Buffalo Bayou Brewing’s (Houston, TX) Smoke on the Bayou review is a twofer tasting, 1) its a first look at the Smoke on the Bayou Bourbon Barrel Special Batch #1 variant and 2) its a do-over for the paltry score Smoke on the Bayou received a few years back.
First things first, Smoke on the Bayou offered two variants, one barreled in Knob Creek bourbon barrels with white wax (above), and another aged in Jack Daniels barrels with black wax. And as any level headed connoisseur would respond, I bought the Knob Creek version. Upon pouring this one into our glasses weak notes of a port wine arose, smokepower smell was negligible. With a hushed tone in the room, sipping commenced. Brows were furled. Words were mumbled. “Tart, sweet, port wine, not good, seems sour, lemon sorbet, sausage – no, I like it better than the regular.” And then one Ministry official said “I ate his liver with some fava beans,” and mimicked Hannibal Lecter’s weird excitement thing that he does. Another quipped, “The more I drink it, the more I like it… but its not a smokebeer” And the final quote from this unusual tasting is my favorite, “Originally I said ‘not good’ but its not ‘not good’.” So there you have it readers, Smoke on the Bayou is not not good. Final score rounds out to a generous 3 out of 7 smokestacks.
Now for the do-over for the regular Smoke on the Bayou… I’ll keep this brief. In 2014 this beer was marked at 8% abv, and in 2016 its noted at 9% abv. What changed? Don’t care. The overall score came out with the same 2 out of 7 smokestacks, with several individuals arguing that this is not a smokebeer (and they’re right). Below are their respective charts. Sorry Buffalo, Houston deserves better.
| Brewer | Buffalo Bayou Brewing |
| Beer Name | Smoke on the Bayou (Knob Creek Barrel Batch) |
| Brewer’s Description | We smoked our malt with Blood Brothers Barbecue, Goode Company and Rockwell’s Tavern. The blended malt was used as the base for a strong scotch ale. Houston’s BBQ scene is literally infused in the malt of this beer. In a more spirited conversation, you might say these bottles are a little jacked up. (In a very good way.) |
| Food Pairings | Barbecue, Beef, Smoked Meat, Game, Grilled Meat |
| Brewery Location | Houston, Texas |
| Alcohol content by volume | 9.0% |
| IBU (International Bitterness Units) | 20 |
| Beer opacity rate 1 – 7 (light – dark) | 3.3 |
| Smell smoke? 1 – 7 (No – George Burns) | 1.5 |
| Sausage detection? Y or N | N |
| Smokepower taste: 1 – 7 Smokestacks | 1.5 |
| Beer thickness 1-7 (water – used motor oil) | 2.8 |
| Barrel Power 1-7 (in name only – burns nose) | 4 |
| Overall Happiness: 1 – 7 (sad – happy) | 3 |
| Brewer | Buffalo Bayou Brewing |
| Beer Name | Smoke on the Bayou 2016 |
| Brewer’s Description | We smoked our malt with Blood Brothers Barbecue, Goode Company and Rockwell’s Tavern. The blended malt was used as the base for a strong scotch ale. Houston’s BBQ scene is literally infused in the malt of this beer. |
| Food Pairings | Barbecue, Beef, Smoked Meat, Game, Grilled Meat |
| Brewery Location | Houston, Texas |
| Alcohol content by volume | 9.0% |
| IBU (International Bitterness Units) | 20 |
| Beer opacity rate 1 – 7 (light – dark) | 3.3 |
| Smell smoke? 1 – 7 (No – George Burns) | 1 (a tawny 1) |
| Sausage detection? Y or N | N |
| Smokepower taste: 1 – 7 Smokestacks | 1.5 (a winey 1.5) |
| Beer thickness 1-7 (water – used motor oil) | 2 |
| Overall Happiness: 1 – 7 (sad – happy) | 2 |
Below is the original Smoke on the Bayou review from 2014, and a link to Buffalo Bayou’s website.
https://smokebeerministry.wordpress.com/2014/10/27/buffalo-bayou-brewing-smoke-on-the-bayou/
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