Surly Mole Smoke

Surly Mole Smoke, Smoke Lager (Baltic Porter) aged on cocoa nibs and puya chili peppers.

This is one that usually appears only at festivals, special events, or the taproom. When I saw there were kegs available, I jumped at the chance to tap it at Acadia Cafe, and am writing notes now before it's gone.

Utter blackness, with a slim, tight tan ring.

Pepper heat hits the nose first, with cocoa right after it, with smoke swiftly smothering them both.

In the mouth, pepper hits hard again, coating the cavern, setting fire to the senses. Chocolate sits right behind it, but always plays second to the pepper's flame. Hangs long and hard on the palate. Heat returns hard and blazes the back of the throat with each new sip.

The base beer is strong enough to keep the blaze in check. What would be an inferno in other beers is a fiery tickle here, with the smoke and the cocoa and the rich dark malts adding to the richness and complexity. As has been seen before, pepper beers and I don't always mix. This, though, is one I've been going back to again and again.