Deschutes / Great Lakes Class Of '88 Imperial Smoked Porter

Deschutes / Great Lakes Class Of '88 Imperial Smoked Porter

From the brewers of the celebrated Black Butte Porter and Edmund Fitzgerald Porter comes this limited-run collaboration. Brewed with roasted and smoked malt for a rich chocolate aroma and subtle smoky flavor.

This strong porter features a solid smoke presence, a rich malt character and a smooth, rounded mouthfeel. Additions of dark muscovado sugar, oats and wheat contribute to its complexity.
3.6
221 reviews
Bend, United States

Community reviews

3.5 22 oz. bomber, best by date is 4-29-14, poured into a shaker. Dark brown pour with a ruby red hue when held to the light, small beige head with no retention or lacing. Aroma of campfire, oak, cherry, chocolate, and peat. This stuff is seriously smoky but is actually pretty well balanced in the flavor. Mostly sweet flavors of brown sugar with little bitterness, and lots of smoke and peat, like a speyside whiskey. This is very good with creamy havarti and multigrain crisp bread. Not as rich as I thought it would be and the alcohol is well hidden, doesn’t seem like an imperial strength ale, but still very nice and easy to drink.
3.7 22 ounce bottle into snifter, best before 4/29/2014. Pours fairly crystal clear very dark brown color with a 1-2 finger dense light khaki head with good retention, that reduces to a thin cap that lingers. Spotty soapy lacing clings on the glass, with a light amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of chocolate, cocoa, roasted malt, caramel, toast, brown bread, wood smoke, peat, herbal, raisin, plum, light nuttiness, and herbal/toasted earthiness. Nice and pleasant aromas with solid balance and complexity of dark/roasted/smoked malt and moderate yeast ester fruitiness; with solid strength. Taste of chocolate, cocoa, roasted malt, caramel, toast, brown bread, wood smoke, peat, herbal, raisin, plum, light nuttiness, and herbal/toasted earthiness. Slight earthy bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of chocolate, cocoa, caramel, toast, brown bread, roast, wood smoke, peat, herbal, light nuttiness, and herbal/toasted earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Nice flavor robustness and solid complexity of dark/roast/smoked malt and light-moderate yeast ester fruitiness; with a nice smoke flavor balance and zero cloying after the finish. Medium carbonation and medium-full bodied; with a moderately creamy, smooth, and slightly chalky mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is well hidden with only a slight warming present after the finish. Overall this is a nice imperial smoked porter. Good balance/robustness and solid complexity of dark, roast, and smoked malt flavors with light-moderate yeast ester fruitiness; and very smooth to sip on for the ABV. A nicely enjoyable offering.
3.5 Lightly reddish brown, a bit thin. Sweet wood smoke nose. Nice fruit tree like woodsmoke (cherry, apple) and maybe some spicy mesquite. Sweeter than most smoked porters, which worked well to keep this from being too astringent and one-trick. Liked this more than I expected but I really can’t do smoked beers without food.
3.4 On tap at red cow, pours a dark brown/black with a medium tan head. Campfire and smoke peat aroma, meaty with some oat. Taste similar to aroma, smokey and meaty with an underlying sweetness. Not bad.
3.5 Bomber. Clear dark brown with a frothy light tan head, lasting on the side and some lacing. Aromas of smoke, roasted malt, caramel, dark fruit and chocolate.Flavor is caramel, chocolate, smoke, roasted malt, and some earthy grain notes. Medium bodied.
3.6 Bottle, picked up at Captain Jacks in Bismarck. Chestnut brown in color, sort of muddy and topped with a light beige head. Nose is smoky, more smoke that anything else. Faint chocolate. In the first half of the bottle I picked up more smoke than chocolate, but there is a role reversal as it warms. A bit of floral hops too. Pretty smoky, but approachable. It’s a sweeter, campfire type smoke; not the burnt bbq kind of smoke that gets harsh. I had no problem polishing this off with dinner and quite honestly could see putting down 2-3 pints over pizza with good company. For me, that’s not always the case with a smoked brew.
3.9 Bomber. Good smoky aroma with hints of sugary sweetness and dark fruit. Pours dark brown with a thin tan head and very little lacing. Starts sweet with brown sugar and dark fruit. Finishes smooth with a good but of peaty smoke that lingers on the palate. Nice, well balanced smoked porter.
3.6 Pours a deep brown topped with a modes, fast fading tan head. Arom has a lot of smoked peat and burnt wood notes. Light notes of caramel malt help to cut through some of the smokiness. Aroma has some deep scotch notes to it. Flavor begins with a modest creamy malt sweetness with toasted malt notes combining with light chocolate and anise. Slowly the flavors transition to a deep smokey peat presence with some light cigar tobacco flavors. body is hefty with a light sticky feeling and some alcohol presence. Overall a well crafted beer. The smoke holds its own within the beer but doesn’t dominate the nose or flavor. Very tasty beer!
3.5 Bottle. Purchased awhile ago. A: Mahogany with a fluffy creme colored head. Nice legs. N: Peat moss, campfire, char, cocoa, vanilla, iron. T: Very smokey and bitter. Some sweetness. M: Medium-heavy. Slides around pretty well. Alcohol’s hidden. O: A good porter, though it’s not quite the body to be labled an imperial, in my opinion. Alcohol’s there, but it’s not as thick as it could be. And since it’s heavy on the Islay elements, I can’t imagine a non-Scotch lover enjoying this overmuch. I appreciate it, but it’s not mind-blowing either.
2.4 Pours dark reddish brown with a thin tan head. Good carbonation and lacing. Aroma is of extremely smoked meat and roasted malt. Tastes sweet at first but finishes with a smoky meat taste. Had hoped for something better.
3.4 22 ounce bottle Thanks to malrubieus for sharing this during a small tasting. Having tried the Great Lakes version I can’t decide which is better. Neither is a stellar smoked porter. At the same time it holds your interest long enough that it is no drain pour. Ultimately though I would rather settle for an Abyss or hop driven Deschutes release instead. Aroma / Appearance - A fluid reddish black base fills the glass with warmth. Carbonated and lively, it is capped by an ivory head and decorated with sheer legs. Smoky like a ham curing in a Scottish barn this is a blend of bacon and peat. Chocolate lends a dry feel to an otherwise unremarkable aroma. Flavor / Palate - Ham and peat are strong from the first taste. Ash floats along as the soft mouthfeel works its way to a dry finish. Overall an inoffensive beer this lacks any major flaws. By the same token it also lacks a wow factor. Instead what you get is a respectable beer which might be worth checking out for fans of either Deschutes or Great Lakes.
4.2 22 ounce bottle, best by 4/29/14, 9.1% ABV. Served in a snifter, the beer pours dark brown/black with about an inch light tan head that sticked around a little while. There’s also a lot of lacing. Aroma is nice, the brew smells like smoked malt, chocolate, roasted malt, butterscotch and some peat. It tastes like smoked malt, peat, coffee, roasted malt, bittersweet chocolate, and a bit of dark fruit (plums). Mouthfeel/body is medium, it’s a little creamy and has low/moderate carbonation. I think it’s a tasty brew, and would buy it again. Definitely worth trying at $6.99 a bottle.
3.7 Tastes of chocolate and dried fruit. Smoke notes are present throughout, but not dominant. Ends with a burnt flavor. Good beer.
3.5 Dark brown pour with small dark beige head. Aroma of smoke, peat, malts and chocolate. Taste of roasted malts, faint chocolate, slightly bitter, and smoky presence. Full bodied, medium carbonation, dry bitter smoky finish.
4.2 Bottle. Pours a near black color with a smallish light tan head on it. Nose is very smokey, but in a richer way that reminds me a lot of the peatiness you get in older scotches. I can also get some subtler roasting and chocolate notes underneath. Taste is actually a little sweeter, and has some chocolate really coming through. Pretty smooth, too, and slightly warming. Really interesting.
3.7 Mildly sweet, somewhat bitter, lightly fruity, heavy on the malt, a touch of coffee and smoke all roasted together. Dark chocolate brown, soft off white heading. Oily texture.
3.8 22 oz bomber pours deep brown with a off white head. Aroma of sweet malts, smoke and chocolate. Taste is malts, chocolate and smoky.
3.3 bottle purch in CO drank in TX. best by date of 04/14. It is smoky - some smoked meat in aroma but as much smoke in taste as I have had; maybe too much. a little thin. ok beer
3.0 Sweet, vanilla and roasted malt smell. Bitter and earthy taste with smoke penetrating throughout. Caramel, coffee, and chocolate also come through in the taste. Light and silky mouthfeel, almost a syrupy coating. Not bad, not great, better than average but probably wouldn't buy another.
3.7 22 ounce bottle poured at the Deschutes tasting. Pours a near black with a beige head of foam. The aroma is sweet, roasty, and smoky. The taste has more of a roasty character, but there are nuances of some barbecue and burnt wood coming through at the back end, especially after the swallow. Big body, but for it being a smoked imperial porter, I think it’s a little thinner than I would like it to be. Medium carbonation.
3.8 A good showing from this collaboration brew. It is quite sweet initially, but yields to drier characteristics. As it warms, other flavors appear, I believe there is some plum in there. I’m still amazed this thing weighs in at over 9%
3.8 Bottle from Whole Foods Plymouth Meeting. Pours turbid blackish with some slight ruby edges through direct light. The head is splotchy and khaki. Nose is oaky, cacaoey, charred malt, some walnut, prune. Tastes roasty dark malty, with heavy rauchy flavor, cacao, oak, and a complex and smooth finish.
3.5 Bottle @ yespr. Pours a dark brown color with a small off-white head. Has a roasted malty smoky caramel aroma with weak hints of chocolate. Roasted malty smoky spicy caramel flavor. Has a roasted malty smoky caramel finish with hints of chocolate.
3.1 Shared bomber poured to snifters, showing a deep brown/mahogany color, with a modest layer of tan head foam, and dots & dashes of lacing. An initial phenolic scent of band-aid was more prevalent than the smoke, as the aroma proceeded with some roastiness, chocolate, a touch of sweetness, and vanilla. The taste continued the roasted notes, and added a low, earthy hop bitterness, soft carbonation, and a medium body, with a bit of silkiness to the mouthfeel, along with some syrupy texture. Besides the rude intro, not as much "imperial" character as I would have expected from an anniversary brew, but did possess decent enough drinkability.
3.6 Pours a deep brown color with a thin, short lived off white head. Smoke, roasted malt, coffee, caramel, chocolate and vanilla aroma. Caramel, toffee, coffee, roasted malt, smoke, vanilla, brown sugar, raisin and chocolate flavors. Medium body with a mild bitter taste. Medium carbonation and a smoke and toffee finish.
3.0 Hello smoke, nice of you to join my tasty impy p. The aroma in my snifter seems to be almost offensive. The smoke has pretty much taken over the entire beer. Hints of other flavors like raisin, nuts and the like try to come through but seem to lack because of the smoke. I will let the others buy this one on the shelf. I don't regret buying it, but won't be grabbing another bottle.
3.3 Deep mahogany with a very thin edging of foam. Combination of smoke and toasted malt aromas mix well. Smoked black malts tip the balance towards a dry malt bitterness and lingering mouthfeel. Oats make it smooth, but still unbalanced.
3.5 Sample from 66 cl. bottle. Dark amber colour with a small, off-white head. Roasted aroma with vanilla, fruits, caramel malts, toffee and light smoke. Taste is sweet. Medium body with a soft carbonation. Very pleasant. Finishes bitter and roasted with light chocolate. Nice Porter.
3.3 Bottle at yespr. Clear orange-red coloured with a medium sized beige head. Sweet and light roasted aroma of smoke and caramel. Sweet and light roasted flavour of smoke, hops and caramel. Hoppy finish.
3.4 Bottle - dark brown pour with medium off-white head. Roasted, toasty malts, caramel, slight smoke, choc, oaty, brown sugar, with a bitter finish.