Alaskan Baltic Porter

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

On tap @ Hard Rock Denver. Deep, Dark pour. Very creamy consistency. Aroma is vanilla, coffee, dark fruits. Some bitterness is there, but it still works for me. At nearly 10%, this beer is extremely drinkable. In fact, I had 4 pints of this and 3 shots of Cabo Wabo Silver, and let me tell you, that’s your e-ticket to bed.

Pours coca-cola brown that is easy to see through upon pouring, but appears almost black once poured into the glass. Head is somewhat modest and recedes to a thin layer. Nose clearly has the cherry and vanilla, with the cherry having an almost throat-lozenge/cough-syrupy character. On the palate this beer is surprisingly lighter bodied than what I expected, and helps with drinkability, but of course again the cherry-vanilla takes main stage. Some cola flavors are present, and there’s a hint of dry oakiness going on as well. I like it, but I can see why some may not because it is rather cough syrupy.

Bottle from Whole Foods. Pours a nice brownish black with a light brown head. Aroma is cherries, dark fruits, vanilla, chocolate nibs, coffee, and wood. Flavor is cherry skins, coffee, roasted malt, chocolate, vanilla, oak, dark fruits, spices. Finish has a bitter chocolate cherry woodiness going on. Good Stuff.

Bottle from Whole Foods. Unexpectedly great. Pours a thin coffee color with a beige head. Smells of vanilla, cocoa, sweet cherries, and roast. Tastes of each with added notes of molasses and red grapes. Silky on the palate. Well done.

This mostly smells of the brown sugar surprisingly, dominating the other elements one would imagine to be more aromatic in general. This is very good. Sweet. Tons of flavor. Doesn’t very strong at all. Good cherry flavor with the vanill and wood there as well. Each element is subtle on its own but complex and fantastic together. Great finish. I really loved this one.

Bottle. Poured a dark brown with a thin light tan head. Great aroma, notes of chocolate, vanilla, oak, and grape juice or candy. Medium body with a smooth mouth feel and soft carbonation. Flavor is interesting, I definitely taste chocolate, roast, and oak but there is also a strange sweet fruity note that I can’t place almost like grape bubblegum. Finishes smooth and slightly sweet.

Tap at Bier Stein. This poured out a delectable dark brown with a 2 inch cocoa head. Aroma was chocolate, roasted malt, cherries, earthy hops and molasses. Very little booze in the aroma. Flavor was roast, chocolate, cherries, a very prominent lactic note and some licorice. Extremely tasty brew, I was very pleasantly surprised with this one. Went down smooth as silk.

Pours jet black. Nose is fruity, roasted malt, marachino cherries, toffee, molasses, earthy, booze and licorice. Flavor is big roast, cocoa, mild coffee hints, candy corn, sweet toffee, molasses, warming booze and vanilla bean.