Brewery: Ranger Creek Brewing Company
Beer: Small Batch Series #4
Style: Imperial Mesquite Smoked Porter Aged in Ranger Creek Bourbon Barrels
ABV: 10%
Character: Mesquite Smoked Porter brewed to 10% ABV and ages it for 10 months in their Texas bourbon barrels
Metal Connection: GUTTED – Death before Dismember
Ranger Creek Brewing Company is one of the main craft breweries in San Antonio. They have released some really good beers, and the Small Batch Series are no exceptions. Here we are at small batch number 4. This beer is made up of their previously released Mesquite Smoked Porter, but brewed to a 10% ABV, and then they age the beer in bourbon barrels which were from Ranger Creek’s own distillery.
So I messed up a little, by pouring this into a pint glass, when I should have used a tulip glass, but oh well…drinking we go! The color is a dense black color with a dark brown two finger wide foamy head, which stayed and leaving patchy lacing on the glass. Very nice!
The up front smell is all smoked wood. Very campfire-like. After a few more sniffs the presence of dark chocolate and a little coffee seep through the smoke. Just like any other smoked beer, the smokiness is overpowering and burning the nose.
Taste wise, again, the smokiness hits you right away and strongly. Surprisingly there are other flavors that come through on this one. Usually smoke is always overpowering any other flavors, but I get a sea salt chocolate taste mixed with light vanilla. I’m sure the saltiness comes from the bourbon barrel coming through the smoke. My one complaint is that I wish I got more of the bourbon barrel, as that usually makes beer strong in alcohol smell and flavor, and adds a very distinctive sweetness to the beer.
The body is a little thick, and there is a med-high carbonation going on here, so this beer was a sipping beer. Took me a while to finish this bottle. I plan on finding another bottle, and aging it for a long time to see what it will be like years later. I do hope you all reading this will take my advice and go get you a bottle or two. This is a good beer overall, and worth it for fans of porters, smoked beers, and bourbon barrel aged beers.
Since I did this as a double review, grouping Small Batch #4 and Small Batch #5 in this review, I thought of bands that consist of brothers. I dug deep in my Metal bank, and remembered a band that was three brothers together. Here we have, GUTTED from Ohio, which had the brothers Mark Ditch (Bass/Vocals), Scott Ditch (Drums), and Michael Ditch (Guitars). They released two albums, and disbanded back in 1997. I featured my favorite song, “Death Before Dismember” from their debut album, Bleed for us to Live.
Brutality and Bitterness, BeerMetalDude!
Brewery: Ranger Creek Brewing Company
Beer: Small Batch Series #5
Style: Imperial Mesquite Smoked Porter Aged in Ranger Creek Bourbon Barrels
ABV: 7.5%
Character: A portion of the malt was smoked by hand at Ranger Creek with Texas pecan wood in their very own Texas malt smoker. The beer was then lagered for 2 months in Ranger Creek bourbon barrels
Metal Connection: OBITUARY – Slowly we Rot
Here is part to of the Small Batch Series reviews. I introduce you to #5, and it’s alive! Haha! I wonder how many people will get that reference.
I used a pint glass for this beer. Poured a very, very dark brown, almost black with a thin white bubbly head, that quickly vanished, leaving barely any lacing on the glass.
The aroma of this beer is a bit complex. I can pick up smells of smoke, nut (pecans), bourbon, and some fruit, mostly dried fruit such as apricot. Real good combination of smells on the nose. Very pleasant.
On tot hr taste now. Here we have the same as the aroma. Again I can pick up smoke, bourbon, the same dried apricot taste, and a slight nutty flavor. I love the complexity with this one. I have had every Small Batch so far released by Ranger Creek, and so far this one is my favorite. What I like about this one is that the smokiness doesn’t over power the beer, which helps other aromas and flavors pop out a bit more. This is a very easy drinking beer, as the body is medium, leaving a good malty after taste, and smooth mouth feel.
again I went with a band that consisted of brothers, since I did this as a double review. I’m sure most people ho visit my page don’t really need an introduction to this band, bu for those who just so happen to not know underground Metal, I give you OBITUARY! They are one of the pioneering bands of the Death Metal genre. I posted their title track to their debut album from 1989, Slowly we Rot! Enjoy!
Rotten and fermented, BeerMetalDude!
Beer Metal Media 