Vertical testing of Alaskan Smoked Porter

zieak ♦ January 19, 2009 ♦ 1 Comment

My friend in Juneau, Bern, has collected Alaskan Brewing Company’s Smoked Porter for a number of years.  Last time i was in Juneau he gave Seth and i any doubles that he had.  So we had 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2006.  According to Alaskan’s site…

A unique aspect to smoked beers that we have found at the Alaskan Brewing Company is that the smoke acts as a preservative even in beer. The smoke combined with the yeast left in the bottle allows the beers flavor and aroma to evolve over time. We have been known to hold vertical tastings with a variety of vintage years of Alaskan Smoked Porter. As it ages, the smoke becomes more of a subtle background note. Around the third and fourth years the beer’s other flavors such as sherry, currant, raisin, and toffee-like nuances come forward. The fifth year sees the reemergence of the smoky character to the forefront.

So we broke out shot glasses and started with the 2000. It was smooth with slight smokiness. 2002 had been accidentally opened by  guest months before but i managed to get it recapped with a wine bottle stopper.  It worked pretty well – there was some carbonation still.  The 2004 was very bitter – almost an IPA.  There were seven or so of us that tasted them all.  I wish i had bought the 2008 to add to the collection and of course it would be nice to have had 2001, 2005, and 2007 so we could have rounded out the decade.  It was a good Finger Food Friday.