Stone Smoked Porter

I stopped by the liquor store tonight after work and picked up 5 different bottles of beer, 3 of them from Stone Brewing in Escondido, CA. The odd thing is one of them I had never tried before.  Why is that odd?  Stone is almost certainly my favorite brewery in the US and has been for sometime.  Well somehow I managed to continually pass over the opportunity to try out the Stone Smoked Porter.

Now to add to the unusual aspect of this.  We are in the height of the dog days of summer.  It has been averaging 90+ degrees for seemingly weeks now with really no relief in sight.  I can't imagine what prompted me to want a smoked porter today.  A style I would typically say is much more suited for the cooler months of the year.  But not only did I want one, I picked up a bottle of Stone Russian Imperial Stout as well.  Anyway, back on track.  This Stone Smoked Porter is good.  Really good in fact.  I can emphatically state I do not care for smoked beers.  I would even state I find them somewhat obnoxious, but to each his own.

Stone manages to give a hint of smoke but doesn't feel the need to club you over the head with it.  The beer has a nice blend of roasted malt mated too a subtle toffee like sweetness.  And in the end the smoke flavor just eases in and leaves a pleasant dry crispness just in time to remind you to take another sip.  Anyone that enjoys dark beers like porters or stouts should definitely give this beer a try.  It comes in a 22oz bomber and was only $5 at my local store.  That can't be beat!