Grumpy Troll Amnesia Baltic Porter

Brewed by Grumpy Troll Brewery, Restaurant and Pizzeria
Style: Baltic Porter
Mount Horeb, Wisconsin USA

22oz bottle from the brewery: Pours a nearly opaque dark mahogany black with a thin, clingy-laciing light tan head. Aroma of sweet dark caramel with some burnt roasty notes and a touch of raisins and plums. Body starts with a decent fullness and carbonation with some sweet dark caramel and roasted malt flavors along with a touch of earthy bitterness and dark fruits before a slightly burnt bittersweet roasty finish. Could be a little smoother without the burnt notes, but still pretty drinkable.

GTMW 2008: Deep brown with mahogany highlights topped by small head. The aroma has notes of plum and fig esters, chocolate, walnut, rye bread, and herbal hops. The taste starts with acidic fruit and chocolate. Supported by some bitterness of hops and coffee. The mouth feel is thin yet oily. An okay brew but not much else.

Date: 08/08/2008
Mode: Draft
Source: Brewpub

Appearance: black, wispy beige head,
Aroma: rich dry dark chocolate aroma,
Flavor: rich chocolate flavor, lots of earthyness keeps it dry, light bitter finish,

Aroma: 7/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 7/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 13/20
Rating: 3.4/5.0
Drinkability: 7/10
Score: **+/4

Very dark brown, blackish with a beige head that quickly recedes to a ring around the glass. Nice smell of cocoa, coffee cream, roasted barley, and ash. Taste is very roasty; has some ash, maybe a hint of smoke, and bitter chocolate. Light body and fairly high carbonation. I thought I remembered this one to be a bit better, but it’s still pretty decent.

GTMW 2008. Pours to a dark mahogany/brown body with a tan head. The aroma is watery coffee. Pretty light. The flavor was watery coffee and sweet barley. Average palate. Meh, this is "world class and award winning?"

Great Taste of the Midwest 2008

After trying the barrel aged baltic porter last year at Grumpy Troll I had high hopes for this. I’m not sure if it is a different recipe or the base beer was improved that much by aging but whatever the cause it was somewhat of a letdown. Probably one of the lowest rated beers that I tried on the day I’m glad I didn’t make the drive out to Mount Horeb just to be disappointed.

Aroma / Appearance - A mild black body was thinner than I expected from even an average baltic porter. Some more density could improve it. Smoke, earth and hints of sweetness implied that it could have done much more. Way too light it needs more punch.

Flavor / Palate - Thin bodied and dry there were only hints of the things that make baltic porters such a great style. Smoke, coffee and a vague sweetness were not cohesive at all. Needed more depth to be complete I found nothing offensive yet nothing different either. This is one to try towards the end if you happen to be at the brewpub.

On tap at GTMW. Poured deep brown with a short dusting of tan head. The aroma was weak with toasty black malts including some darker chocolates.. just not much going on. The flavor was on the dry side with burnt chocolate and other dark malts.. light coffee bitterness emerged with warmth and extended through the finish.. OK. Medium-bodied and well-roasted on the palate.. just didn’t do a whole lot for me.

Sampled on draught at the GTMW ’08. Pours an near opaque dark brown brew with a thin tan head that has some nice retention and spotty lacing. Aroma of toasted dark malt, dark chocolate, some light coffee and dark pitted fruits. Taste is medium bodied, lightly carbonated with flavors of toasted dark malt, some coffee, light fruit and chocolate. Finish is a little light but a good balance of malt and coffee/chocolate aftertaste but disappears very quickly. A little let down from all the hype of this Baltic porter but still enjoyable.