Koff Porter

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

Bottle, The Foodery in Philadelphia. Pours jet black with a tan foamy head. Little lacing, an extremely nice look. Has an aroma of espresso and coffee, maybe raisens and some chocolate. Has a charcoal taste at first which milds out with the roasted malt flavor. A nice vanilla finish which balanced the beer into different flavors. A sweet porter that goes down nicely even as I had it in the summer heat. I look forward to this again.

Pours black with a large, dark head. Excellent aroma of toffee, sweet maple, chocolate and...what the hell is that?...blueberry, I believe--a sweet blueberry not unlike the smell of Boo-Berry cereal. It works with the other aromas very well. Very nice toasted malt flavor with a lightly hoppy and alcoholic finish. I’m convinced that when Porters stay out of the realm of Stouts they are some of the best beers in the world. This one is nice and thin, with no overly-roasted flavors, but big enough to be (very) interesting. I could drink this all day. Incredible.

Bottled in 2000. Poured black with ruby highlights at the edges. Low in carbonation had to high pour to get a head. Aromas are fantastic, a deep rich coffee sweeteded with molasses, vanilla, and maple syrup. Some port character shine through with some fruit and winey notes. Flavor is enjoyable but disappointing after the aroma. A large amount of residual sweetness, though is somehow thin and slightly watery.

Bottle. Poured a thick black color with a creamy, chocolate milk like, brown head that left light lacing. The aroma is sweet malts, licorice and a nutty hint. The flavor found coffee and fruits upfront with a roast and chocolate after taste. Medium to full body that is sweet throughout.

Bottled. Black in colour. Rich brownhead, lacings. The aroma is sweet with burnt malt and licorice. The flavour is malty, burnt malt that is. There is a dry and bitterlike aftertaste.

Vintage 2000. A beauty, a darned beauty. Dark brown, blackish color, very nice head for this old of a beer at these alcohol levels. Aroma was of dried dark fruits, some licorice, light roasted tones. The flavor was complex, although less "rich" than I was expecting, very well attenuated, even somewhat dry. Light coffee, some chocolate, licorice, dried fruits, and some roasted accents. Nice hop touch to the finish, again, a dryness that kept this from feeling "thick," deceptively thin. Lingering bitterness along with a grainy mouthfeel, more paralleled with the schwarzbier style (like Kostritzer) than the other top Baltics I’ve had. A nice beer. Re-rate, February 07: Consistent experience, tan to chocolate colored head, perhaps a touch more hops noticeable in the finish, a fresher vintage, although I couldn’t tell what year it was by looking at the bottle. Very nice.

Black, darken, impenetrable and elegant aspect. Dark nut color, creamy and adherent head. Complex and balanced scent: notes of smoke, embers, roast wood and malt. Pungent but velvety taste, much soft and without excessive alcoholic notes. Pleasant bitter with smoke notes that remember burned wood and ash. A lot balanced, much soft and rich of smells. Thanks to mabjork for this great beer.

Bottled in 1997, bottle #3536. WOW! Now THIS is a nose! Big rich nose full of raisin, whisky, butter, and malt sweetness. Body is nearly opaque with a foamy film of bubbles. Taste-grape, medium bitterness, fig, light soy, very little chocolate and coffee, a good wallop of aroma hops on the tongue, cola, and an overall flatness. Very well done and well made. As I said with the FD gonzo, beers like this could easily make my favorite style Baltic Porters!