I tried Alaskan smoked porter, my first ever smoked beer, tonight and it absolutely blew me away... not in a good way. It took me back to my teenage years and the taste of Grizzly Natural fine cut chewing tobacco (similar to Copenhagen). It was 100% the same exact flavor and I couldn’t drink it because it felt just like swallowing the spit that using the tobacco produced. Has anybody else experienced this with smoked beers and or would be willing to try both of the products to make me feel like I am not crazy? It wasn’t the initially taste but the finish and aftertaste was dead on natural flavored smokeless tobacco.
Alaskan Smoked Porter taste like chewing tobacco.
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Might post your recipe, maybe someone who does smoked malted brews will spot something...
Cheers!
Cheers!
triethylborane
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It's funny you say that it reminds you of Copenhagen. I've experienced that before. You're not crazy. However I'd say it's a mild and not all the time flavor/aroma. Sometimes it's a subtle nuance. It's definitely similar to Copenhagen. It's also has other complexities. Like I said it's NOT noticable all the time in what I make. Sometimes I wonder how much of it has to do with water treatment or oxidation effects.
I'm a Rauchbier Geek I love the Classic Marzen Style, bocks, weizen and it's uses in other English styles. Even the old defunct Gräzter or Grodziske. The only one I haven't tried is the sour Rauchbier Lichtenhanner.
I smoke my own malt. I use several wood varieties; beechwood, apple, cherry, maple, oak, pecan, hickory, mesquite. I've also used nut shells as a medium like pistachio and peanut shells. Both nuts are are good for mellow smoke. Your beer most likely used alder. That's one smoke/wood that I have on hand but have yet to use.
The beer is a style you love or hate. It's not typically a "meh" like beer. That said, for the first time, it needs to be paired with food. You have to be in the right setting to appreciate it though. Best appetizer foods are cheeses, hard boiled eggs, and smoked sausage or fish. Escalating to entree level, Any BBQ, Mexican Grilled Meats, Indian or Spicy Thai to include Mongolian Wok. Any smoked meat, any grilled meat or any meat that's had that maillard reaction with a caramelized to char done to it.
Sounds like I have sick kid that needs to be tended to....
Maybe more chatting later if you're interested.
Soulshine2
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I bought a "Maduro" brown ale once...not good .
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When it comes Rauchbier its like hoppy beers. If you love it can never have too much of it in a beer.
Then there's that person who likes flavors to smack you in the face.
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I typically use 50% Rauchmalt. It also depends on the intensity and freshness of said malt. Old malt is mellow and fresh malt has a vibrant smoke aroma/flavor.
The drinking vessel also makes a difference as does the carbonation level.
The drinking vessel also makes a difference as does the carbonation level.
mashpaddled
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I don't think smoked beers taste like my very limited experience with chewing tobacco but that doesn't mean you are not accurately describing what you taste. Flavor identification is strongly connected to your memories and mental associations
This is homebrew? i'd say let it sit and age for a month or two....it will turn sweet....or at least it did for me once, a long time ago.
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It was a subtle reminder of Copenhagen... Something like a Belgian Wit can have bubblegum ester. Or a big Or... That my maple smoked brown ale is like bacon. Or my Grätzer is sort of hammy tasting. Both on the back end of the flavor profile.
I would not go so far as to say it was tobacco like in taste.
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I wouldn't mind a beer with an occasional mild aroma of a Dutch Cavendish.
Can't say if I'd like mild to strong flavor of pipe tobacco in beer.
I do love dandelion greens for this reason, reminds me of chewing my green tobacco leaves....
BrewMan13
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As has been mentioned, the type of smoke matters too. Alaskan uses alder wood, since it's near a fish smoker, and that's what they use. As I understand, that's actually a pretty neutral wood, but they smoke the entire grist (full disclosure: never had the beer in question, but always wanted to. Actually made it to Alaska earlier this year, but the smoked porter wasn't in season). Rauchmalt, which is beechwood smoked, isn't that strong of a smoked flavor either. I've used 100% before and had non-smoked beer fans surprised that was the case. Peat is of course super strong. Cherrywood, etc, are somewhere in between. I used that for a chunk of a smoked porter grist and it was there, but not as strong as I wanted.
But some people just don't like that flavor, and that's ok. Alaskan smoked porter is considered to be a great example of its style, so maybe it's just not for you.
But some people just don't like that flavor, and that's ok. Alaskan smoked porter is considered to be a great example of its style, so maybe it's just not for you.
greywolf
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maybe it's not for you, I'm brewing a loon lake right now. I like the smoke.I smoke alot of meat every summer and love the smoke. I have customers who have grown used to the milk toast versions and are shocked by what I produce. Alaskan amber is a great place to start. If you don't like it you can stop right there. Its not for you. I found the Alaskan in a Total Wine in St. Paul.
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