Baltika 6 Porter

A shade or two from completely black. Light rays of red shine through as it’s held up to the light. Large tan fluffy head doesn’t hang around for too long but leaves thicky fluffy lacing down the glass. Very sweet smell. Pretty basic porter smell... some rich sweet caramel and chocolately goodness. Almost over-the-top sweet taste. Pretty much the same as the smell. There’s a slight metallic taste in the finish though. It’s not terrific but certainly not bad. This is an enjoyable beer.

Pours dark black with a very thin brown head. Caramel and molasses aroma, something else there too, some type of fruitiness that I can’t place. Roasted malts dominate the taste, some dark coffee too. Slight bitter finish and some smokiness. Medium body and a little spicy in my mouth. This is decent.

A very nice beer, this one poured a dark brown/black color with a touch of mahogany red edges. The head was substantial but short-lived. Lacing was persistent for the duration of consumption. Flavor was initially malty sweet (touch of molasses and caramel) with noticeable alcohol. Then it turned slightly bitter with a grassy finish. The aftertaste (only) was somewhat reminiscent of Warsteiner’s dunkel, but the heart of this beer and flavor was pretty solid. I’ll return to this one someday - not a bad price for a decent amount of flavor.

(04.20.06) One pint 0.6 oz brown bottle from Golden Eagle, Libertyville, IL 7% ABV. Poured brown black with medium tan head. Soft carbonation. Roasted malt and prune in the nose. Medium bodied porter that starts with light malt sweetness and burnt malt/coffee/fruity (prune) flavors. Some sharpness in the mouth. Finished with light roast bitterness. A very good flavorful porter.

Bottle from Super Saver. I love how Baltika numbers all its beers to make it easier for Russians to know what order to drink them after they get bombed on vodka. Great idea! This one is outstanding. The pour is deep blackish (ruby through light) with a 1-finger tan head. The aroma is huge corn flakey malt and soem cacao powder. One of the maltiest aromas ever, right up there with Fullers LP and Celebrator. The taste is big corn flakey malt up front, with a big palate density and complexity. It tastes like Wheaties dipped in chocolate syrup, although not as sweet. This is one of the betetr porters I’ve yet had, and I’ll be raiding the shelves of this one. Sith Lords and other Dark Side scumbags like me will love this one!

Pure black pour with caramel highlights. The nose is mostly dirt, kind of astrigent with subtle notes of roasted malt. The body is quite thin for a 7% brew. Mostly sweet chocolate, the body also notes butterscotch and vanilla. This is tasty, quite drinkable and really affordable.

Pours a pitch black color with a nice tan head that laces the glass. Aroma is dominated by sweet, roasted malt, with a metallic hint to it. Bittersweet toffee taste is accompanied by a crisp finish. It is light bodied, for a porter. Definitely drinkable for the price.

Pours dark brown, almost black with thick, tan head. I picked up heavy malt aroma, with licorice, coffee and hint of toffee. Taste was more heavily coffee at the start, with alcohol becoming more evident at mid bottle. Finish left an aftertaste of charcoal and alcohol. Possibly if I was eating the right foods with this I could enjoy more, but for just a smooth sipping, tasty beer, this did not cut it with me.