Stone Smoked Porter with Chipotle Peppers slash Vanilla Beans

Stone Smoked Porter with Chipotle Peppers (2012)

Limited Release (Brewed Once).

12 fl. oz. / $3.99 USD / 5.9% ABV

About: "Stone Smoked Porter w/ Chipotle Peppers is a thing of spicy glory, with the just-right heat of smoked jalapeños (aka chipotles) that combines beautifully with the beer's peat-smoked malt and roasty character. The idea came about in 2006 when Merchandise Manager Chris Carroll suggested we make a special "South of the Border Stone Smoked Porter" for Cinco de Mayo that year. One sip, and we were hooked! Malts: Pale, Crystal 75, Chocolate, Peat-Smoked / Hops: Columbus and Mt. Hood"

Thoughts: The cap popped off of this one with a high pitched hiss and the beer itself poured a dark reddish-brown with a light, almond colored head.

Aside from the base of the beer, the scent from this one is really different from the vanilla beans version. First off, it's a lot more subtle. Those chipotle peppers aren't really coming through too strong here. It's incorporated into the beer scent pretty well, but I thought it would be coming at me like that vanilla. Which came on strong and heavy. It's got a fiery flare about it overall, but while the vanilla was up front, the chipotle in this version is just an undertone. Mild chocolate and a few coffee beans back it up.

Well, the chipotle is all in the taste, that's for sure. Too bad it's not hot. There's a very nice blend of flavors here though. The peppers add a subtle spice to the whole brew and just add another really awesome dimension to it. It's not much, but definitely an improvement. Hell, anything with a little added heat is always better, that's the way I think. I just wish this one were a little hotter. Chipotles have a really unique taste, but it all seems a bit too far removed here. There's a little bit of grass on the end of this one. Weird, I didn't get that in the other one. Slightly disappointed? If I can find a bottle the day it's made next time then I'll grab it and drink it immediately. If there is a next time! Probably even drink it warm too.

Mouth is a bit watery and just a little frothy.

I enjoyed this, but not as much as the vanilla bean version and honestly I thought it would be the other way around as I love chipotle peppers. Vanilla is cool too I guess though, and wins out in this beer-off.

Stone Smoked Porter with Vanilla Beans (2012)

Limited Release (Brewed Once).

12 fl. oz. / $3.99 USD / 5.9% ABV

About: "Stone Smoked Porter w/ Vanilla Bean was the brainchild of Small Batch Brewer Laura Ulrich, who had a stroke of genius after trying Stone Smoked Porter poured over a couple scoops of vanilla ice cream. The complex flavor of Madagascar vanilla beans melds perfectly with the chocolaty  malty, coffee-like character of the beer, making it almost like a liquid dessert, but without an overbearing sweetness. Malts: Pale, Crystal 75, Chocolate, Peat-Smoked / Hops: Columbus and Mt. Hood"

Thoughts: Smoked Porter VB poured a dark reddish brown color with a huge light tan head on top. The bottle didn't make any noise when I popped the cap, but it poured out lookin' quality.

Holy shit this smells awesome! It's like straight up chocolate milk with a touch of vanilla, and a hint of the booze man. It's like, chocolate and vanilla soft serve with marshmallows on top. Or a chocolate milkshake. Damn, that's badass. Minor hint of coffee. Lay back coffee... lay back.

The taste is definitely smokey right off the bat. I'm thinking on first sip that this is one of the best, in not thee best Porter I've drank thus far, though I haven't had many. It's got a certain rawness to the taste. Those vanilla and coffee beans are just mingling in harmony here, then there's that blast of smokiness that comes rushing through the middle. Mild and slightly bitter chocolate notes ride this beer out and there's nothing at all unpleasant about it. Hops take a back seat but start to show about halfway through. Bottom line is that this one is just downright enjoyable.

Mouth feel is pretty watery, there's a lot of froth, and I do wish it could be a little thicker, but it's not a problem. Aside from that it feels like a pretty solid beer. Nicely done. Low bitterness, chocolaty, and that vanilla swirl just takes it to the next level.

Evil Twin, Stillwater and Stone The Perfect Crime

Evil Twin, Stillwater and Stone "The Perfect Crime" - Black Smoked Saison (2012)

Limited Collaboration Brew.

12 fl. oz. / $3.59 USD / 6.8% ABV

About: "Dark with deception, mysteriously smoked, unexplainably dry, and intriguingly hopped," as Strumke states on his bottle, this beer gets away with the farmhouse ale classification... but just barely. Like traditional farmhouse ales, Belgian saison yeast provides intense fruit and spice notes. However, unlike traditional saisons, the beer is black as night, has added viscosity, and pronounced smoke character that dominates thanks to the brewers’ decision to use oak-smoked wheat malt, a new malt style that produces a flavor eerily similar to a fresh oak barrel. Hops bill: East Kent Goldings, Chinook, and Cluster."

Thoughts: Perfect crime, goddamnit it's the perfect crime, motherfucker it's the perfect crime. I said it's perfect!

This Collab brew poured a very dark brown with some reddish tones and a huge fluffy multicolored tan head. It's got a nice look to it, there's no denying that. What? Is looking good a criminal offence? Then set me free, ya fuckin' CD.

Smells pretty cool. Spicy Belgian yeast, really strong and up front. It's awesomely roasty in its nature. Loads of toasted malt in this, and thankfully it doesn't remind me at all of coffee. There's a hint of fruitiness in the background, but that's hiding out for the most part.

A ton of hop characteristics in the taste. That Belgian yeast is strong and permeates throughout the whole beer, but at first gulp each time there's a blast of hop bitterness and resin. Pretty damn good. And it's not overly bitter either, nor is it tart, but it's just on the edge of those things. I suppose the malts pull it back right before it even gets close, by delivering a dash of that sweetness there. It's got a lot of roasted, smokey flavors that come through once you start breathing the air for a while.

Mouth is pretty wet but thick. It lingers for a while. Also, it drops all of that flavor on the back of the tongue and just laughs about it.

There's an Evil feeling in our brains, but its nothing new, you know it drives us insane! So said Venom.

Rogue Voodoo Doughnut Bacon Maple Ale

Rogue Voodoo Doughnut Bacon Maple Ale (2012)

Limited Release (Brewed Once)

25.4 fl. oz. / $13.39 USD / ?% ABV (BA says 5.6% which seems accurate)

About: "A Collision of Crazies! Rogue Ales has collided with Voodoo Doughnut to create Bacon Maple Ale! This unique artisan creation contains a baker’s dozen number of ingredients including bacon and maple syrup from one of Voodoo’s signature doughnuts. Malts: Briess Cherrywood Smoked Malt, Weyermann Beechwood Smoked Malt, House-Smoked Hickory Malt, Great Western 2-Row, Munich, C15 and C75. Hops: Perle and Sterling. Yeast and Water: Pacman Yeast and Free Range Coastal Water. Specialty: Applewood-Smoked Bacon, Pure Maple Flavoring."

Thoughts: Voodoo Doughnut poured a grainy burnt amber / slightly orange color with a massive bubbly white head atop.

Oh wow! This smells just like maple syrup. It's insane. It's really hard to get anything else aside from this syrup as it smells just disgustingly strong. The applewood bacon follows in the background, but it's not the smell of cooked bacon really, but instead the smell of it right when you cut open a package.

The taste is absolutely nothing like the smell at all. It's very, very malty with a ton of smokey wood flavor. It's a little doughy too. Mainly though, what I'm getting is heavy smoke, wood and some rather unexciting malt flows. The maple and bacon make way for a decent aftertaste that's long lasting and isn't bad at all... but that smoke-bomb really clouds up the mouth. The warmer it get and the more you drink it, the more bitter it becomes. Agonizingly bitter even, for something that smells so sweet.

Mouth feel is extremely thin. It's weird after smelling such heavy syrup that it was become a light and fluffy watery affair.

The bacon is hidden pretty well, but once you taste the beer and then smell and taste it again at the same time you get a hint of it. It's in the background, just lingering around. I've never had a maple bacon doughnut from Voodoo, but I did see them featured in a show on the travel channel and the place looks interesting to say the least. Personally, I don't eat doughnuts. I've never been a pastry guy. When I was a kid I hated cake and never wanted it at my birthdays (in fact, I destroyed quite a few of them)... I always liked ice cream way more! To me, doughnuts are just bland as fuck. And this beer tastes pretty damn bland too. It's a shame too. When I first smelt this I was so excited, but those scents are nearly nowhere to be found in the taste and the beer just comes off as pretty boring.