MI Beer Spotlight: Dark Horse Fore Smoked Stout

May 20, 2008

I’ve been wanting to start a weekly Michigan beer spotlight for the last few weeks. The good news is that I got my computer back but the bad news is the battery I bought for my camera didn’t fix the problem. But enough of my whining. I’ve decided to go ahead in spite of having no picture of the beer and do a Michigan beer spotlight anyway. Yes, you won’t get a picture of what I’m drinking and that is a shame because this beer is one of the most beautiful stouts you will ever see.

A little about this spotlight, I don’t want to use this blog to bash. MI beer spotlight will be about MI beer that I like. If anyone wants my list of beer to avoid I’ll give you one through email. A lot of times other factors go into why some beer is bad in bottles. There are beers that I love at the brewery that I wouldn’t buy in a bottle because of off flavors. Also, I am rusty at judging and undoubtedly will get better the more I practice. Eventually with more practice I will gain more confidence which will make it easier for me to be critical.

First thing to tell you about Fore is that it I am drinking it totally out of season. It is released in the fall/winter and is a great cold weather beer. I’ve picked it because it is only in the high 50’s outside. Still is a good temperature for drinking it. More importantly, it is what I’m thirsty for right now.

Beer: Fore Smoked Stout

Brewery: Dark Horse in Marshall, MI

Style:  American Stout

Beer Advocate rating: B+

Serving temperature:I served this one around 52 degrees but it could have been a little warmer. It is recommended to serve at 54 to 57 degrees.

Food pairing: This is tough. It is sweet enough to be served with chocolate but the smokiness leans toward steaks and BBQ. It is balanced enough to go with either one of these choices. Whatever is served along with Fore will emphasize that flavor aspect of the beer. When it comes to complex beers I feel that it is better to compliment the flavor.

Appearance: It has a black body with a dark tan/light brown head with little head retention. Upon giving it a twirl, legs form on the glass. As I hold it up to the light there is absolutely no transparency. I do notice some deep ruby highlights where the glass and the beer meet.

Smell:The first smell that hits you is smoke but once you take a deeper whiff you get roastiness and maybe even some dark chocolate. Mmmm…dark chocolate.

Taste and Mouth Feel:Once again the smokiness comes through but does not overwhelm. Also there are hints of caramel and chocolate. Feels like a full body beer should and I do notice the warming feeling on your tongue. Just enough to let you know that this has a slight punch to it. What is left to linger in your mouth is those hints of dark chocolate. That is a nice taste to have in your mouth.

Overall Impression: It is tough to judge a beer you know so well. Definitely not smokey enough for the Smoke beer category and it has a big taste with many complexities. Those complexities make it a great dinner beer. Smooth and easy drinking enough to tease you into wanting to have one more. The legs on the glass and warming of the tongue indicates that just one more should be your limit. That is if you want to get your blog post done. 

Next fall, if you are going tailgating on a sunny mild Saturday or Sunday afternoon and you happen to go to a store that is selling Dark Horse I recommend buying Fore. It will go perfect with what you are grilling that day. You could even serve it with dessert.

Posted in Beer Review, Beer and Food, Michgan products, local food