At that time and for years afterwards, NightCall was made
year-round. It was odd and also very wonderful to have a local smoked beer
available all the year long. At some point, however, it became a fall seasonal.
I guess there were too many Fantasy Factory variations and other IPAs that needed
space. Also, at some point they started using quite a lot more smoked malt so
that the smoke taste was front and center instead of simply being an accent.
I am beginning to wonder if 2020's batch has such a prominent
smoky flavor simply by accident as the Karben4 webpage still says "This
brew provides a subtle smoke profile…" I am not complaining, though,
because at least it is still around instead of having been discarded in favor
of another fruity-hoppy brew.
The beer's smell was quite something. There was the expected
smoky smell from those delightful syringols and guaiacols and phenols and
whatever else makes smoked foods smell so effin' good. In addition, I caught
some roastiness (this beer looked positively Stygian, after all), a touch of
malty/honey sweetness, and an astringency/boozy scent. Lastly there was a
fruity element too – like cherry/stonefruit. This made me wonder if cherry wood
was used to smoke the malt.
A rich smoke flavor caressed my tongue upon tasting the
brew. Beneath it were the hallmarks of the porter, those piquant dark/bitter
chocolate and coffee tastes. A smidgen of plum sweetness and moderate
carbonation were also to be had. Mild spicy hoppiness and bitterness finished things.
Hopefully this new smoke intensive edition of NightCall will
remain as I really adore it. It's full and flavorful and is a wonderful
accompaniment to falling leaves and falling temperatures. Plus, it still tastes
great during the winter. Folks less enamored of smoky flavors may not be so
thrilled, however. The old recipe was delicious as well and I think there's a
place for a brew that goes easier on the smoked malt on Madison store shelves.
Hopefully someone will step up to fill the void if this year's batch proves not
to have been a fluke.
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