Alaskan Baltic Porter

Brewed by Alaskan Brewing Co
Style: Baltic Porter
Juneau, Alaska USA

22 oz bottle. Pours a very dark brown, almost black, body with a small fizzy light brown head that runs to a thick ring and a small island. The nose has lots of licorice and burnt caramel with some burnt roasty malt and candied dark fruits. More than anything I’m tasting burnt rubber though, not the licorice and caramel that I wanted. The rubber taste lingers on the finish as well. The overdone alcohol doesn’t help things out either. Thick and viscous body with a clingy coating finish. Fine fizzy carbonation. This one just didn’t grow on me at all from the first sip. This was pretty hard to finish.

From the bottle at The Big Pour Beer Festival in Scottsdale AZ. Very dark brown, heavy looking pour. Figgy, fruity, treacle and spice aroma. Incredibly port-like flavours, loads of fig jam, cherries, vanilla, leather... crazy good stuff!

Dark brown, thin tan head. Nose of cherry cola, barrel-like vanilla, chocolate, and thick malt. Flavor has more of the same, vanilla and chocolate leading with the cherry being a little more extract-like than the nose. Super creamy body, decent, tart cherry finish. The fruit is surprisingly strong here and the balance is pro, but I think the cherry takes a little away as my favorite BPs have more malt and are generally more complex.

Purchased a bomber at local store. This beer pours a dark brown almost black. The smell of cherries and dark chocolate makes your mouth water with anticipation. The taste is delightful with hints of cinnamon, brown sugar, and cherries. This is a great dessert beer and is fantastic on a cold crisp day or evening.

22oz bomber, 2009 edition, from south bay. pours a deep, dark brown, damn near black, with a one-finger, cola colored head and great lacing. aroma is wonderful with huge cherry notes of all varieties (bing, black, marachino), smooth vanilla, ripe banana, red apple, oak, dark chocolate, and a hint of brandy. flavor is excellent as well with tons of dark chocolate covered cherries and bananas (almost like a banana split), licorice, dark roasted malts, and smooth, vanilla and oak with hints of smoke and toffee on the back end. palate is velvety smooth, rich, and mildly carbonated with a lingering, ever so slightly tart cherry and roasted malt finish. overall, one of the most unique and delicious baltic porters out there.

Inky black - really nice looking. Nose is huge oakiness and light hints of fruit (cherries, apples) but the wood dominates everything else. Flavor starts really vinous - smells like many wineries I’ve been in. Lots of deep cabernet flavors, again, raw/wet oak is the forefront. As it warms, the wood mellows a bit and I get a lot of chocolate covered cherry with the attendant dark sweetness and more vanilla (and the alcohol shows up). It’s better as it comes to temp, but I was let down a bit by this one. Will see what some age does to it.

From a 22oz bottle poured into a Snifter at 50°. Color is a solid black with very good carbonation and a tall soda like brown head. This falls to a nice tight head that stays on top as you drink. Aroma is almost like a barley wine with rich malts coming across with vanilla, oak, toffee and wine then a little alcohol in the back. It has a full body that goes down with a light feel coming across creamy and smooth. Finish comes on with a moderate sweetness of honey, vanilla and chocolate then just a hint of the cheery showing. After taste is dry and clean with an oak taste coming out and all of the sweet flavor fading out quickly. WOW this brew rock with big flavors, an easy light feel and almost no alcohol showing. Must be the best brew I have had from Alaskan.

Appearance: Pours a dark mahogany with a decent tan layer of froth. Aroma: Sweet cherry, and very faint roast. Taste: A great pronounced balance of cherry, vanilla and oak. Mouthfeel: Medium bodied. Overall: One of the best beers I have had this year, and surely my favorite from Alaskan. An amazing use of oak and cherries.