Smartmouth Brewing Company

Microbrewery in Norfolk, Virginia, United States 🇺🇸
Associated Venue: Smartmouth Brewing Company

Established in 2012

Contact
1309 Raleigh Ave, Norfolk, VA, 23507, United States
Description
Since 2012, Smartmouth Brewing Co. makes beer, thinks beer, talks beer and drinks beer. Family Friendly. Free Parking. Casual.

THE UNEXAMINED BEER IS NOT WORTH BREWING

There comes a time in every man’s life when he must ask himself – Should I continue working my steady and lucrative job or should I just quit and make beer? Well, for Norfolk-native Porter Hardy, the decision was a no-brainer. In 2012, the former home-brewer (and now former lawyer) traded his ties in for tap handles, and never looked back. With a stellar team around him, Porter entered un-fermented waters as one of the original craft breweries to set up shop in Hampton Roads.

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6.6
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6.5

Tangerine and green onion. Golden pour with good head and lacing. A little candied apple. Tangy finish. Can.

Tried from Can on 14 Nov 2020 at 02:46


5.5
Appearance - 4 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 4 | Overall - 6

Ever so slightly hazy copper and bronze coloured body with just about no head at all, and what is there is about a single centimetre of an off-white head that fades fairly quickly. Aroma of metal, light malts, nuts, earth, flowers, yeast and a bunch more, super astringent and pungent metallic twang that is bitter and slightly unsettling. Light-bodied; Strong and pungent nutty, earthy and especially biscuity characteristics with a lot of lager notes throughout that translate into bitterness and a very crisp bite that's pretty astringent and very dry. Aftertaste shows the biscuits, light caramelised sugars and toffee with a lot of nutty, earthy and grainy characteristics at the end that lets up slighlty, but is still quite strong. Overall, a very deep, super dry and one-dimensional marzen with a grainy and very malty characteristic without much sugars at all, no real fruitiness and a simplistic, mild finish. Not great and while I wish I could recommend this, there are others, better, even from here in Virginia or close by. I sampled this twelve ounce can, purchased from Total Wine in Alexandria, Virginia on 12-September-2020 for US$2,29 sampled at my house here in Washington on 07-November-2020.

Tried from Can on 08 Nov 2020 at 09:00


4.8
Appearance - 4 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 5 | Texture - 4 | Overall - 4

Hazy golden and orange coloured body with a very thin and ultra-fast-dying tan and off-white head that starts at only a centimetre in height and goes to nothing - just like a cider, after a few seconds. Aroma of soured yeast, brett, lactobilly notes, grass, hay, flowers and a bit of deep apricots, peaches and citrus fruits - quite strong in the nose, complex and long-lasting. Light to Medium-bodied; Super effervescent (that's where all the bubbles from the head went!), with a deep and astringent, pungent, throw up (puke) like flavour with some dry floral and grassy elements, but the yeast, lactose, slightly soured fruit and pure funk flavours show throguh and make this all a jumbled mess. Aftertaste is pungent, deep, assertive and again, just plain funky. The lactobilly and odd brett notes come through, but so does some bready yeast and a lot of soured fruit like underripe apricots and pure lemons. Overall, not a great beer and way too funky to seriously consider as a beer for the style...it feels like an accident that they were willing to sell to us masses...and they got at least ONE idiot! I sampled this sixteen ounce, pint-sized can, purchased from Total Wine in Alexandria, Virginia on 12-September-2020 for US$3,99 sampled at my house here in Washington on 24-October-2020.

Tried from Can on 30 Oct 2020 at 06:00


6.8
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7

Pint can thanks to hershiser2! 10/21/20.Hazy orange large foamy white head, good retention. Aroma of grapefruit, tangerine, toasted grain. Taste is orange, tangerine, plum, pale malt. Medium bodied, low bitterness, juicy. Cool label.

Tried from Can on 21 Oct 2020 at 21:46


7.2
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8

12 ounce can thanks to herhiser2! 10/16/20. Very dark brown, thin foamy tan head, poor retention. Aroma of toast, roast, honey. nuts. Taste is honey, nuts, sunflower, roast. Medium bodied. On the sweet side but enough roast to balance. Unique, nice. Very granola.

Tried from Can on 17 Oct 2020 at 01:10


7
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7

Pint can thanks to hershiser2, 9/25/20. Hazy orange, largge foamy tan head, good retention. Aroma of grain, a lactosey thing which I assume is marshmallow, tropical fruit. Yes, lactosey is a word. Taste is mango, tropical fruit, pineapple, and, yes, lactosey. Medium bodied, low bitterness, not quite juicy.

Tried from Can on 26 Sep 2020 at 04:43


6.2
Appearance - 2 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7

Raspberry nose. Cloudy red, thin head. Passion fruit, mild stale biscuit. Light body, easy carbonation.

Tried on 01 Sep 2020 at 00:22


6.9
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6.5

Very crisp golden peach, orange and even sort of ruby-tinted body with a nice two centimetre tall tan head that is large-bubbled. Aroma of grass, light wheat, a hint of bubble gum, yeast, bread and a dash of flowers - nice and light. Light-bodied; Very fresh wheat shows at first with a pleasant bubble gum and soft curacao bite that leaves some pleasant sweetness on top of the somewhat assertive yeast bite at the end, but still very easy-drinking throughout, with a light astringency at the very end. Aftertaste is crisp, yet refreshing, with a lot of wheat, yeast, flowers and especially bubble gum notes that make this a good option in the summer heat. Overall, a nice wheat beer with a slight unfiltered glow, but tastes more of a wheat ale than any hefeweizen, but good, refreshing, yet complex and enjoyable throughout. Nice to try from this brewery, especially in the hot Virginia summers here! I sampled this twelve ounce can, purchased from Harris Teeter in Arlington (Potomac Yard), Virginia on 14-July-2020 for US$1,87 sampled at my house here in Washington on 20-August-2020.

Tried from Can on 22 Aug 2020 at 07:03


6.8
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7

Roast and some cash free. Toffee and honey are light like bees carried here. Some dark chocolate. Bitter and light tangy finish. Tap at Fire Works.

Tried from Draft on 18 Jun 2020 at 23:34


8

Geweldige farmhouse ale. Droog, niet te overdreven, beetje brett achtig.. Super.

Tried from Can on 01 Jun 2020 at 17:24