Koff Porter

Brewed by Sinebrychoff (Carlsberg)
Style: Baltic Porter
Kerava, Finland

Rating #1400.

(Part 1) Black in colour, tan coloured head, okay retention, some lacing. The aroma has lots of chocolate, quite sweet, some liquorice, good amount of roast. The flavour is of light chocolate, cold coffee, some anise, very light roast, some sweetness. Thin mouthfeel, thin body, mild carbonation. Finishes a little thin, very light bitterness, on the watery side. 7 years old and showing its age. 9/4/7/3/13
330ml bottle from the <a href=http://www.ratebeer.com/Place/new-york target=blank>Premier Gourmet in Buffalo, New York, opened on January 5, 2007
Vintage 2000.

(Part 2) Black in colour, beige coloured head, better retention, some lacing. The aroma is very rich and sweet, lots of chocolate, some cake, cookies and toffee. The flavour is again a bit light, good roasted bitterness, dark chocolate, coffee, sugary. Watery thin mouthfeel, medium/light body, medium carbonation. Finishes sweet and lingering. Although a bit better then the 2000, this is still quite thin. 9/4/7/3/14
330ml bottle from the <a href=http://www.ratebeer.com/Place/new-york target=blank>Premier Gourmet in Buffalo, New York, opened on January 5, 2007
Vintage 1999.

(Part 3) Black in colour, beige coloured head - best head retention of the 3 vintages that I tried, some lacing. The aroma is again quite rich, lots of chocolate sweetness, some roast. The flavour is light, small roast, liquorice, dark chocolate. The watery mouthfeel continues with this vintage, medium body, medium carbonation. Finishes light, watery with just a small roasted maltiness. The weakest of the bunch, lacking lots of body. 9/4/7/3/13
330ml bottle from the <a href=http://www.ratebeer.com/Place/new-york target=blank>Premier Gourmet in Buffalo, New York, opened on January 5, 2007
Vintage 1998.

All three of these smelled awesome, I would love to try a fresher sample.

Pours a crude oil black with a large, rocky, dark mocha head. Quite beautiful. The aroma is huge and complex; you can smell this beer a foot away from the glass. Heavy roasted malts, chocolate, toffee, raisins, plums and vanilla all delight the olfactory system. The only thing that kept this one from being a "10" is an odd, light soy sauce note in the background. The mouthfeel is fairly full-bodied, oily, moderately carbonated and lightly bitter at the finish. The flavor, while not quite the sensory overload that the nose presents, is quite satisfying. Sweet roasted malts, plum, raisin, vanilla and coffee notes conclude in a lightly dry finish. This is a remarkable beer.

totally unremarkable beer... when its cold. left it alone for a hour then came back to ....wow! it really opens up at room temperature. sweet malty molasses aroma. flavor is a complex mess of coffee, soy sauce, malt and dried figs. nice dry mildly bitter finish. lingering after taste of good black coffee.

The store I purchased this from (Green’s on Buford Hwy) has this listed as being from 2003. Appearance: Pours out a thick, opaque black body with a brown-colored head. Smell: Mmm! Wouldn’t you like to know. Loads of sweet, luscious treats in the nose - dark chocolate, raisins, reduced-sodium soy sauce, molasses, coffee beans, and chimney soot. Taste: While the aroma alluded to a sweeter taste, the flavor is mostly dry, with semi-sweet chocolate maltiness that comes across as being practically fudgelike. Some hints of coffee and licorice, too. A balanced, somewhat acidic bitterness makes for a quick finish. Mouthfeel: Medium-full body, with a dense, oily texture. Medium carbonation. Drinkability: Well folks, its a good beer! You don’t want to miss it. It’s the chimney soot that does it.

Rated at the Pewaukee Tasting II 5/5/07. 2000 vintage courtesy of Murray. Appearance – Seriously black, tan head Aroma: Deep prunes, plums, vinous, vanilla. Flavor – Fruity, dark malts, very dry Palate – medium bodied

11.2oz. Bottle $2.96 Sam’s Downers Grove Sinebrychoff Porter pours the deepest of browns. Mahogany highlights shine through only when held to the light. A 1 finger creamy tan head formed on the pour and left patchy lacing as it slowly receded. Leaves more lacing after each sip. Very nice looking beer. The aroma is big and heavy. Molasses and dark fruits take center stage. The fruit in the form of figs and black cherries. Slightly doughy with a nice helping of bittersweet chocolate. Slight hint of frothed milk as it warms. Flavor is identical to the aroma but the flavors are more subtle and blend seamlessly. There’s a very mild, soft metallic twang on the finish along with just a hint of coffee grounds. Good porter. The mouthfeel is top notch on this beer. It’s creamy and super smooth up front and gets frothy on the swallow. Zero hint of alcohol. The drinkability for such a big porter is very good. Subtle well balanced flavors and the absence of alcohol in flavor and heat make this beer an easy one to put away. A good Baltic porter I’ve been wanting to try for awhile now. Glad I finally did. I’ll be picking up more of these in the future. 4/25/07

33 cl bottle. Sugary impy stout smell upon opening. Pours a thick brown under an inch-high brown foam. First impression I get in tasting is its hops, a rare thing for a porter. But there they are, noble as Edward Tudor yet crude as Tom Canty. Backed up with plenty of molasses and fusels. It also reminds me of my very first Guinness all those years ago. Roasted graininess and wood burls, a little apricot and prune in the finish. Way too easy drinking for something this powerful!

Dark black-brown, opaque appearance, with a small but very dark brown head. Absolutely beautiful. Aroma of prunes and blackstrap molasses. The flavor is rich and roasty with blackstrap molasses. What a fine porter indeed!