Capital Baltic Porter

Brewed by Capital Brewery
Style: Baltic Porter
Middleton, Wisconsin USA

Brought back from the land they call Madison. Capital may be the least impressive of WI beers. Lots of promise, little delivery. For that reason, we skipped the visit. Lots of carbonation on this one. Decent coffee and malt. But not the intensity the bottle claims as a "series." If you are doing a "series" you have to do it seriously. This is a decent Baltic Porter. But it doesn’t match Victory’s or Smuttynose and doesn’t deserve the "series" label yet.

8/22/2008: Capital Square Series Baltic Porter has a really malty aroma. It is also nutty and sweet and really showcases the caramelized sugars of the malt. The color of this beer is brown (much lighter than expected). There is a thin dark beige head and an average level of carbonation can be seen in the clear body of the beer. The flavor seems a bit flat as not much is there except a moderately sweet, caramlized maltiness. Some very faint undertones of nuts, weak coffee, and maybe even some chocolate. Because the flavor isn’t really complex and lacks depth, the alcohol definitely creeps through to some extent. Additional nutty coffee flavor as well as some earthy bitterness come through as the beer warms. The body is medium and has a decent mouthfeel. Overall this would be pretty good if it were classified as a Brown Ale, but it is quite one dimensional for a Baltic Porter. Regardless, it is quite drinkable but not really a good representation of the intended style...

12 fl. oz. twist-off bottle from buckybeer. Thanks Mark! Rating #52 for this beer...

A medium-bodied and potent beer not for the faint of heart. Exceptionally well-balanced. A very deep red with a smallish head. Moderate carbonation. A pleasant, lingering finish.

12 ounce bottle from BBB63. Pours a dark ruby brown with a tan head. Aromas of roasted and salted nuts, a bit of chocolate and roast. Very dry aroma. Tastes good. Nutty again. Walnut maybe? Chocolaty and roasted with a fairly bitter finish. Medium/light body with average carbonation and it lingers a bit. I’ve been wanting this one for a while. Thanks Mike.

12oz, bonus via trade with BBB63, this is Mike’s trade night and so I wanted another beer and this is what it is. Pours dark borwnish amber with a tan head. Nose is malty and dry. Taste is sweet and malty and all in all a decent baltic, not amazing but drinkable.

(bottle) Pours dark ruby brown with an off-white head that leaves nice lacing in the snifter. Nice aroma of cherries, chocolate, honey, and toasted nuts. The flavor is nowhere near as good as the aroma would indicate, and it’s incredibly difficult to pinpoint exactly what’s there because the flavors are so brief. There’s a faint flavor of roasted malt, and a light honey sweetness. The mouthfeel is light to medium.

Date: 08/01/2008
Mode: Bottle
Source: Trade

Appearance: clear dark brown with ruby edges, wispy beige head, drops of lace,
Aroma: nutty chocolate aroma with a touch of smokey dry roast, sweet dark caramel comes in a second wave,
Flavor: rich caramel and chocolate flavor, touch of nutty character, touch of caramel sweetness brings out more of the chocolate, light earthyness helps to balance the sweetness and keep it somewhat dry,

Aroma: 6/10; Appearance: 6/10; Flavor: 6/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 12/20
Rating: 3/5.0
Drinkability: 7/10
Score: *4

Aroma is caramel, dull hops, and a little bit of a bock and chocolate-sweet aroma. Taste is sweet, alcoholic, chocolate, nuts, and astringent. Has a full mouth, but still comes off as uninspired and sourish. Not very good.