Beer: Stone Smoked Porter

Used with permission
Stone Brewing Company

Brewery: Stone Brewing Company Escondido, California

Overview: Stone Brewing Company's Arrogant Bastard and IPAs often cycle through my beer fridge, leading me to want to check out the Stone Smoked Porter (and I'll get back to the "staples" in later reviews).  I have had mixed feelings about smoked beers generally, and have found them to have notable ups and downs, but did not let the "smoke" in the name of this beer scare me off.

Aroma: Hints of campfire smoke, chocolate syrup, a slight sugary sweetness from malt with hints of caramel and syrup.

Appearance: Deep, dark brown with some very slight garnet highlights around the edges giving the tone of rich wood - the brewery describes it as "mahogany" on the bottle.  Solid, frothy light tan head leaves a light lacing down the glass that falls out.

Flavor: Rich flavor with a full mouthfeel that sticks around.  Starts like baking chocolate, mixed with a strong cup of coffee.  Some coffee bean acidity with a strong roasted ending that lingers on the tongue.  Some hop bitterness balances out the bold flavor.  Some light thoughts of plum jam on toast, dunked in a cup of morning joe.  Smoke flavor not overwhelming, but present, with some hardwood elements.

Overall Impression: I have yet to dislike a beer I have tried from the Stone Brewing Company, and this Smoked Porter is no exception.  I was truly expecting an overzealous attempt to bring a smoke flavor out front, but it is only a backing note in this beer and helps to complement the roasted flavors that dominate the overall porter style of the beer.  Instead of a charcoal-overwhelmed experimental beer, the Stone Smoked Porter is a well-balanced, roasty example of deliciousness.

Vitals:
Style Other Smoked Beer
Price $4.99/22 oz. bottle
Found In Regional Liquor Store
Alcohol Content 5.9% by volume
Availability Year-round
Bitterness 53 IBU

Rating: 95

Beer: Shiner 101

Brewery: Spoetzl Brewery Shiner, Texas

Overview: While the label on a given Shiner beer may not always accurately reflect the style of beer inside, they do still make some exceptionally drinkable beers.  Add to that probably the broadest reach of a Texas brewery, along with the variety of beers that they produce, and you have a good recipe for success.  A few years back, Shiner started working towards their centennial with annual specialty brews, some of which have been quite exceptional.  Now, one year past the centennial celebration, the 101 is marketed as a Czech-Style Pilsener, though their website mentions it as a Helles, which would be a Munich Lager with a more dominant malt profile.

Aroma: Some malt profile with bread-like notes.  Light citrus hops aroma.  Fresh smell, very little complexity.

Appearance: Crystal clear gold.  Extremely thin white head that does hang around the edges.  Constant stream of bubbles - this beer does not flatten quickly.

Flavor: Upfront fresh hops hit right off the bat leaving some bitterness in the throat but with a very short finish.  Crisp mouthfeel from moderately high carbonation.  Very low maltiness evident in the flavor though what is there balances some of the hop bitterness in the middle.

Overall Impression: I am always intrigued to try Spoetzl's new brews, just to see where they fall, be it seasonal or annual or otherwise.  The 101, however, doesn't track on my top five beers to have emerged from Shiner, Texas.  The lack of any overwhelming maltiness settles the Pilsener versus Helles question for me, setting this in along side a Pilsner Urquell or other Czech Pils, but with a little bit more of a "mass-market" flavor profile.  I could certainly see swapping this out in your fridge if you are stocked to the brim with American Lite Lagers, and possibly even replacing the occasional standard import Pilsner, but I'm not going to replace anything with a higher level of flavor.  Overall, I'd say this is a fine beer to drink in an extended session on the lake or at the pool, or perhaps after doing the yardwork, but not something to take much time to consider or work your way through.  Chug it down, feel refreshed, and move along.

Vitals:
Style Bohemian Pilsener
Price $7.49/six-pack
Found In Grocery Store Beer Aisle
Alcohol Content 5.5% by volume
Availability Year-round/Limited Release (2010)
Bitterness 25 IBU

Rating: 87

Beer: Mirror Pond Pale Ale

Used with permission
Deschutes Brewery

Brewery: Deschutes Brewery Bend, Oregon

Overview: Mirror Pond Pale Ale is a product of Deschutes Brewery, which started as a brewpub in 1988 in Bend, Oregon.  They have several year-round brews as well as a variety of seasonal selections.  Mirror Pond is Deschutes' most popular beer.

Aroma: Malt sweetness, some hop aroma of citrus with less prominent herbal notes.  Hints of caramel.

Appearance: Clear gold with substantial white head. Small amount of lacing present as it drinks down.

Flavor: A healthy dose of malt sweetness is the first note, with a predominant hop bitterness that follows it down.  Slight grapefruit hints in the bitterness.

Overall Impression: Overall, this is an incredibly easy drinking beer.  The hop bitterness is extremely noticeable but not out of place for this pale ale, and it finds itself well balanced with the malt.  The beer is not overwhelming with any particular attribute, which simplifies the flavor and allows for a more drinkable result.  Overall, quite a nice pale ale that definitely could use a place in the rotation.

Vitals:
Style American Pale Ale
Price $1.99/single (part of a mix-and-match 6 pack)
Found In Chain Import Store, Grocery Store Beer Aisle
Alcohol Content 5.0% by volume
Availability Year-round
Bitterness 40 IBU

Rating: 91

Beer: Big Sky Moose Drool

Big Sky Moose Drool by kapital
Licensed under Creative Commons

Brewery: Big Sky Brewing Company Missoula, Montana

Overview: Moose Drool first hooked me when I was looking for an example of an American Brown Ale to try.  I found it at a local pub, and gave it a try.  Since then, I have gone back to it again and again.  The brewers indicate it is the best selling beer in Montana, and, while that might not say much to someone living in a metroplex with over ten times the population of the entire state of Montana in our metropolitan area alone, it still is worth checking out.

Aroma: Sweet roasted malty aroma, some light citrus from hops, slight alcohol.

Appearance: Brown, not opaque, with red highlights when viewed with backlight.  Tan to white head very persistent with some lace that persists as you drink the beer down.

Flavor: Heavy roast and coffee flavors present themselves up front, though the body of the beer is not heavy, and lends itself to easy drinking.  Some hints of caramel and burnt malty sweetness come through.  Some hop bitterness and roasted coffee flavors persist into a finish.

Overall Impression: I really have to admit that at first I was afraid that the roast of this beer may end up making it a heavy beverage, and while I am not sure I can drink several of these over a night, I do enjoy Moose Drool as a refreshing and settling beer at the end of a long day.  Moose Drool has made its way into a go-to beer slot for a light-bodied, roasted beer.

Vitals:
Style American Brown Ale
Price $9.99/six-pack
Found In Regional Liquor Store, Local Pub
Alcohol Content 5.3% by volume
Availability Year-round