People of Wisconsin speak highly with conviction of the great accolades of New Glarus Brewing. One thing that New Glarus does better than anyone is please the masses alongside the beer snobs (level 5 beer snobs). Spotted Cow, now available in cans, is a wheat beer and by far their biggest seller, and then there are beers like Smoke on the Porter for those of us in SmokeBeerMinistry. This company has expanded as fast as any other brewery over the last 10 years and still can’t manage to get their beers beyond the state line (demand is so high that they simply can’t justify having to leave WI). Technically, their beers do make it into public houses around the US via a few overly eager small business entrepreneurs, whom we hear about in news stories only after the ATF busts into their establishments and confiscate everything, but this is beyond the scope of responsibility of New Glarus quality control. It must be nice to be so loved that people risk jail time just to have a few extra beers in their bar. So, if you are ever in southern Wisconsin, do yourself a favor and visit New Glarus, the brewery and the village.
Smoke on the Porter is good. A strong campfire smoke bouquet wafts out from start to finish. It pours fine with no sediment in the bottom, always a welcomed happening. The aromas indicate that Bamberg is near (the smokebeer motherland), which happens to be a few hours away from Kanton Glarus, the Swiss town that New Glarus was named and architecturally modeled after. This beer conjures up memories of New Glarus’ Smoked Rye Ale that I happened to pick up in my smokebeer infancy about 10 years ago, and if it were the rye, it may very well get the perfect 7 out of 7 score, but the porter just misses with the slight dry ashy flavors buried inside. The cherry wood used in the smoking process could be swapped out with beechwood… just an idea. Later this year I’ll be in Bamberg, maybe I’ll swing by Glarus while I’m out there. I’ll tell them all about this place called New Glarus. Overall score = 6.7 out of 7.
| Brewer | New Glarus Brewing |
| Beer Name | Smoke on the Porter |
| Brewer’s Description | Smoke house aromas waft through our neighborhood creating a special kind of decadence that must be shared. Wisconsin barleys were generously cold smoked with Cherry Wood in Chilton by our friends at Briess Malting. Brewmaster Dan then harnessed dark malts to create a team that steps out as a creamy smooth black brew that will forever linger in your mind as Smoke on the Porter. |
| Food Pairings | Beef Tenderloin, Steak, Gouda, Havarti Jalapeno, Cherry Pie, Vanilla Ice Cream |
| Brewery Location | New Glarus Wisconsin |
| Alcohol content by volume | 6.1% |
| IBU (International Bitterness Units) | 50 |
| Beer opacity rate 1 – 7 (light – dark) | 6.1 |
| Smell smoke? 1 – 7 (No – George Burns) | 7 |
| Sausage detection? Y or N | Y |
| Smokepower taste: 1 – 7 Smokestacks | 6.6 |
| Beer thickness 1-7 (water – used motor oil) | 4.8 |
| Overall Happiness: 1 – 7 (sad – happy) | 6.7 |
Their website unwittingly doubles as the entire town’s visitors center website.
http://www.newglarusbrewing.com/index.cfm/beers/ourbeers/beer/smoke-on-the-porter
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