Ommegang Smoked Porter
What the brewers say
“Smoked Porter is brewed with a carefully crafted blend of Pilsner, Special B, Munich 20, Cara-20, Midnight Wheat, chocolate malt, and smoked malt. Balanced hopping is achieved with Saaz, while fermentation with American ale yeast ensures the malt remains in the spotlight.”
What our panel thought
Aroma: “Chocolate malt and rich melanoidin malt. Dark cherry and raspberry fruit. No real roast or smoke to be found. Aroma is fairly low.”
Flavor: “Caramel, dried cherries, with a wood-like character on the finish. Semisweet; bitterness comes primarily from the roast. The finish has a lingering quality of semisweet chocolate with an earthy, almost mushroom note.”
Overall: “A very subtle smokiness makes it underwhelming in the nose, but it has nice dark malt complexity that is supported by an earthy wood character. Full-bodied, but not cloying.”