no open fire

It's a time for fires and smoke and dark things, like a nice porter!  Since some porters have that fruity bite to them anyway, a cherry wood variety sounds like a solid bet.  Blazin Sandals, made at Brew York Brewery with the help of Anspach & Hobday, does not have a name that I would associate with porter of any kind, even a smoked one, but it's always good to challenge your assumptions I guess.

The color isn't very dark, like it's been watered down a little bit.  It has sort of a puckery tangy aroma, like many porters with that touch of fructose in them.  The head packs a good amount of bitterness, but the beer is quite smooth with only a hint of smokiness.  It's not very sweet, actually, the fruitiness being mainly in the scent.  It even has a background of chocolatey-ness, a kind of dark chocolate blend.  It's on the thin side, again like a somewhat watered down drink, although the flavor remains at a pleasing level.  It is far from sticky and the balance of tastes remains stable, not veering into syrupy sweet or crinkly bitter.  It's not a beer that needs any help from snacks, and strongly flavored ones would take away from it.

Supplier: La Buena Pinta
Price: €5.80