Short's Smoked Apple

Short's Smoked Apple (bottle)
Elk Rapids, MI
6.25% ABV

Damn, do I review a lot of Short's beers. Probably because they make so many. This came out a week or two ago, and I've had two of these bottles already, but decided to bang out a quick writeup before bed.

Pours yellow-orange into my Dead Guy pint glass, little to no head. Very hazy, slight orange tint when held up to light. Smells strongly of apples, very sweet and fruity, with, yes, a nice dose of smokiness as well. A bit like the sweet smell of a charcoal grill in the middle of summer.

It's perhaps a cop-out to say that a beer called Short's Smoked Apple would smell and taste very much like smoke and apple, but what else would you expect it to smell and taste like? It's sweet, somewhat astringent, some hints of yeast, but the predominant flavors are right there on the label. You can't blame this one for not having truth in advertising. The sweetness is mostly present on the front and on the tip of the tongue, while the smokiness dominates on the finish and in the aftertaste.

How many fruit beers are even drinkable? How many smoked beers have anything other than the taste of ashes? In terms of sheer technical difficulty, it's hard for me not to give pretty high marks. Is it for everyone? No. Is it for me? Right here, right now, it is.

My overall BA review: 3.85/5