Raccoon Lodge Barrel Aged Baltic Porter

Brewed by Cascade Brewing @ Raccoon Lodge
Style: Baltic Porter
Portland, Oregon USA

22oz bottle acquired in trade with riversideAK (thanks!). Poured a deeper brown color with a large sized off white head. Aromas of some lighter woodiness, chocolate, nutty, and some dark fruits. Tastes of dark fruits, black cherries, oaky woodiness, and I’m getting some of the wine. Had a tart finish that I really liked. I’m surprised by the lower ratings.

Aroma of peppery vanilla and maple, rich and creamy with a punchy and spicy bite. Cardamom and rye flavors abound in a massively thick and strong porter which fits the style well. Lingering spiced rye finish, and a pleasent deep black appearance.

Dark brown, tawny, mahogany. Light head, dissipated by the time I got to it on this sampler. The aroma has a nice bit of fresh hops blended with the alcohol. Note the lack of strong smoke/roast in the aroma. The flavor chews thick here & coats the mouth. The alcohol is definately felt & tasted. Good flavors, lots of alcohol. There's not too much complexity to this baltic, I do enjoy it though.

Draft at Raccoon Lodge. Pours a dark brown almost black color with a small off-white head. Has a roasted malty chocolate aroma with some oaky vanilla hints. Slightly sourish roasted malty chocolate flavor with some woody hints. Roasted malty chocolate finish with lots of woody flavors in the aftertaste.

Draft at the brewpub. Strong aroma of asphaltic properties (fits the style in my view). Brown/black color with a tan head. Flavor is rather old fashioned flavor like linoleum paste used to smell (this is not necessarily a bad thing). Flavor is hint of sour with grassy or floral hop and a lot of dark roasted malt. It’s a strong bugger (9.4 on the tap handle). The finish has a lot of coffee which was not noticed at the start. Overall it fits the style.

Thanks Beastiefan2k. Poured a very dark brown color with a tan head. Light sweet malt aroma with hints of spice and some alcohol. Sweet malt flavor with a tartness and taste of cola. Lively carbonation in the mouth. Medium bodied.

Sampled on tap at the brewery during ABA Beer Tour ’07. Pours a near opaque dark brown brew with a thick and creamy off-white head. Aroma of dark caramel malt, toffee, vanilla and a touch of maple syrup. Not much hop scent in this beverage. Taste is highly carbonated, medium to full bodied, with flavors of chocolate, dark pitted fruit and a touch of tawny port. Finish has a high octane alcohol texture, sweet and then a good bitter and sweet aftertaste. One of Raccoon Lodge’s impressive brews.

Thanks to beastiefan2k for sharing Pours a really deep coppery woody brown with a nice lasting thin head. Aroma is off, stale high aloha hops that are perhaps old, along with some high fusel sovents and some alcohol presence some light nutty caramel sweetness, sugary almost, with an herbal tea like quality. Flavor is medicinal, phenolic, light rubber, solvents, harsh old hops, bitter and astringent with little oak character.