Category Archives: Smokebeer

Sierra Nevada/Garage Project – Campout Porter – 3.1 smokestacks out of 7

Posted on October 6, 2017 by

Had to buy a whole 12 pack to get this one beer. In mid 2017 Sierra Nevada put out this special “Beer Camp – Across the World” 12 pack with 12 different kinds of beer in it, all collaborative efforts … Continue reading →

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2nd Story Brewing – Old City is Burning – 5.8 smokestacks out of 7

Posted on September 22, 2017 by

Smells like smoke. Old City is Burning has a nice medium malty character that distinguishes itself early on in the tasting of this one. This beer really distinguishes itself as a true rauchbier, which is at the heart of what … Continue reading →

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Brewery Vivant – Undertaker – 4 smokestacks out of 7

Posted on September 15, 2017 by

Not a smokebeer, but the label says subtle smokiness so this investigation ensued. Undertaker is alright. I’d drink it again. My friend is an undertaker and says people are dying to see him. Probably not the case with this beer, … Continue reading →

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Earthen Ales – Ale of the Earth – 3 smokestacks (out of 7)

Posted on September 8, 2017 by

No ghost writers here. Mike Lorr, friend of the ministry and honorary minister gets all the glory for drinking, evaluating, and writing about this one. All the way up in Traverse City, Michigan, a place called Earthen Ales offers up … Continue reading →

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Left Hand Brewing – Fade to Black – 3.9 out of 7 smokestacks

Posted on September 1, 2017 by

Left Hand makes good beer, and even in this case, well, it’s ok. I sure remember their Smoke Jumper beer, and I remember someone online erroneously claiming that this, Fade to Black, was also a smokebeer. I am here to … Continue reading →

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Oskar Blues – Old Chub – 4.4 smokestacks out of 7

Posted on August 25, 2017 by

Oskar Blues is a well known and fairly well liked brewery out of Colorado. You’ve probably seen their cans out and about, like the green Old Chub, the red and blue Dale’s Pale Ale, and don’t they have a pilsner … Continue reading →

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Harmony Brewing Company – Black Squirrel Smoked Porter – 5.5 smokestacks

Posted on August 18, 2017 by

Erected inside an old sausage factory, the aromas of Harmony might remind you of an old pub in Germany. But, as you may have guessed, Harmony is one of the many places that have opened recently. Established in Grand Rapids, … Continue reading →

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Lakefront Brewery – NATHAN Smoked Dark Lager – 6 smokestacks out of 7

Posted on August 11, 2017 by

For several years now (2017) Lakefront Brewing has been issuing beers in their My Turn series where they allow employees to take turns making a beer of their choice. And two of those were smokebeers that SmokeBeerMinistry was fortunate enough … Continue reading →

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Meantime (do-over review) – Old Smoked Bock – 3 out of 7

Posted on August 4, 2017 by

Well, Meantime Old Smoked Bock is getting better, slightly. This is a do-over review after the last bottle caught some kind of disease, destroying the beer. A friend of the ministry named Mugs requested this beer get a do-over after … Continue reading →

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Pipeworks – Smoke Break Abduction – 5.5 smokestacks

Posted on July 14, 2017 by

Pipeworks Brewing Company whipped up a smoked imperial stout brewed with cherrywood, beechwood, and oak smoked malts and named it Smoke Break Abduction. This beer pours like Hershey’s syrup releasing few notes of smoke. So few that the smoke may … Continue reading →

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Ale Smith – Wee Heavy – 3.5 smokestacks out of 7

Posted on July 7, 2017 by

Wee Heavy smells like a beer from San Diego, a sweet beer from San Diego. I smell caramel, roasted malts, and something weird. Kinda reminds me of a bunch of Fort Collins beers, along with whatever they use on the … Continue reading →

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Founders – KBS (2017) – 5 smokestacks out of 7

Posted on June 30, 2017 by

Good news to report here: This is just about the same beer as it was last year. Before you reply “No shit” please realize that consistency is a major hurdle for brewers, in fact some breweries have completely given up … Continue reading →

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Sixpoint Brewery – The Brunt – 2.5 out of 7 smokestacks

Posted on May 26, 2017 by

Quick story about Six Point, apparently we have some connection to each other. A friend of the Ministry from NYC mentioned a Madison, Wisconsin, connection to us in reference to Sixpoint’s founder/s, while we were in Houston, TX. Time will … Continue reading →

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The Blind Pig Brewery- Smoked Rye Lager – 4.2 smokestacks (out of 7)

Posted on May 12, 2017 by

Had to go on-site for this review. The Blind Pig brewery of Champaign, Illinois, made another smoked beer and I slipped in there to review it. And they delivered another positive experience no matter how you look at it. Smoked … Continue reading →

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Country Boy Brewing – Barreled Jalapeño Smoked Porter – 3 out of 7 smokestacks

Posted on April 28, 2017 by

This beer smells like peppers, bell peppers, green bell peppers. Taste = peppers, bell peppers, green bell peppers. There is a nice burn to it after a few seconds that helped me get the thought of stringent bell peppers off … Continue reading →

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De Molen – Rook & Vuur – 4 out of 7

Posted on April 21, 2017 by

De Molen’s Rook & Vuur is a smoked ale with chili peppers and as you can see here, I had to let this one settle down before I could even get the entire bottle poured, let alone start to drink … Continue reading →

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To Øl – Smoke on the Porter, Fire in the Rye – 6 out of 7

Posted on April 14, 2017 by

I poured the whole thing down in there, all 0.375 liters. To Øl’s Smoke on the Porter, Fire in the Rye smelled malty-smoky, almost peaty, with a touch of chili in the nose. I took a sip and the first thing … Continue reading →

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Pipeworks – Chipotle Smoked Porter – 5.5 out of 7

Posted on April 7, 2017 by

If there ever was a chance for a Pipeworks success, this was it. After delivering 3 consecutive shelf turds, Pipeworks finally stumbles across a working recipe. And my state of mind was primed to like just about anything after 10 … Continue reading →

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Marz Community Brewing Co. – marzcal kolsch – 3.8 smokestacks out of 7

Posted on April 1, 2017 by

Gusher! This beer was a gusher. It foamed up and out of the bottle as soon as I opened it, and all over my wife’s library books, actually, I guess they are everybody’s library books. So that sucked. After half … Continue reading →

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Karben4 – Night Call : Smoked Porter (bottle) – 4 out of 7

Posted on March 29, 2017 by

Smells like smoked malts. Cool looking bottle. No head, which may be hampering me from pulling out any other distinct flavors. It tastes like an okay porter. It’s as dark as all get out with my phone’s light barely able … Continue reading →

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Pipeworks – The Long Hair Affair – 1.8 smokestacks out of 7

Posted on March 23, 2017 by

If you must put the word hair in the name of your beer, write it like Pipeworks has and make it illegible. The Long Hair Affair is a kolsch beer brewed with hemp seeds and mesquite honey, fermented in oak. … Continue reading →

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XBeeriment – #44 Smoked Stout – 4.8 smokestacks out of 7

Posted on March 23, 2017 by

XBeeriment’s #44 Smoked Stout, brewed to celebrate Barack Obama’s inauguration as the 44th President of the United States, is the non-barrel aged beer in the series. A few years back I reviewed the barrel aged edition, which you can read … Continue reading →

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Big Thorn Farm – Smoked Lager – 2 out of 7

Posted on March 21, 2017 by

Watery. The kind of water without carbonation, you know, water. This beer smelled okay at first, but those hopes were quickly dashed by the taste. I thought that the keg was getting low and would have perhaps kicked myself for … Continue reading →

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Braustelle – Freigeist Pear Abraxxxas Lichtenhainer – 4 out of 7

Posted on March 14, 2017 by

This review is the 5th and final part of the Freigeist Bierkultur beer reviews, where Eherenfeider, Hoppeditz, Apple, Pear, and regular Lichtenhainer, were all reviewed consecutively… Good beer, but still of the same cut of wood as the Freigeist Apple … Continue reading →

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Braustelle – Freigeist Abraxxxas Apple Lichtenhainer – 4 out of 7 smokestacks

Posted on March 10, 2017 by

Apple? Apple lichtenhainer? Well, I guess so, but I hope you weren’t expecting something comparable to a cider, because I’m not getting much apple at all. And I’m barely getting any smoke for that matter, and I just had the … Continue reading →

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Braustelle – Freigeist Hoppeditz – 4 out of 7

Posted on February 9, 2017 by

Here’s part 2 of the 5 Freigeist reviews. Hoppeditz is another beer that has the word smoke printed on the label, and was therefore rightfully delivered straight to the Ministry officials at SmokeBeerMinistry for a proper smoke rating. And while … Continue reading →

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Braustelle – Freigeist Ehrenfelder – 4 out of 7 (not a smokebeer)

Posted on February 7, 2017 by

Here’s the first installment of a 5 part series where Freigeist beers are reviewed. And this beer, Ehrenfeider, an unfiltered altbier, is oddly enough tagged in the not a smokebeer category. Why review it? Well, the description on the label states … Continue reading →

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Against the Grain – Mac Fanny Baw (bottle) – 3.8 smokestacks out of 7

Posted on February 4, 2017 by

Against the Grain’s Mac Fanny Baw (bottle) ain’t so bad. A nice campfire smoke taste greets you at the first sip although the smoke smells are more hidden. Bitter flavors are in there too. Then, as I sat there watching … Continue reading →

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Stillwater Artisanal – Fear of Ghosts – 5 smokestacks (out of 7)

Posted on January 25, 2017 by

Stillwater Artisanal’s Fear of Ghosts beer is a smoked sour farmhouse wheat ale, and that description written on the bottle is half of my review right there. Sour notes found their way to my olfactory glands seconds after popping the … Continue reading →

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New Glarus – Smoke on the Porter – 6.7 smokestacks out of 7

Posted on January 24, 2017 by

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 … Continue reading →

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De Dochter van de Korenaar – Charbon smoked vanilla stout – 3 out of 7 smokestacks

Posted on January 23, 2017 by

Charbon smells and pours fine, meaning nothing stood out as notable at the start. This beer tastes belgian, like a smoked belgian, with a funny vanilla in it, and do I detect juniper? And now that I have reviewed the … Continue reading →

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Rogue – Fresh Roast – 4 out of 7 smokestacks

Posted on January 20, 2017 by

Let’s start off with roasted DOES NOT EQUAL smoked, but, the image of flames and malts on the bottle incited too much curiosity to resist. Plus, for $5 or $6 it didn’t seem like too big of a risk. Therefore, … Continue reading →

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Benford Brewing – Smoked O’Hickory – 3 out of 7 smokestacks

Posted on January 5, 2017 by

Only the 5th smokebeer I’ve ever seen in a can (and 2nd this week). That’s unusual. It’s also unusual to see silt pour out of a can, but with beer companies throwing everything and the kitchen sink into the market, … Continue reading →

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Wild Heaven – Funkenrauch – 5.85 out of 7

Posted on December 30, 2016 by

Funkenrauch is a smoked wild ale aged in bordeaux barrels which smells great with moderate notes of campfire wafting around; smells better than it tastes, not to take anything away from the taste (5.85 overall is a solid score, and … Continue reading →

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Arrogant Brewing – 2016 Double Bastard Bigger Longer Uncut – 5.2 out of 7

Posted on December 29, 2016 by

I liked this beer. I had to get that out of the way before I start insulting Stone Brewing, Arrogant Brewing, the person who named the beer, the graphic designer who isn’t pulling their weight. Hang on, I won’t insult … Continue reading →

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Burn’Em Brewing – Smoke That Shizz – 2.5 out of 7

Posted on December 29, 2016 by

False advertisement I tell you. If you bought a BMW and brought it home to discover that you’d been given a Mercedes, you’d be a little bitter (like the beer). Both great cars, but not delivered as advertised. This is … Continue reading →

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Against the Grain – Bo & Luke – 4 out of 7

Posted on December 9, 2016 by

For all the flack that the beer community gives Against the Grain, they are able to produce ok beers from time to time. Plus, they’ve been able to convince the team over at De Molen brewery to collaborate and produced … Continue reading →

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HammerHeart Brewing Co. – Von Winterherz Verhasst (Oak Smoked Wheat Hefeweizen) – 4.5 out of 7 smokestacks

Posted on December 7, 2016 by

SmokeBeerMinistry will visit HammerHeart soon… soon after winter. SBM stumbled across Von Winterherz Verhasst at HopCat in Lexington, KY and the real takeaway is HammerHeart has their eye on the prize. Seemingly half of everything HammerHeart makes is smoked, if … Continue reading →

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Terrapin Beer Co. – Smoke on the Porter – Overall score 2.5 smokestacks out of 7

Posted on November 30, 2016 by

Thank you very much Terrapin for giving smoked beers a chance in your line up, now please get serious about making a good product. I don’t understand how any brewery can put out 60 plus beers (and 25 retired beers) and … Continue reading →

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Jester King – Gotlandsdricka smoked farmhouse ale – 5.5 out of 7

Posted on November 17, 2016 by

Gotlandstricka “Drink of the Land of Goths” or “Drink of the Good Lands” presents a beer inspired by the beer that the Vikings may have had. This beer is different, and good. Smoke smell wafts out upon opening the bottle … Continue reading →

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Aecht Schlenkerla – Eiche 2010 – 6.5 out of 7

Posted on November 8, 2016 by

Here’s a big deal in our world. The Schlenkerla team has stepped up and delivered a beer pre-aged. The Oak Smoked Eiche beer was bottled and stored in the rock cellars of Schlenkerla for 5 years before releasing this to … Continue reading →

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Jester King – Simple Means farmhouse altbier w/ smoked malt – 2.5 out of 7

Posted on November 7, 2016 by

Dry, bitter, tart, with silt. Faint musty smoke smell way down in there. I wondered, “Is there any alcohol in here?” Apparently 5.6%. I like Jester King, they make a great product most of the time, but they didn’t get … Continue reading →

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Evil Twin & BFB – From Tennessee With Smoke – 5.6 out of 7

Posted on October 20, 2016 by

From Tennessee With Smoke is a collaboration beer courtesy of Blackberry Farm Brewery and Evil Twin Brewing. Labeled as a Smoked Farmhouse Ale this beer emits great campfire smell right off the bat. It pours like a thin, bright, blond … Continue reading →

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Pretty Things Beer -FUMAPAPA Smoked Imperial Russian Stout – 5.5 out of 7

Posted on October 19, 2016 by

You can’t get this one anymore, these guys went under. This is the second time that SmokeBeerMinistry has reviewed a beer after the brewery has closed down which is both an indication of our backlog of beers to review, which … Continue reading →

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Fort Collins Brewery – Barrel Licked Bock – 4 out of 7 smokestacks

Posted on October 18, 2016 by

The description on the side of the label reads “warm smoky flavor,” so SmokeBeerMinistry picked this one up. Plus we have a working relationship with Ft. Collins given that they are one of the few breweries who have demonstrated an … Continue reading →

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Green Jack Brew – Red Herring Smoked Ale (draft) – 4 out of 7

Posted on October 14, 2016 by

Red Herring beer by Green Jack Brew has been revived to little acclaim. Found at Sergio’s of Louisville, KY USA, this beer came off as a mildly smoky mildly sour beer. It was good smoke though. Nice campfire notes with solid … Continue reading →

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Brouwerij De Molen – Ball & Chain – 5.5 out of 7

Posted on October 4, 2016 by

This De Molen beer was found at Sergio’s World Beers in Louisville, KY. The big surprise was Sergio’s where there was one of the most impressive selections of beer I’ve ever seen under one roof, and also the beer was … Continue reading →

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Moody Tongue – Applewood Gold (draft) – 2.5 smokestacks out of 7

Posted on October 3, 2016 by

Not much to say about Moody Tongue’s Applewood Gold smoked beer. It scored ones and twos across the board. It was really set up for a win having just stumbled across it at a cool BBQ joint in Louisville, KY. … Continue reading →

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Yazoo Brewing – SUE – 6 out of 7 smokestacks

Posted on September 28, 2016 by

Here’s an interesting review. Four ministers of the ministry were on hand for this tasting. Phrases overheard in the style of Gregorian chant were as follows: “Smooth. Great label. Roasted. Soot. Mellow. The closest thing to the beer I had … Continue reading →

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Goose Island – Bourbon County Brand Barleywine – 6 out of 7 (not a smokebeer)

Posted on September 28, 2016 by

In my travels during smokebeer hunts, I stumble across some of the more highly sought after beers. SmokeBeerMinistry’s emphasis will stick with smokebeers, but periodic investigations into all the hubbub will materialize, as seen here. This is an excellent barleywine. … Continue reading →

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