Smuttynose Baltic Porter

Brewed by Smuttynose Brewing Company
Style: Baltic Porter
Portsmouth, New Hampshire USA

22oz, Bottle Conditioned in 2008 thanks to notalush, thanks! Deep brown pour--black in the glass--with a 1/2 finger tan head, fading to a thick ring and film. Coffee, raisins, tar, chocolate, vanilla, and a hint of soy in the aroma--sorry to list, but this was a big conglomeration of the above, with maybe a hint of piney hops--quite tasty. Flavor continued with most of everything and some light flower petals. Not too sweet, and not overly bitter--though it does lean a bit towards the sweet side. A little more ash in the finish than I would’ve liked--still a little piney and dry, with a bit of alcohol noted. Full body with moderate carbonation. An excellent beer, that I would compare to Ruby Black

Thanks iowaherkeye for sharing. The body was black with an orange brown head. The aroma was chocolate chip pancakes with some massive malt. A little bit of rasins also come into play. The taste was chocolate and malt with some roasted nuts. This had a nice and thick body. Definitely a sipper, but solidly made.

22oz. Bottle. 2008 batch. Baltic porter is a great style of beer that isn’t seen too often and this is a good one. The beer pours an opaque black with a very thin tan head. The head doesn’t last long, but the carbonation is just about perfect, a few bubbles remain on the tongue in the finish. The beer smells of chocolate and coffee with the flavors being similar, but with a slightly burnt quality. Tastes like this beer has an impressive grain bill with substantial quantities of chocolate malt. The mouthfeel is rich, but not syrupy. Piney hops are noticeable and create a sharp bitterness that blends well with the espresso characteristics of the beer. This brew finishes dry and leaves a lingering bitterness. One of the better brews from the Smuttynose "Big Beer" series.

Tasting at Ezra’s house--Poured a deep dark body with a tan head. lots of creamy oats in the nose and in the flavor. Some roasted toasted coffee and bitter hops. Big, thick, and creamy like I like ’em!

Bomber. Pours thick and black with a smallish dark brown head. Aroma of coffee, chocolate, dates, and sweet roasted malt. Flavor is of roasted malt, with hints of cocoa, mocha, bitter espresso, alcohol, and some piney hops to round out the finish. Leaves a tart/tangy feeling along the sides of the tongue. Thick and creamy, very smooth, and delicious.

22 oz. bottle purchased at Capone’s in Norristown, PA. Bottle Conditioned in 2008 according to the label. Pour is opaque black, with a dense 2 inch tan head. Small (audible) carbonation bubbles rise to the surface of the head as it settles. Nice lacing left behind as the head fell slowly. Aroma of roasted coffee grounds, tobacco and some faint pine hoppiness. Taste represents the nose well, though the pine hoppiness is much more pronounced, with a decided bitterness to it. The start is sharp malted barley roastiness, the middle reveals the earthy smoky tobacco, and the finish is the crisp and bitter hops. As it warms, a bit of dark chocolate sweetness is picked up. Also some licorice. The palate is medium, which works well to position this beer as a Baltic Porter. Overall, this was a tasty, complex, easy to drink brew.

22oz bomber. Deep black color with a moderate beige head. Classic dark sugary sweet alcohol aroma. The taste is full, rich, and malty. Lots of chocolate and roasted malt flavors. The body is full but creamy. This is really one of the best Baltic Porters you’ll find, with all the classic Eastern European characteristics built onto a solid quality grain bill. Top notch.

Courtesy of CigarCityBrew. Pours deep darkness with thin mocha head. The aroma is dark roasted malts to burnt malts and toastiness moving toward coffee. The aroma is a bit mild but nice. I get a creamy mouth feel that ushers in burnt and dark roasted malts as well as rich roasty to chocolate malts backed up by sweet molasses. It seems to taste a lot like a bold flavored stout rather than the style stated on the label. Still very nice.