Stone Smoked Porter w/Chocolate and Orange Peel

Almost two and a half years ago, not long after I started this blog, I reviewed two variations of Stone's long-time classic Smoked Porter, a beer partially brewed with peat-smoked barley malt.  One was smoked porter with chipotle peppers added, and the other was smoked porter with vanilla beans added.  I ranked the chipotle one the better, to my surprise, though I preferred both to the original and still do.  This past fall Stone added another variant to the mix, brewed with orange peels and dark chocolate.

 

The beer appears much as its three cousins do, a blackish-brown hue that lets little light through.  The foam is offwhite and reaches a respectable height before receding a few minutes afterward.

The aroma is very much unlike any of Stone's other smoked porters, however.  Smells of flowery citrus, akin to those found in scented shampoo or hand soap, lazily waft out from my glass.  Blended in with the orange aromas is a hint of Scotch, courtesy of the peat-smoked malt used.  The combination is somewhat awkward but not obtrusive, largely because both sensations have a deft touch.  Despite this approach, the chocolate still manages to get completely buried.

As with the aroma, smoke and oranges both dominate the flavor more so than chocolate.  The blend is still more awkward than harmonious but not overbearingly so.  Of all the variations, this one most strongly showcases the peat smoke.  It doesn't need to; this beer needs more chocolate.  The combination of Scotch and perfume-esque citrus just works less and less the more I drink it, more coco would make for a more interesting experience.  Hops are low, as expected.  The orange peel appears to have conferred an extra layer of bitterness.

The addition of orange peel also seems to have conferred higher acidity to Stone Smoked Porter, though nowhere near enough to warrant a sour description.  It did not add any additional sweetness, however, and this iteration more or less maintains the same sweet-dry balance as its cousins. 


Overall, a decent beer, but I vote this the worst of the four versions Stone has bottled so far.  In addition, after my recent experience with Pipeworks Orange Truffle Abduction I have decided that the combination of oranges and stout (or porter) just does nothing for me.  That beer was made with orange zest; this one, orange peel.  Yet both retain little of the essence of the fruit, instead coming across like a scented shampoo or candle.  Not for me.