The Bruery Smoking Wood - Rye Barrel
Smoked Imperial Rye Porter aged in Rye Whiskey Barrels. A rich porter layered with rye spiciness and earthy smoke, caramel-like flavors, roasty malt and oaky deliciousness.
Brewed with beachwood and cherrywood smoked malt, and aged in rye whiskey barrels, Smoking Wood is a delicious demonstration of what wood has to offer when it comes to beer. This imperial smoked porter is brewed with a hefty amount of rye malt, contributing to a full body and light spiciness. Toasty oak, caramel and vanilla flavors balance the smokiness, contributing to an intense yet refined flavor profile. This is one of our favorite beers at the moment, we hope you agree.
2011: 10% ABV
2012: 13% ABV
Brewed with beachwood and cherrywood smoked malt, and aged in rye whiskey barrels, Smoking Wood is a delicious demonstration of what wood has to offer when it comes to beer. This imperial smoked porter is brewed with a hefty amount of rye malt, contributing to a full body and light spiciness. Toasty oak, caramel and vanilla flavors balance the smokiness, contributing to an intense yet refined flavor profile. This is one of our favorite beers at the moment, we hope you agree.
2011: 10% ABV
2012: 13% ABV
3.9
415 reviews
Placentia, United States
Community reviews
Pours a thick black colour with minimal coffee coloured head. Strong aroma of treacle and rye with slightly chocolaty smell too. Very thick on the palate with a lingering fizz. Tastes quite alcoholic with a bit of a whisky kick. Strong treacle flavour and an almost burnt chocolate taste. (K)
Bottle share at Chriso’s. Thanks! Black, small foamy brown head. Aroma is smoke, light molasses, a little booze showing up. Body is fairly light, foamy, tingly carbonation. Taste is strong with smoke, rye, smoked meat and booze. Pretty bitter towards the finish. This is certainly the best beer I’ve had from The Bruery. It’s the only one that had something to balance out the sweetness! Nice.
On tap. I like bourbon barrel aging as much as anyone, but this beer may actually finally offer a BBA flavor too intense to enjoy. Sticky, sweet, smoky, just intense, intense, intense. Not a bad beer, but I’m probably not going to seek it out again.
Bottle shared at Chris and Ruth’s pre-GBBF tasting 2015 - London. Pours oily black with a creamy tan had. Highly medicinal in the nose, some peat, smoke. Medium sweet flavor with notes of dark bread, chocolate, more medicinal peat, booze, roast. Full bodied with fine carbonation; lightly chewy. Warming finish with subtle apple notes, chocolate, lingering peat. So so.
Bottle@Chris and Ruth’s Pre-GBBF 2015, London - pours black with beige head. Sweet and medium roasted malty aroma and taste with chocolate, caramel, some vanilla, rye, bourbon infused wooden notes, sweet malty finish.
Bottle at Chris & Ruth’s pre-GBBF shindig, 2015. Black pour with a dark beige head. Rich dark fruit nose. Smooth woody flavours of dark fruit, vanilla and some notes of citrus. Tasty brew.
Pre GBBF tasting as Chris and Ruth’s Place. Black beer with an brownish head. Dark chocolate, malty a bit sweetish aroma. Dark chocolate, malty and whiskey flavour with spicy and smokey notes. Lovely one :-)
Bottle bigs thanks to Kenny. Consumed at ChrisO Pre-GBBF tasting. It pours near black with a thick tan head. The nose is rich, smokey, vanilla, nougat, medicinal, cocoa, spice, brown bread, rocky road and maple syrup. The taste is sweet, spicy, medicinal, plum, black currant, some acidity, dark fruit, wood, leather, burnt cake and some warming alcohol with a dry, spicy finish. Full body and moderate carbonation. Nice depth and rather well-rounded. One of the nicest offerings I have had from these guys for quite a while.
bottle.
Sweet smoke and caramel nose, bourbon, vanilla. Sweet flavor, smoke and booze, treacle, vanilla, stone fruits. Soft carbonation. Nice stuff.
8th August 2015
Pre GBBF tasting as Chris and Ruth’s. Opaque black - brown beer, big pale tan head. Very airy palate, especially for the abv. Soft dark malts, a little creamy sweetness. Nice dark chocolate. Dark malt tang and mellow whiskey. Light esters. Traces of spice and smoke. Light finish. A gentle giant this one!
Bottle at present GBBF 2015. Black beer lasting tan head. Chocolate sponge cake. Ok some barrel ageing. Mostly chocolate sponge cake. Fine. Hides abv well. Nice.
I have no idea why I never rated this one. I’ve had it a few times. OOPS. 2012 Vintage as a part of the Bruery Cellar Sale back in May. Soloed after a glass of BCS 2013. Pours pitch black, 1 finger head that sticks around. Aroma is campfire, chocolate, whiskey, vanilla beans. Oh, this is why I never rated this beer. The charred oak even comes off slightly sweet, burnt, tannic, charred oak, charcoal, burnt things. ugh. little bit of chocolate and vanilla but daring, the rest of this is bad.
750ml bottle. Poured a black color with an off white head. Smoke, chocolate, roast, wood/oak, and ashy.
Bottle 750ml.
Pours black with no serious head. No lacing. Aroma is of alcohol, smoke, coffee, chocolate. Taste is of sugar, oak, smoke, chocolate, coffee, tequila. Palate: Full bodied. Light carbonation. Overall: Strong, heavy, boozy. A sipper. Weird tequila features (probably the rye).
Une autre bière foncée qui est assez belle avec son col kaki qui s’impose. Le nez est délicieux avec ses parfums de caramel, de chocolat, de charbon de bois, de rye, de noix de coco et de vanille. Les saveurs ne déplaisent pas. Le caramel et le chocolat sont riches d’une présence délicate de fumée terreuse et de ce qu’apparaît comme des fruits noirs imbibés de rye. En bouche, le corps de moyenne densité montre un pétillement modéré et une texture huileuse. La finale piquante de l’eau-de-vie se combine habilement à cette touche fumée.
Bottle (750 ml). Shared by mathieuc, thanks! Split with the Québec crew.
Appearance: Dark brown with a medium brown head, low retention and not much lacing.
Aroma: Quite meaty and smokey with iodine, oak, agave, moderate spiciness, soy sauce, caramel and chocolate.
Taste: Quite meaty here again with smoke, boozy, iodine, soy sauce, mild sweetness, mild acidic presence, agave, chocolate, oak, spices... quite complex, but it’s going in quite a few directions.
Palate: Medium body to full body, but the mild acidic presence make it feel almost thin for a 13% abv Imperial Porter. Moderate carbonation. Meaty finish.
Overall: It’s tasty and quite complex for sure, but it lacks a bit of cohesion. The meaty / smokey features were interesting. Palate was a bit weak. Decent-good.
Thanks to nate321 for that bottle! Pours a dark brown with a partial rim on top that doesn’t leave any traces. Nose is of chocolate, alcohol, soy sauce and smoke. Taste is of grapes, chocolate and alcohol. Body is full, carbonation a bit low and all the alcohol gets tiring after a while. Not nearly enough smoke for me to call it a smoked beer, too. Good one but they could easily package it in 187ml bottles and charge pretty dollars for it, in 750ml format I don’t see myself picking it up again.
pours unclear dark brown with a small beige cap, minimal retention and lacing. aroma of lightly smoked raisins, soy sauce, highland park flambéed/sautéed mushrooms; taste of sweet welcoming peat, umami, fancy molasses, rich chocolatey maltiness, warming alcohol, chilis, other spices, clean wood. low carbonation, full body; sweet, lightly tannic and spicy-gently peaty finish. tad muted aroma, but a very interesting smoky malt bill depth plus a good barrel integration. enjoyed!
Review #1000! 750ml bottle, reviewed, the morning after: Black with tan, medium-fine 2mm head. Aroma is chocolate, light whiskey/wood, not that much smoke. Body is heavy, syrupy, medium carbonation, light burn. Flavor is sweet, notes of cocoa, malt syrup, some dry woody smoke undertones, a bit of earthy herbs to balance. A very heavy, sweet (not quite cloying) imperial porter with strong whiskey notes. I imagine I would like the bourbon version better, but this is great! Another fine beer from the Bruery.
Thanks so much kathouse for this extra in a recent beer trade. Pours black with mocha head. Aromas of whiskey, campfire. Nice boozy flavours, a bit of smoke, whiskey, vanilla, dark chocolate. Really an awesome beer.
Thanks cards04 for sharing this. Rich dark chocolate aroma. Bourbon heavy on the nose. Brady malty. Dark body. The smoke comes in on the aftertaste. Abv well masked. Taste is rich cocoa malt bourbon but not overly sweet and subtle smoke. Of course this is rye not bourbon but u get the idea.
Shared bottle. Pours almost black with a nice brown head. Aroma of malt, chocolate, fruit, and smoke. Taste is roasted malt, chocolate, vanilla, dark fruit, and smoke. Very good.
Bottle. Pours black in color with a tan head. Smoked ham, charcoal, sweeter notes, some peat and a nice mix of coffee and vanilla in aroma. A lot is going on here from the start, nice. I get some roasted notes with chocolate and bit of dark fruityness even, not forgetting the oaky barrel notes as well. Wood, smoke, vanilla and bit of vinous dark fruityness in taste. Medium bodied with a oily mouthfeel, the drinkability is really great here. Creamy smokyness and notes of spicy rye in aftertaste. There’s also a nice burning effect in the end. This was a big one, really liked it.
750 ml. 13 % abv. Pour is opaque ebony with a small ring of bubbles. Nose is chocolate, caramel, light smoke, vanilla, dried dates and soy. Taste is the same great mix, plus some charred oak and peppery rye in the long finish. Heavy body is smooth with light-medium carbonation, has a great balance from all directions and only a hint of the 13%
Bottle at a big tasting (Nördprovning 2015). Dark malty and smoky smell. Similar smell smoky and roasted with some wood aromas. Nice! I like the level of smoke and the barrel aging is well made.
A very deep brown with a thin film of foam. Cherry, fruit, oak, and smoke is reflected in all areas of aroma and flavor. Rye adds a nice spiciness. The finish is slightly sweet without being sticky.
Bottle at Craig’s. Pours black, nose is malty, liquorice, smoky, taste is sweet, roasty, chocolate, nice smokiness.
Pitch black pour with a dense brown head. Good lacing. The aroma is much more barrel forward than expected and seriously rich. Not a lot of smoke but that is fine by me. This really reminded me much more of a BCBS than a smoked porter. Rich mouthfeel and intense chocoate and barrel flavor. Lasting aftertaste. Very good!
2014 bottle. Pours nearly black with nothing of a head. Aroma has huge notes of dark chocolate, sweet milk chocolate, dark fruits, hints of smoke, caramel, wood, and spirit barrel. Taste is sweet but balanced. Dark chocolate covered cherries, milk chocolate, dark fruits, barrel notes, slight smoke and booze, caramel, dark sugar, and a smooth, mildly smoky ending. Very nice. Full body with a low carbonation. Syrupy texture but not cloying with a dry finish. Overall a huge beer. Big, syrupy notes of dark chocolate covered cherries, rye barrel, and all sorts of goodness.
Draft at Beer Junction during Barrel Junction days. I’m not positive, but I believe this is the correct barrel. Nice dense black beer. Smoky, creamy and dense body. Solid big beer, love this.