I like to travel just for beer. What I mean to say by that is that at times we plan trips entirely around brewery and brewpub visits. That’s all well and good, but you can’t do it all the time. Sometimes, the wife wants to go other places. Case in point: our recent trip to the Smoky Mountains, specifically Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, both in Tennessee.

What’s really nice about craft beer today, though, is that even when you aren’t heading to a beer mecca, you can still usually find good beer wherever you go. This was the case in the Smokies; as we visited two different locations of the Smoky Mountain Brewery. The first, in Pigeon Forge, was less than a mile walk from our condo rental, while the second and my favorite was only about 8 miles away in Gatlinburg.

The second has fantastic atmosphere and a great location at the feet of the mountains; I would recommend staying downtown where everything is in walking distance including the Smoky Mountain Brewery. They offer a fair array of decent if not exceptional beers at fantastic prices. One of these is the beer under consideration tonight: Smoky Mountain Black Bear Ale. I got a six-pack for $5.99 at the brewery. Pints were $3.50, growler fills $8, and amazingly, they have 99 cent pints weeknights after 9 PM.

Smoky Mountain Black Bear Ale pours to a light brownish color with almost no head formation and a soft, light and nutty malt nose. Taking a sip, the beer is all malt, especially up front. It’s got a hint of chocolate, a delightful nuttiness, and a cookiesh malt body. The finish is balanced with a gentle grassiness, and the beer is not at all sweet. This has the effect of making it more-ish. Think Newcastle Brown and you will get an idea of what Black bear Ale tastes like.

My main quibble is the description on the bottle: “An American Brown Ale.” Nothing could be farther from the truth; this seems much more like an English mild to me. That’s not a bad thing, as I enjoy mild brown ales a lot. Enjoyed on its own merits, this is a beer you can enjoy sipping over an afternoon and not get tired of. I’ll certainly be drinking nit again the next time I head to the Smokies.  

And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.

*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.

(B)=Bottled

(D)=Draft

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