrel, oak, and some obscure and faint honey sweetness that lingers in the backgroud. I honestly don't think this infected, this is just an eclectic beer.

I'm drawn to things that don't make sense, and this is no exception. I don't even know what this is. A funky Rauchbier? It's relatively clean, hides the alcohol well, carbonated, and medium-bodied. Palate depth is fine and it's complex....I just don't know. The weird mash of smoke, salt, and ubersweet beechwood malts up front give way to that funky band-aid/rubber band man middle...the back end drops off oak, whiskey, barrel, and faint pineapple which suggests a few more years in the bottle and you'll have Orval. Wut. 

Rating: Average (3.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Decent Average on this. This beer is kind of like going on vacation to your aunt's house. Everything is cooler and more laid back, but also weird and different. Things smell different, and she cooks hamburger helper way different than mom does. Food pairings here include chili and that's about all I have.

Random Thought: Wut

Stone Smoked Porter with Chipotle Peppers

Brewed By: Stone Brewing Co. in Escondido, California

Purchased: 22oz bomber bought at Capone's Liquor & Food in Chicago, IL; 2014

Style/ABV: American Porter, 5.9% 
Reported IBUs: 53

Tonight's beer was just sitting on shelves, saying "tick me, bro." I've already dabbled wit Stone's Smoked Porter, which is really good. The Stone Smoked Porter with Vanilla Beans is even better. About Stone:

Stone Brewing are one of the more prominent breweries in the American craft brewing scene. They were founded in 1996 in San Marcos, California, and moved to Escondido, California where they recently expanded their operations. Stone was founded by Steve Wagner and Greg Koch. Koch has a reputation among the craft beer community for voicing his opinion, not putting up with shit, and standing behind his beer. Also...farking woot and fizzy yellow beer is for bitches. 

The Stone Smoked Porter with Chipotle Peppers is the brainchild of Chris Carroll, who in 2006, suggested producing a one-off version of the Stone Smoked Porter brewed with the addition of chipotle peppers. Stone describes this beer as a "deep, roasty quaff," which is also how I describe going down on Serena Williams. Let's get this into a glass and do that adjunct bench press. 

Stone Smoked Porter with Chipotle Peppers

This one pours out like a Porter or Brown Ale. The shocker here is the three-fingers plus of dense, sustaining head. The head takes on root beer float consistency, and has that cola-brown color. The body of the beer is also hinting towards a dark brown or ruby red in low light. In bright light the beer is a just slightly hazy reddish-orange color, it's kind of murky and swampy, like port side storage containers. The head is hanging around, and there be lacing ahead. 

This one smells surprisingly sweet from the onset. I'm getting big toast, dusty cocoa, lactose chocolate, nuttiness, nutty coffee, hazelnut, and coffee sweetness. There's also an earthy element to the coffee aroma which is nice. There's a hint of earthy ash and smoke on the aroma as well. Noteably absent on this beer's aroma is the smell of chipotle or pepper. I'm not getting any in the aroma. If you handed this to me blind and told me to judge it based on aroma alone, I'd be SOL. 

Mild spice is the name of the game here, with tingly chipotle massaging the sides of your tongue and building towards a peppery finish that drops salty jalapenos, green peppers, and chipotle goodness on the back of your throat. It's a blast of refined and constrained pepper to your tonsils, if you still have them. The base beer is given plenty of room to do its thing, with lots of Brown Ale/Porter-esque goodness. There's plenty of toast, caramel, cocoa, sweet chocolate, nuttiness, and subtle coffee notes at work here. The peppery heat is a nice counterpoint to this beer's somewhat one-dimensional sweetness, but those are the ropes in Porter country. 

As a general rule of thumb, I am better than everyone. People complaining about this beer's heat are wrong and should try some of Stone's Crime. People complaining about this being too light should note that this is a gentle beer, really. The 5.9% goes undetected, and I'd almost dare say this is pretty accessible both in terms of drinkability and sessionability. I don't want to jump the gun on potential food pairings, but this beer seems like it would really go well with some chocolate cake, mole sauce, bacon, chili, clam chowder (per Stone's website), ribs, grilled meats, and big ass burgers. It's kind of a foodie beer, certainly a beer with purpose. It's the adjuncts. Anyway...palate depth and complexity are both pretty good, and this one has that medium-light mouthfeel with nice carbonation and tingly pepper heat that moves things along. If there was ever a case for Ales > Dunkler Bocks, this beer might be it. Up front: rich cocoa, dusty chocolate, nuttiness, coffee; the mids roll into more cocoa and coffee, toast, growing pepper heat; the back end continues with the cocoa, nuttiness, earthy coffee, ash, and big green pepper, jalapeno, and chipotle show up to punch the back of your throat. I'm digging this.

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

This is a very Strong Above-Average. This is the perfect example of how you can balance adjuncts against a really solid base beer. Both the Stone Smoked Porter with Chipotle Peppers and the Stone Smoked Porter with Vanilla Bean are an improvement over the base beer, in my humble opinion. This is a somewhat mild and manageable beer, but I suspect it will really work with the aforementioned food pairings. If you appreciate pepper heat, check this beer out. Yeah, it's somewhat spicy. But it's nothing like the abominations that Crime and Punishment are. This is a solid Porter, and you could do much worse at around $5.99~7.99 per bomber.

Random Thought: I debated drinking this tonight because I picked up some hoppy beers that I don't want to camp on for too long, but I think I made the right choice. I'm not sure how chipotle peppers hold up with time, but I have to image they drop off. 

Surly Smoke Lager

Brewed By: Surly Brewing in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota

Purchased: 1 Pint 9.4oz (25.4oz) GRAY WAXED bottle bought at Whole Foods in Chicago, IL; 2014 (bottled 2013)

Style/ABV: Smoked/Baltic Porter/Oak Aged Smoked Baltic Porter, 8.2%

Reported IBUs: 50

Baltic Porters are the weird step-cousins of Imperial Stouts. These non-hoppy, malt bombs of a Lager are similar in style to both English Brown Porters and Schwarzbiers. The style was traditionally brewed by countries bordering the Baltic Sea, and is most similar to English Porters but was influenced by Russian Imperial Stouts. Tonight's beer takes the Baltic Porter format, and ratchets it up a few notches. About Surly Brewing: 

The Surly Brewing company is a brewery based out of Brooklyn Center, Minnesota. The brewery was founded in 2005 by long time homebrewer Omar Ansari with the help of Todd Haug (Minneapolis's Rock Bottom Brewery). For more info, check out the brewery's about page.

Tonight's beer, the Surly Smoke Lager, is massive in all the ways that matter. The bottle (and website) reads: "Ebony-hued, Smoke wafts out of the bottle and into your senses, borne on the wings of European traditions, wrapped in American innovation. Lager-brewed, like any true Baltic Porter, with smoked malts from Bamberg, Germany, the home of Rauchbiers, then mellowed by oak-aging. Black malt flavors mesh with notes of raisins, plums, figs and licorice with the subtle smoke on the side, for a complex and luxurious, yet silky smooth drinking experience. It's a sipper at Alc. 8.2% by VOL., but everyone knows you can't have Smoke without fire!" This one features Pale Ale, Smoked, Black, and Oat malts; it uses Warrior hops; the beer is fermented using German Lager yeast; and the beer is aged in or on oak. At 8.2% ABV and 50 IBUs, this one is sort of within the style guidelines.

Surly Smoke Lager

The Surly Smoke pours into an opaque, dark black/brown/reddish body, and kicks up three fingers of pretty dark mocha/brown head. There's a centimeter of hazy head hanging around, probably courtesy of the oats. Bright light confirms the same stuff...I'm okay calling this beer dark brown. It's opaque as they come.

The aroma here is big Bamberg/beechwood smoked malts, meats, ham/bacon, cherrywood, sauna, and dusty cocoa. SWIRL THIS BEER! When you swirl the beer in the glass, you unlock the mystery of dark grains, coffee, molasses, dark fruits, cherries, fruity alcohol, and big oak sweetness. The oak sweetness is woody and nutty and reminds me of the Two Brothers Atom Smasher.

The taste is intense, with big Rauchbier-esque smoked malts. I'm picking up beechwood, sauna, dark grains, cherries and boozy dark fruits, and layers of oak/wood/booze. Between all the smoke and fruity booze is some hints of molasses, coffee, and chocolate. There's a mild salty character here too.

This isn't as complex as I was expecting it to be...but that is not a serious knock against the beer. The beer is medium to full-bodied, depending heavily on the temperature that you drink it at. As it warms up, it starts to thicken up. The mouthfeel has added sustenance thanks to the low levels of carbonation. At 8.2% this is very drinkable, but you do get some nice, subtle booze in this. It adds a layer of needed complexity, and goes well with the dark malts and smoke. This is a Lager through and through, so a lot of the complexity comes from the malts, smoke, and oak. Speaking of: Up front is rich sweetness, dark fruits, molasses, chocolate, cocoa powder, coffee, and smoke; the mids roll into big sauna, beechwood, cherry wood, coffee, legit Bamberg Rauchbier-esque smoked malts, meaty hints, smoke, oak/bourbon/whiskey, more dark fruits; the back continues to bounce between oak/alcohol/bourbon/oak/dark fruits/etc. There is lingering molasses and smoke. The finish isn't super dry or sweet...very clean...hints of Lager spice. Like a Lager should be.

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

This is a Decent Above-Average for me. I enjoy the boozy fruits, coffee, and subtle oak that elevate this beer above just being a smoked Baltic Porter. It's a very well-made, clean beer too. It's kind of...like...an embodiment of Surly, to be honest. They make aggressive but clean beers that you can quaff all night long. I'd maybe pick this beer up again...it's hard to say with the $17 or $18 price tag. Food pairings here are pretty much smoked meats, bacon, BBQ sandwiches, chili, strong cheeses, ribs, burgers, and yeah. This is good stuff. Also, dat bottle art/wax. 

Random Thought: For whatever reason, this week just keeps going on and on. It's like the longest week ever.

Stone Matt's "Burning Rosids" Imperial Cherry Wood Smoked Saison

Brewed By: Stone Brewing Co. in Escondido, California

Purchased: 22oz bottle bought at Binny's in IL; 2014

Style/ABV: "Imperial" Saison, 10.5% 
Reported IBUs: ???

Dying sucks. Especially when you are still young and have ambition...and especially when it's because of some freak brewery-related accident. Brewing beer is hard, dangerous work. Tonight's beer is Stone's tribute to a fallen employee: an experimental, small batch brew conceived by the departed himself.  About Stone:

Stone Brewing are one of the more prominent breweries in the American craft brewing scene. They were founded in 1996 in San Marcos, California, and moved to Escondido, California where they recently expanded their operations. Stone was founded by Steve Wagner and Greg Koch. Koch has a reputation among the craft beer community for voicing his opinion, not putting up with shit, and standing behind his beer. Also...farking woot and fizzy yellow beer is for bitches. 

There's not much to say about Matt's Burning Rosids, other than check out the tribute on Stone's website. This "Imperial" Saison is brewed with cherrywood-smoked malts. I'm putting "Imperial" in quotes because I dunno, the style seems weird to me. 

Matt's "Burning Rosids"

The beer pours into a dark bronze, almost-amber body, and kicks up three fingers of gold tinted head. Even in low light the beer looks transparent and filtered. Bright light confirms the dark gold, filtered body. There's some moderate streams of moderate sized carbonation bubbles rising upwards, and a finger of foamy, white head is sustaining nicely. The head is leaving lots of lacing.

The aroma is like a mix of a Hefeweizen with a mild Rauchbier...the aroma is bursting with white sugar, bananas, clove, bubblegum, and Belgian funk. The hint of cherrywood is undeniable in the aroma, with light salt and sauna wood. I'm getting a little hop character, and orange/lemon zest in the mix as well, with plenty of wheat malts. It smells very German, but not like a German, or at least not like any German I've smelled. 

This is very luscious and full-bodied. I wasn't expecting the dense assault of creamy wheat, vanilla, clove, bubblegum, and banana that you get up front. The beer then rolls into some really mild and subtle smoked wood notes. In between is some grain and alcohol. The smoked wood notes impart some leather, dry wood, and dark grain...it reminds me of Fantôme a bit, but eh. It's kind of boozy, to be honest. I still hate the "Imperial Saison" label. I feel like this falls between a Doppelweizen/Weizenbock and Saison with smoked elements that would bump it to a specialty beer category anyway. Or better yet, #YOLO, so define it however you want.

Again, this is a full-bodied beer. The 10.5% isn't completely hidden, with some alcohol showing up. The alcohol does play off the dark grains and provide a counterpoint to some of the smoked malts. Complexity is okay, and palate depth is good. As I sip on this some more, I'm getting more and more bitterness on the finish. I can't tell if that is the dark grains and smoked malts, or if this is also generously bittered with hops. I assume the latter, because Stone. You get creamy wheat, clove, bananas, white sugar, orange/lemon zest, and bubblegum up front; that rolls into bitter hops and spent bubblegum, and then the cherrywood smoked malts kick in with sauna wood and bitter grain; the back end features bitter grain, cherry wood, hoppy bitterness, and a drying finish. From thick, creamy, and sugary to smokey, bitter, and dry.  

Rating: Average (3.5/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Light Average on this beer. It's probably a notch above average and it should get points for being experimental and original. And the dark grains + bubblegum wheat + bitter hops + smoked malts make for an interesting and incredibly bitter beer through and through. When you juxtapose the extreme bitter elements with the huge sweetness and 10.5%, you get something pretty enjoyable. Calling this beer a Saison is probably fair...it has many Saison elements. It's very Belgian-ale or German-ale esque. I'd love to see this beer aged, but I'm pretty sure it's not conditioned. Throw in some Brett and I think this could be banging. It really does remind me of Orval, or even the Engelszell Benno, with that earthy grain thing. There are flashes of Fantôme's mystery and greatness, but those Saisons are in a class of their own that is probably impossible to reproduce anytime soon. Food pairings for this beer: dry, spicy wings, barbecue food, pulled pork, dry rub ribs, grilled lamb, and hearty stews with lots of fat. Maybe a corn chowder? Yum.

Random Thought: Beer is supposed to be fun, and this beer is definitely that. Stone did a classy thing by temporarily immortalizing Matt with this brew. Here's to hoping they throw some Brett into this beer and maybe re-release it down the road. 

Pipeworks Big Smokey P

Brewed By: Pipeworks Brewing in Chicago, IL  

Purchased: 22oz bottle (Batch #201) bought at Binny's in IL; 2013 (bottled 9.5.13)

Style/ABV: Smoked Beer/Imperial Porter, 10.5%
Reported IBUs: ?

Welcome to Unofficial Pipeworks Thursday™. It's cold out tonight, and the perfect evening to enjoy a big, bold, robust, smoked beer. About Pipeworks:

Pipeworks has humble roots. The brewery was founded in Chicago in 2011 by Beejay Oslon and Gerrit Lewis. The duo were both homebrewers that met while while working at West Lakeview Liquors. In 2011, they began to raise money for their brewery using the online Internet site, Kickstarter. Olson and Lewis were both educated at De Struise Brewery in Oostvleteren, Belgium. With that knowledge, and the money from their kickstarter, Olson and Lewis created a unique brewery that is smaller in size, and intended to brew smaller batches of beer. The company's motto is "small batches, big beers." And indeed, since the brewery has been around, they've been releasing a lot of one-offs and small batch releases. The goal is to release a new beer every week. You can read more about the brewery at their website HERE.

Tonight's beer is an "Imperial Porter" that will likely feature Imperial Stout-like boldness. I guess we're splitting hairs here, but what can you do. The bottle reads:

"Bold, rich, and smokey. This is how the Big Smokey P Rolls. A deep malt base combining both Cherrywood and Beachwood smoked malts, this imperial smoked porter is Big. Get up on this Big Smokey P and enjoy the ride."

Pipeworks Big Smokey P

This beer pours into a black body with ruby red tones, and kicks up a pinky's worth of lightly tanned head. The head retention consists of a tan ring along the edge of the glass, and a hazy cauldron effect on top. Swirling the beer coats your glass with dense, dark lacing, and leaves some residual alcohol legs/tears behind. Bright light confirms much of the same: a dark beer with brown/ruby tones. 

This has a rich, velvety aroma, with lots of beachwood/cherrywood, caramel/molasses/brown sugar sweetness, hints of creamer or lactose, and tons of suggestive chocolates and meaty notes. There's a hint of butterscotch/diacetyl that comes and goes, but with the amount of UMPHH this beer has, I doubt it will be an issue. 

You do get a lot of beachwood, cherrywood, and smoked malts (with some hints of meat and campfire and the usual trimmings), all wrapped up in a delightful, full-bodied, malty package. I'm pulling out earthy notes, hints of coffee, chocolate, even some hints of sweeter sugars and fruits, and lots of molasses and caramel. But the smoked malts are pervasive throughout. 

This is full-bodied, dense, and big...it's also somewhat sugary, and leaves some residual sugars and stickiness on your lips. Nevertheless, for 10.5% this is drinkable. Palate depth is good...complexity is okay....and the beer promises what it advertises, which is nice smoked malt throughout. You get beachwood/cherrywood/smoked malt and cacao with some earthy notes hinting at coffee and roast up front; that rolls into chocolate, hints of fruit, some bitterness (hops???), and more smoked malts; the back end is lingering smoked malts with sugar/caramel/molasses sweetness. The finish is sticky sweet, and a touch smokey. 

Rating: Above-Average (3.5/5.0 Untappd)

I'm going to go with a very Light Above-Average here. I almost feel like the gravity boost here isn't as big of an improvement over Pipeworks' regular Smoked Porter as it could be...maybe if you take the bigger ABV and throw in some more cocoa or something, I don't know. It's a solid B/B+ beer, and the promised smoked malts are consistent throughout. This would be a great beer to pair with barbecue, grilled meats, a burger with bacon, ice cream, or dry chocolate cake. This is another solid brew from Pipeworks, and more proof that they have Stouts and IPAs down.

Random Thought: I had a cavity drilled and filled today. I rarely get cavities, and believe that tonight was number two or three. Getting the Novocaine shot is fucking weird, but it's kind of a cool sensation. The worst part is having the needle in your mouth for that extended period of time. I should probably harden the fuck up, so I'm gonna peace out. 

Pipeworks Chipotle Smoked Porter

Brewed By: Pipeworks Brewing in Chicago, IL  

Purchased: 22oz bottle (Batch #95) bought at Binny's in IL; 2013 (bottled 2.26.13)

Style/ABV: Smoked Porter, 7.5%
Reported IBUs: ?

The only thing I like better than a late night Unofficial Pipeworks Thursday™ is some nice copypasta. Tonight's beer is basically Pipeworks' Smoked Porter with the addition of some chipotle. Can you say yum? About Pipeworks:

Pipeworks has humble roots. The brewery was founded in Chicago in 2011 by Beejay Oslon and Gerrit Lewis. The duo were both homebrewers that met while while working at West Lakeview Liquors. In 2011, they began to raise money for their brewery using the online Internet site, Kickstarter. Olson and Lewis were both educated at De Struise Brewery in Oostvleteren, Belgium. With that knowledge, and the money from their kickstarter, Olson and Lewis created a unique brewery that is smaller in size, and intended to brew smaller batches of beer. The company's motto is "small batches, big beers." And indeed, since the brewery has been around, they've been releasing a lot of one-offs and small batch releases. The goal is to release a new beer every week. You can read more about the brewery at their website HERE.

The back of the bottle reads:

"For those crazy enough to think our smoked porter needed something more, we give you Chipotle Smoked Porter. In addition to the already bold character from the smoked malts, we bring the heat with a healthy dose of chipotle peppers to take this rich porter to the next level. Recommended pairing with a giant hunk of smoked meat and a big ass bon fire on a cold night."

There was no gushing or carb issues here. This beer pours into a dark brown/soda-black body, and kicks up a pinky's worth of dark khaki/tan head. The head quickly fizzles out, and the beer has crackly, soda-like carbonation. In bright light, this beer is a swampy and murky brown color, with some tingly carbonation dotting the surface of the beer. I've had quite a few Stouts/Porters brewed with peppers, and this beer looks and pours like many of them.

Pipeworks Chipotle Smoked Porter 

For a beer brewed early this year, there's still a lot of smoke on the aroma. I'm getting chocolate, roast, coffee, and lots of beechwood-y smoked malts. There's a lot of Hershey's Chocolate Syrup, molasses, chocolate, and vanilla on this beer's nose. What I would peg as an earthy coffee note is probably the chipotle, and the aroma definitely has a peppery vibe, but I don't know if I would place it in a blind tasting.

Chipotles are smokey and spicy, so the addition of chipotle to this beer only adds another layer of complexity. I feel like this is more smokey than the Smoked Porter, and there's a nice pinch of heat on the back that you can feel in the back of your throat. It's not End of Days good, but it's good. You get earthy smoke and beechwood smoke up front, and there's lots of coffee, earthy dirt, earthy peppers, and chocolate in the mix. The chipotle kicks in towards the back, and you get peppery spice and chipotle smoke on the finish. The lingering flavors on the palate are spicy pepper and some chocolate-syrup. Vanilla is in the mix too.

This is solid. Being the spicy food aficionado that I am, I would preference this over the Smoked Porter. Palate depth is good, and complexity is okay. This is medium to medium-full bodied. The mouthfeel is made lighter thanks to some carbonation and tingly pepper spice. This has good drinkability, assuming you aren't some smoked-malt hating hoser, and the 7.5% ABV goes mostly unnoticed. It's all about the beechwood smoked malts up front; the middle hits coffee, dirt, peppers, and chocolate; the back end is all chocolate and peppery spice. The finish here is spicy...and malty. 

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

In the same vein as the Smoked Porter, I'll toss this a Strong Above-Average. This beer drinks like a smokey chocolate Stout or Porter, so the addition of the chipotle pepper is very welcomed. I'd love to see Pipeworks brew this again, or any of their Stouts with the addition of chipotle. If you can snag a bottle of this...go for it. I'm about to pair this beer with a sandwich, but as the bottle suggests, you could certainly pair this beer with some BBQ or grilled/smoked meats. This would also go well with some chocolate cake, or chocolate dipped churros. 

Random Thought: TGIFF. 

Pipeworks Smoked Porter (20% Smoked Malt)

Brewed By: Pipeworks Brewing in Chicago, IL  

Purchased: 22oz bottle (Batch #86) bought at Binny's in IL; 2013 (bottled 2.15.13)

Style/ABV: Smoked Porter, 7.0%
Reported IBUs: ?

Pipeworks has been busy rolling out new beers on a weekly basis, and I still haven't caught up to all of their old stuff. That's good news for Pipeworks, bad news for my liver, and.....///drumroll///...my cue to announce another Unofficial Pipeworks Thursday™. There's something about smoked beers that screams Autumn, and this beer should hit the spot tonight. About Pipeworks:

Pipeworks has humble roots. The brewery was founded in Chicago in 2011 by Beejay Oslon and Gerrit Lewis. The duo were both homebrewers that met while while working at West Lakeview Liquors. In 2011, they began to raise money for their brewery using the online Internet site, Kickstarter. Olson and Lewis were both educated at De Struise Brewery in Oostvleteren, Belgium. With that knowledge, and the money from their kickstarter, Olson and Lewis created a unique brewery that is smaller in size, and intended to brew smaller batches of beer. The company's motto is "small batches, big beers." And indeed, since the brewery has been around, they've been releasing a lot of one-offs and small batch releases. The goal is to release a new beer every week. You can read more about the brewery at their website HERE.

The Smoked Porter is brewed with 20% smoked malt. The back of the bottle states:

"Pipeworks Smoked Porter is brewed with classic rauch malt and cherrywood smoked malt, totalling 20% of the grist. This first offering in our smoked series starts with a rich malt base with hints of roast, finishing with a moderate level of smoky campfire-goodness. We'll be brewing this one with different levels of smokiness throughout the year, so we're sure to find something with just the right amount of smoke for you!"

This shouldn't happen.

I love how I vicariously learn how to brew beer through Pipeworks. Opening the cap yielded a loud "POP" and beer gushed out the side. And this is a first for me: the all foam pour. I've never actually poured a beer that has been ALL foam. Crazy. For what it's worth, I'll take an over-carbonated bottle of beer versus an under-carbonated one every day out of the week. Also, the picture to the right was taken about 30 seconds after I poured it. That half inch of beer in the bottom of the glass was not present when I first poured this beer. It was LITERALLY* all foam. (* and fuck you, Oxford, for trying to change the definition of literally).

Once the PCP-driven head chills the fuck out, you are left with a dark, cola-black body, and a mountain of foamy, brown head. The head to body ratio on this beer would make Giada De Laurentiis blush. In bright light, the body of this beer is a murky brown, total swamp haze, and the head has woody brown tones. 

The good news is that this smells authentic and delicious. I'm getting lots of smoked wood, dry sauna, BBQ, some smoked pork, a hint of roast, and really nice smoked malt complexity. Unlike the amateur homebrew pour, this smells like the real deal.

Pipeworks Smoked Porter (20%)

Weird...I was expecting a lot more of the smoked malt up front, and a lighter body. This has Stout-like thickness, with dense chocolate and coffee up front, that gives way to smoke, smoked wood, and smokey chocolate. The back end dials up some big roast, and you get lingering smoked malt on the back. This sort of defies what I've come to expect from both Rauchbiers and Porters. The huge pull up front also digs up some sweetness, maybe molasses? Dark fruits? Hmmm.

So, I really dig this. The smoke is nuanced and subtle, and there's a dense, full body that reminds me of a hearty Stout. And all at 7.0%, which is completely under the radar. The drinkability of this beer is too damn high! The balance in this beer seems out of whack...but it works. It's an idiot savant, but whatever. Palate depth is phenomenal. Complexity is average. You get huge malt density, chocolate, molasses, dark fruits, roast, and smoke up front; that rolls into big roasty smoke, barbecue, hints of pork; the back end trails with roast and smoke (with wood, sauna), and the finish is smokey and dry. So nuanced, so awesome.

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

I fucking love this, and I'm throwing this a Strong Above-Average. The balance doesn't suggest a Porter or Rauchbier, this is all Stout baby. And you know what? That makes this beer all the more impressive. At 7.0%, this has the density of a much higher gravity beer. That's awesome. My only complaint is the carbonation issue, but again: I'd rather have too much carbonation than no carbonation. At 7 or 8 bucks a bottle, this beer is worth checking out. Grab a bottle while it's still out there, if you can. I'm about to pair this beer with a salami sandwich of toasted bread, but this would go wonderfully with a pulled pork or anything BBQ. Awesome, awesome stuff.

Random Thought: I'm really enjoying the progress that Pipeworks is making. I still think Two Brothers and Revolution have the edge in terms of making consistent, refined beer, but if Pipeworks keeps this up the future will be bright.

Stone Old Guardian Oak-Smoked (2013 Vintage)

Brewed By: Stone Brewing Co. in Escondido, California

Purchased: 22oz bottle bought at Binny's in IL; 2013

Style/ABV: American Barleywine, 11.6% 
Reported IBUs: 80

I wasn't madly in love with the 2013 Stone Old Guardian, but I think it's going to age nicely and mellow out into something wonderful. Which is why I bought two bottles. Tonight I'm looking at the same beer, only with the addition of oak-smoked wheat malt to add a much needed layer of complexity. Hopefully it works out. About Stone:

Stone Brewing are one of the more prominent breweries in the American craft brewing scene. They were founded in 1996 in San Marcos, California, and moved to Escondido, California where they recently expanded their operations. Stone was founded by Steve Wagner and Greg Koch. Koch has a reputation among the craft beer community for voicing his opinion, not putting up with shit, and standing behind his beer. 

If you roll over to the Old Guardian page, you can see that the 2013 Old Guardian comes in two flavors, regular and oak-smoked. The smoked version features a "substantial dose of German oak-smoked malt," which should add layers of smokiness to compliment the giant hop character and rich malt base. Clocking in at a rude 11.6% ABV (I sincerely mean that, this beer is aggressive) and 80 IBUs, this beer should feature the same stuff as the regular Old Guardian (big hops, rich malts) only with a complex twist. At least that's the hope.

Old Guardian Oak-Smoked 

This is not a photogenic beer (and I take shit photos; welcome to my shitty blog), but this pours into a dark red/amber/raisin-colored body. I kicked up a finger of reddish-khaki head, and it's hanging around like the beer is a Belgian Ale or something. It must be that wheat malt. In bright light, this beer is a gorgeous orange/red color, with a sexy orange/khaki head. It's just a good looking beer. There is monumental lacing, and a ton of carbonation streaming upwards.

It's amazing what another layer of malt adds to a beer, because the aromatics on the Oak-Smoked Old Guardian are impressively balanced and malty. I'm getting big oak, big wheat, and a huge smoke aromas. The smoke isn't meaty or fake...this smells like the authentic German malt you'd find in a Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier. Underneath the malt and smoke is some resinous citrus, pine, candy sweetness, maple syrup, and pine sap. If this tastes half as balanced as it smells, it's going to be an improvement upon the fresh Old Guardian. 

Well I'll be damned. The regular Old Guardian gargoyle was just an asshole. He was way too loud, always had a new girl over, and never did the dishes. Sure, he'll probably mature with time, but ain't nobody got time for that. This beer is striking a mean chord between big oak, smoked malt, bold peat character, light melanoidins (toasty/biscuit/chocolate/toffee/caramel/etc), even some plums and molasses...and resinous citrus, pine sap, maple syrup, and a dry, woody, oaky finish. Cot damn.

This is spectacular, and I'll probably run to the store and snag another bottle of this because hella rea$$$onable. As I said earlier, I suspect the regular Old Guardian will sort out with time...but right now the addition of the oak-smoked malts are grounding this beer and providing some much needed balance. This is super complex, has great palate depth, and has an aggressive full-bodied mouthfeel. At 11.6%, this demands to be sipped. The finish is sticky, woody, and dry. There's nice balance with oak, smoked malt, peat, toffee/caramel/toast up front; that rolls into plums, molasses, burnt sugars, resin, pine sap; the back end is sticky, then woody/oaky, then dry. Real nice...this is what I was originally looking for. 

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Above-Average on this. As this warms, I'm picking up some brown sugar and some peppery spice. This is ridiculously complex...and I tip my hat to the 11.6%. This beer doesn't fuck around. It really demands an evening, or a friend to share it with. Even with that huge peat/smoke malt character, the resinous hops still linger heavily on your palate. Which leads me to believe this will also age well...albeit at the expense of the oak and smoke. I also have another bottle of this which I will pull out sooner than the regular Old Guardian. At 7 bucks or thereabout for a bomber, this is a steal. The bold flavors in this will hold up to aggressive spices, wings, grilled meats, sausages, or a rich and flavorful cigar. Actually, the oak-smoke in this almost beckons some grilled meats or a cigar. Pour a snifter of this, fire up the grill, light a cigar, and kick back and enjoy life.

Random Thought: So how about that Miami Heat. I figured if they could force a game 7 they would win this series, and the Spurs have no excuse for dropping the lead and letting the Heat tie things up. For shame. Tomorrow...hockey. For better or worse. Yay!

Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Urbock

Brewed By: Heller Bräu Trum KG in Bamberg, Germany
Purchased: 1 Pint 0.9oz bottle (16.9oz) purchased at Binny's in Naperville, IL; 2012
Style/ABV: Smoked/Rauchbier, 6.5%

Rauchbiers or Smokebeers are one of the most intriguing German beers. At least in my opinion. Of course, if we talk about German beers, that means we take a trip to the German Beer Institute. I love the German Beer Institute, and if you need to waste some time at work, or just love beer, you owe it to yourself to check out their website. According to the GBI (on Rauchbiers):

"Once upon a time, all beers were Rauchbiers, so to speak. The term Rauchbier simply means "smoke beer" in German, and with the ancient kilning methods of drying green brewer's malt over open fires, all grains picked up smoky flavors and passed them on to the beers made from them. Today, however, with "clean" malt being the dominant brewing grist, old-style "smoke beers" have set themselves apart as an atavistic rarity, a throwback to a time gone by. Most Rauchbiers, like most Bavarian beers, are barley-based lagers. They are darkish-amber and opaque, with an alcoholic strength ranging from 4.8 to 6.5% by volume."

Smoke + Beer = Campfire Companion

The modern Rauchbier evolved over time as a specialty beer, in the Franconian city of Bamberg, and the surrounding areas in northern Bavaria. A number of breweries make the authentic stuff to this day (including the brewery that makes tonight's beer). In fact, according to the GBI, the only readily available Rauchbier in the States is the Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier.

The brewery makes a number of smoked beers (as you can see HERE). The Schlenkerla Rauchbier is a traditional Rauchbier, the Schlenkerla Rauchweizen is a smoky Weissbier, and the Schlenkerla Lager is a smoky Helles/blond beer. They also brew their Urbock in October, which is similar to a Bockbier, and their Fastenbier, a Doppelbock-like strong beer only available in the spring.

Aecht Schlenkerla is pretty much the standard for modern Rauchbiers. They are the Henry Ford of smoked beers...or whatever. The word "aecht" means "true" or "original." There are, however, other brewers in Bamberg that make Rauchbiers. Noteable example is Brauerei Spezial.

A final interesting note: most smoked malt comes from commercial malting companies (one example is Weyermann Malting Company, located in Bamberg). Schlenkerla is one of the last German breweries that still malts their own grain. With that said, we should probably roll over to the Schlenkerla website and see what they are all about.

Schlenkerla began as a monastery in the 14th century, but exchanged hands/owners many times. The full list of the owners of the brewery can be found on the website. Between 1405 and 1615, the original Schlenkerla building was sold a number of times. And during the 30 Years' War (1618-1648), the house was destroyed and rebuilt. Noteable owners include Johann Wolfgang Heller, who took over in the mid 18th century. He owned an old rock-cellar for beer storage on the hill "Kaulberg" outside of Bamberg. Eventually, this facility was moved to another hill called "Stephansberg," which is in the middle of the town. In the 19th and 20th century, the brewery was moved to the location above the ancient cellars of Stephansberg. During that transition, the brewery took on its official name, "Heller-Bräu." In 1877 Andreas Graser became the brewery owner. He had a handicap and moved his arms in a funny way when he walked. This was called "schlenkern," and soon the people started calling the brewery Schlenkerla. In 1907, his son, Michael Graser, took the brewery over. In 1960, part of the the brewery was bought by Graser's daughter, Elisabeth, and her husband, Jakob Trum. In 1967 they handed the brewery to their son German Trum. And that seems to be where we are at today.

EPIC lagering cellar...

I'm going to wrap up the history and get on with the review...but one last thing that is pretty fucking sweet is the brewery's write-up of how they smoke their beer. Check this out! 

If you roll over to their beer page, you can get the lowdown on the Urbock. This is a full-bodied smoked Bock beer for Bamberg's strong beer season (October through December). This beer is brewed in the summer, and matured for moths in the rock-cellars beneath Bramberg. This beer clocks in at 6.5% ABV, and packs 40 IBUs. For BJCP style guidelines, roll over to 22A. Classic Rauchbier.

The beer pours a brownish/black/cola color in low light, and has a very nice 3-finger head. The head is a nice light tan/khaki color, and has a nice thickness about it. The head is reminiscent of Guinness with that nice root beer float thing going on. There's a persistent pinky's worth of creamy head hanging around, and it left some lacing as it fell away.

What's really interesting is that in bright light you can almost see through this beer, and it has a dark ruby red/brown color going on. You can also see some carbonation in there.

The aroma on this is really nice...provided you don't find smoked beers offensive. I probably should have disclaimered at the top of this post that this style of beer is pretty much love or hate. I happen to love this style of beer, but in moderation. The smoked malts on these authentic German smoked beers are really nice...it's not like a piece of bacon raping your nostrils. You get some smoked wood, sauna, campfire, wet campfire, earthy, beef brisket, smoked cheese, hints of bacon or ham, and the whole thing has some really big underlying malt sweetness. There's a huge sweet malt backbone with this beer, as I find some caramel under all the malts. 

Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Urbock

Again, the taste is really nice...in fact, it starts out pretty subtle, and doesn't lay on the smoked malts right away. But the smoked malts do hit home, and I'm getting smoked cheeses, smoked sausage, and hints of ham and bacon. Actually, as a Polak, I'm getting some big Kabanos out of this. Yay, nostalgia! Up front is some thick maltiness, and you get some bready caramel, hints of dark fruits, and then the beer gives way into the smoked malts. I'd describe it as biting into a piece of bread...and then getting a piece of sausage in the middle. Yum. 

This is a niche beer...I mean, it is what it is. Palate depth is wonderful, and the smoked malts are really subtle and complex, with lots of layers of wood, smoke, earthiness, meat, and cheese. It is a complex beer! It's also rather drinkable, in my opinion. But how much of this do you really want to drink, and how frequently? I guess that's the question. This has a medium-full mouthfeel...up front are fat and dense caramel/bread/fruit malts; this rolls into some really nice wood and smoke; the back end is lingering wood, smoke, meat, hints of caramel sweetness, and a nice smokey finish. The thickness has duration, and this is pretty thick throughout. It really would be a great beer to drink on a cold Autumn day in front of a fire.

Rating: Divine Brew 

I like this beer a lot, and this is a Light Divine Brew for me. Will you like this beer? There's really only one way to find out...be brave, be bold, and try a smoked beer. Seriously though, this beer is tight and refined. The smoked malts are subtle, and the malt profile is fat and dense. It has some substantial "umppp" to it, and gives this beer some nice weight on your palate. At 6.5%, this almost drinks heavier than you might expect. Food pairings are obvious: beef brisket, smoked cheese, anything grilled really, cheesy soup, mashed potatoes with cheese, or even a sandwich with some meaty center (pastrami? mmm). This beer will also pair well with a campfire and a cold Autumn night. Again...I know this style is love or hate, but check this out.

Random Thought: There's a lot of red lines for misspelled words in this post. It must be hard being German.

Rogue Voodoo Doughnut Bacon Maple Ale

Brewed By: Rogue Ales in Newport, Oregon 

Purchased: Giant PINK 750ml bottle bought at Cardinal Liquors in Chicago, IL; 2012

Style/ABV: Smoked Beer, 5.6% (or 6.5% from some sources?)

I can't wait for the new James Bond movie...

As a beer geek, it was inevitable that I would eventually cross paths with Rogue's Voodoo Doughnut Bacon Maple Ale. Inspired by Voodoo Doughnut's Bacon Maple Bar doughnut -- a raised yeast doughnut with maple frosting and bacon on top -- Rogue's Bacon Maple Ale combines 13 ingredients to put a little maple bacon into beer. You can't go wrong with bacon, right?

Rogue has been around forever, and if their beer was more widely available, and not so damn expensive, I'd probably drink more of it. The brewery was founded in 1988 in Ashland, Oregon by Jack Joyce, Bob Woodell, Rob Strasser, and home brewer Jeff Schultz. Due to increasing space and distribution limitations, Jack Joyce went searching in Newport for a location for the new Rogue pub. It was at this time that he met Mohave Niem, founder of Mo's Clam Chowder. She offered Jack space to brew in her building, and in 1989 the Bay Front Brew Pub was built. Rogue's headquarters currently reside in Newport to this day. In May 1989, current head brewmaster, John Maier, joined Rogue after a brief sting brewing with Alask Brewing. John was a former Senior Technician with Hughes Aircraft Co, and a graduate of the Seibel Institute. To learn more about Rogue, check out their website HERE.

Today's beer is all sorts of crazy. If you check out the Voodoo Bacon Maple page, you can get the breakdown. This beer is brewed with 13 ingredients! The malt list includes: Briess Cherrywood Smoked Malt, Weyermann Beechwood Smoked Malt, House-smoked Hickory Malt, Great Western 2 Row, Munich, C15, C75 Malts. This beer is also brewed with Applewood-Smoked Bacon, and Pure Maple Flavoring. It also uses Perle and Sterling hops, and Rogue's in-house Pacman Yeast. At 5.6% ABV, and 30 IBUs, this is a big beer with a lot of stuff going on. The question is...does all that stuff work together? Let's find out.

Before I even pour this beer, let me comment on the pink bottle. I love it. The bottle art shares the artwork of Voodoo Doughnut, which is a Baron Samedi looking guy. Samedi is one of the Loa of Haitian Voodoo; he is the Loa of the dead. He also shows up in the James Bond novel and movie, Live And Let Die. Anyway, the bottle is eye-catching, and bright pink. The Baron Samedi guy is holding a beer on the bottle, and there are a bunch of pigs and maple leafs in the background. If you saw this in a bottle shop, you'd check it out. So this beer get's an A+ for marketing.

Rogue Voodoo Doughnut Bacon Maple Ale

The beer pours with 2-finger's worth of fairly dense head. The head is made up of tiny bubbles, and is densely packed...sort of like a Belgian beer. When I popped the cap I heard a loud hiss of carbonation being released, and I was greeted with some smoke...the head pours with a nice golden/yellow color, and the body of the beer is a hazy orange/maple color. The head is fairly persistent on this, with a half finger's worth hanging around. When held to bright light, you can see a lot of carbonation in the form of tiny bubbles rising upwards. There's also some really nice lacing on this. When held to bright light, this is an orange beer...it's not transparent, but you can see the carbonation.

Let's talk aroma....if you put your nose straight into this you pretty much smell a Rauchbier. I'm pulling out that smokey herbal note, smoked wood, campfire, wet forest, and Christmas tree bark. I'm really getting strong Christmas tree bark...that smell you get when you cut the tree. It's slightly spicy even. When you pull the beer back a bit and waft it around your nose, you pull out fat maple syrup aromas. This smells like straight up maple syrup, pancakes, and Eggo Waffles. I'm not like in the top 1% or whatever, so we ate mother fucking Eggo Waffles. Deal with it, homes. Really though, there's a huge caramel-maple sweetness dominating this nose, but if you just jam your nose into this beer you mostly get smoked malts. I'm getting a little bacon and sausage, but the smoked malts are surprisingly not overly meaty. There's maybe a faint hint of hops on the nose as well with a faint earthy/herbal bite. Cheers!

I took a pretty big sip...because I'm brave and stupid. This is surprisingly thin up front, and even in the mid palate. But man, those smoked malts absolutely kick into gear towards the end of the mid palate, and drive this beer home. I'm getting lingering maple syrup and sausage on the finish, which is the best thing I can say about this beer so far. The second sip is more of the same. This is surprisingly light and airy up front, and then you get a wave of smoked malts: Christmas tree trunk, wet forest, smoked wood. I'm getting a bit of sausage and meat, but it's surprisingly subtle and reminds me of some of the authentic, German Rauchbiers. I'm really surprised by the lack of body and the lack of a huge malt backbone. Based on the smell, I was expecting a lot more sweet maple syrup, and thick malt. You definitely pick up on maple syrup on the back end, and the finish leaves a smokey, sausage, Christmas tree, maple profile on your palate. The finish is smokey and dry.

I've read a number of reviews that have described this beer as, "drinking an ashtray." I tend not to agree...the smoked malts in here are very strong, and you get a lot of smoked wood and wet campfire...but it's not doing anything that a Rauchbier hasn't done. But then, you either enjoy the style or you don't. This is medium-light to light-bodied, has disappointing palate depth, and very little complexity. I'd call it refreshing if not for all the smoked malts. Up front you get carbonation, air, water....this rolls into more water, some grain...and then a blast of wet campfire, smoked wood, and Christmas tree trunk. The back end is smokey, smoked malts, and maple syrup. The finish is dry. It drinks like a 5.6% Brown Ale. 

Rating: Below-Average

This is a light Below-Average beer. I'm tempted to elevate this to Average, but you know....

Surprisingly, all the things I dislike about this beer are much different than what I was expecting. I'm not bothered by the smoke; in fact, it has a nice taste. My issue is this is a bacon MAPLE ale. Where the fuck is the maple? Where is the body in this beer...the malt backbone. There's hardly any complexity or palate depth. This beer could really use some bready flavors as well, which would bring that doughnut thing home. 

I do recommend checking this out, just to say you have tried it. And it's definitely a conversation piece...so share this with a few friends.

Last but not least....I know I described this beer as having a "Christmas tree trunk" aroma. I had an epiphany just now...the note I am getting is the same note as the incense that is burned during mass/service at church on Palm Sunday and during Christmas. It's that smoky, incense aroma/flavor. I can't believe my beer tastes like church! Crazy shit! I actually really dig that incense smoked profile...and it might compel me to pick up a bottle of this come Christmas or Easter time.