Baltic Trader
Green Jack Brewery / The Triangle Tavern

Formidable, almost a meal; a Russian Stout in all but name- 'Full bodied' doesn't begin to describe this ale. It doesn't drink it's strength either, which is a problem for the unwary who may have ordered a pint on handpump!

An absolute joy. Enjoyed at Cambridge Beerfest. 10.5% £3 I forget [:=)] for 1/3 or 1/2pt.

 

 

Bought a year and a half ago at a very good price ($6.50) ago aged. Fancy resealable bottle with a great label of a sailing ship was a draw too. It was not even added to BA until months after I bought it.

a: Mostly opaque brown black with clear ruby highlights at the bottom and along the sides when seen through light. Wonderful creamy nitro-look two inch thick tan head receded to thick even surface foam and patchy/dense lacing.

s; Caramel malt and alcohol. Smells like a brown ale. Soon some unusual sausagelike notes emerge briefly.

t: Follows the nose with a pretty strong hop bite/alcohol burn at the end which mellows a lot later. Bitterness lingers initially on the otherwise sweet to dry finish.

m: Medium to full, great body and considerable carbonation tingle.

o: I never sausage a stout. Not very roasty but just right for a brown. Given what others have reviewed here the age on this may have muted other flavors. Any way you slice it it's great, and overall the 10+ ABV is well taken care of. Just a wonderful sipper, maybe as an English brown it would be the best ever. As a stout, where you kind of expect roastiness and chocolate and/or coffee notes, not so much. I'll certainly be buying any more of this I can find. Unfortunately it appears the only issue of this in the States so far was the one bottled 10/18/13.

 

 

Pretty good imperial stout. Dark, boozy and luxurious.

 

 

 

A: The beer appears black when viewed from afar but upon closer inspection when held up to a light it is clear very dark red in color and has a slight amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a half finger high tan head that died down, leaving a short head covering the surface and lots of bubbles clinging to the sides of the glass.
S: Moderate aromas of chocolate, licorice, and dark fudge are present in the nose.
T: The taste follows the smell and is very chocolatey, with flavors of chocolate malts and fudge along with strong notes of licorice and slight hints of roasted malts and alcohol towards the finish.
M: It feels medium-bodied, very smooth, and slightly creamy on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation. It kind of feels a little like chocolate mousse or pudding.
O: This beer reminds me a lot like chocolate mousse. It's best quality is its velvety mouthfeel and it also has lots of nice chocolate aromas and flavors. Despite its strength, it isn't that difficult to drink because it doesn't feel too heavy on the palate and most of the alcohol is hidden from the taste.

Note: Batch #87, Bottled 10/18/13

Serving type: bottle

 

Poured from a 750 mL bottle into snifter. Batch 87 Bottled 181013.
A: Pours a very dark cola brown with 2 inch frothy light tan head with good retention and decent lacing. Very nice for style. (4.5)
S: Roasted caramel malt, chocolate, charred wood, brown sugar, vanilla, tobacco, leather, and a nutty note. Excellent complexity. (4.5)
T: Dark roast caramel malt, dry/bitter chocolate, leather, hint of tobacco, burnt sugar, nuttiness, and a hint of cream. Doesn't mirror aroma, but doesn't have to. (4.5)
M: Light medium body...drinks lighter than the ABV. Soft and sweet mixed with heavier and harsher notes (roast malt, char, burnt sugar, leather, tobacco, etc.) produces a nice balance. (4.5)
D: An excellent offering especially as a winter sipper...seek it out! Good complexity and drinks much easier than the 10.5% ABV. (4.5)

12/18/16:
Poured from a 750 mL bottle into snifter. Batch 87 Bottled 181013 (same as above).
A: Pours a nice dark cola brown with nearly a 1 inch tan head with good retention. (4.5)
S: Dark dried fruit (especially raisin) and some spice (cinnamon). Hint of vanilla and wood. (3.5)
T: Soft charred wood, vanilla, smooth dark chocolate, dark dried fruit, fig, and hints of sweet tobacco, coffee with cream, and leather. Doesn't follow aroma...and I'm glad it didn't! (4.5)
M: Light-medium body, drinking much lighter than ABV. Darkly sweet and quite smooth. Decent lingering and maturing on the palate too. (3.75)
D: This has definitely changed with aging...some to the detriment and some not. The aroma and mouthfeel have suffered, but the appearance and taste haven't. The taste has definitely changed, but not diminished in quality. Still a solid brew, but not sure how much longer I would age this one. If you have any left from this batch, I'd drink up. (4)

I don't know what an "export" stout is, but this tastes like one hell of a imperial stout. It looks like an awesome beer when you pout it in the glass. Dark as night with a big ole head. Smells like chocolate and alcohol.

MALTY flavor, minimal bitterness. Overall a great beer for a cold winter night.