Ballast Point Abandon Ship Smoked Lager

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

Wow...NOT seeing the lowball scores here (though maybe they were working out the kinks in 2006). This beer was great. The smokiness and malts reminded me of Sclenkerla beers, though not quite in Urbocks league. Pretty nice, though. Balance of smoke and malt is wonderful. A bbq beer all the way.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

On tap and served in a tulip glass. Subtle smoke mixed in a malty sweet body. Plenty of berries, caramel and baked goods. Medium bodied, smooth with an exceptional drinkable quality....I could sip on this all day. Dark copper~light amber brown body with a thin head and wispy lacing. Wonderful accent of smoked malt, not over done in the slightest.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 4 | Mouthfeel: 4 | Flavor: 3 | Overall: 3

Uh, did someone say rauchbier? Man I was geeked up to try this and boy...what a let down! A really weak smoke aroma, like watered down smole extract without much more. Appearance was a nice smoky brown color, small white head and clear. Mouthfeel was a bit astringent and the flavors were practically zero smoke flavor, except for a bit of bitterness on the back end (like takin' a sip of smoke extract). Overall, a BIG disappointment. Rauchbiers are hard enough to come by (one of my favorite styles) so it's even worse when it's bad.

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 4 | Mouthfeel: 5 | Flavor: 4 | Overall: 4

I had this on tap at the brewery's 10th anniversary party. This was VERY disappionting. I didn't tasty any smokiness. It was just a session lager.