Where there's smoke, there's usually a good beer — at least in my opinion.
Complex and full-bodied, a smoked or oak-aged beer will leave you rolling in a wave of intense flavors. Think Scotch, smoked Gouda or a really good slab of barbecued ribs. It's something to be savored in small quantities and appreciated for what it can offer the palate.
Smoked beer is a great transition to get you from heavy, winter warmers to lighter spring styles. Finding the right balance can be a challenge. Brewers want to provide a hint of smoke, but not so much that drinkers feel like they are in a smoke room. The flavor should be subtle and assertive — enough to bring up memories of camping, grilling out and bonfires.
Taking a cue from Germany's traditional Rauchbiers, a well-known style that infuses a distinct smoky flavor by using malted barley dried over an open flame, American craft brewers have grown fond of experimenting with the power of smoke.
Looking to expand your palette? Find these brews around town at spots like Stubbies & Steins, Tipple's Brews or Gainesville House of Beer for an introduction to the style.
Swamp Head Brewery Smoke Signal Porter
An American-style porter that uses a generous amount of pale ale malt smoked with Alderwood, providing a slightly sweet smoke flavor to balance the hints of chocolate and roasted barley.
Swamp Head Brewery Chipotle Infused Smoke Signal Porter
Same intense smoky flavor as the regular Smoke Signal, this time with a kick of Chipotle pepper added to bring some spice.
Brooklyn Black Ops
Smooth, bourbon barrel-aged stout that combines toasty notes of wood with hints of chocolate, vanilla and roasted grains. After aging in bourbon barrels for four months, the brews are bottled flat and re-fermented in the bottle with Champagne yeast, giving each bottle a burst of carbonation. The perfect brew for a dessert or cigar night.
Victory Otto Ale
Brewed to create the perfect harmony between a smoky rauch style and a Belgian caramel malt, this dubbel has a crisp, lingering smoky finish.
Left Hand Oak Aged Widdershins Barleywine
Definitely an unexpected taste with this brew; all the hop and fruit notes of a normal American barleywine fold into a oak and malt-flavored taste reminiscent of a chocolate stout.
Want to learn more? Tipple's Brews will host a smoke and oak beer tasting Monday from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. For $25, you can sample 10 different smoke and oak beers, snack on hors d'oeuvres and go home with a new beer glass.
The beers included in the tasting range from Dogfish Head's Burton Baton (a double IPA conditioned in French Oak) to the Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Marzen (a smoked Marzen).
Call or stop by the store to reserve a spot.
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Brooklyn Black Ops is a smooth, bourbon barrel-aged stout that combines toasty notes of wood with hints of chocolate, vanilla and roasted grains.
