Danzig Baltic Porter
Devils Backbone Brewing Company

Danzig Baltic PorterDanzig Baltic Porter
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From:
Devils Backbone Brewing Company
 
Virginia, United States
Style:
Baltic Porter
Ranked #144
ABV:
8%
Score:
88
Ranked #19,056
Avg:
3.93 | pDev: 8.91%
Ratings:
210 | reviews: 67
Status:
Active
Rated:
Feb 25, 2026
Added:
Sep 22, 2009
Wants:
  13
Gots:
  48
Danzig, which we named after a Baltic Sea town, isn’t for the faint of heart… or mouth. It’s a well-balanced, full-bodied blend of a strong English porter and a Germanic black lager, making it smooth with a sneaky high ABV. The intense mix of malts and hops provides flavors of chocolate, coffee, and caramelized sugar. No wonder it won Bronze at the World Beer Cup 2018. It’s full-on! Hence the lightning bolt on the pack.

Malts: Pilsner, Vienna, Dark Munich, Carafa II, CaraRed, Brown Malt, Chocolate Malt
Hops: Northern Brewer, Tettnang
IBU: 28
COLOR: Black
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Roguer:
Photo of Roguer
Reviewed by Roguer from Connecticut

4.05/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Excellent head production. Very nice retention, as well. Body is a deep, dark brown, almost black, with hints of purple.

Lovely aroma, roasty and toasty. Tones of espresso, caramel, toffee, dark fruit, bitter chocolate, and cola. Rich.

Smooth and creamy on the palate; full bodied, more like a heavy milk stout than any Baltic Porter I've had at near this ABV.

Lots of toasted barley. Notes of cream, prunes, light toast, caramel, coffee, and toffee predominate. Lesser notes of very light noble hops, chocolate, fruit bread, and banana. Low char and moderately low bitterness.
Nov 01, 2020
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3 by Arble_Garble_Sr from Virginia

Feb 25, 2026
Photo of milkshakebeersucks
Reviewed by milkshakebeersucks from Maryland

3.94/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Dark body not letting any light escape. Fairly large tan head left good lacing. Earthy aroma supported by the roasted malt base. Some faint notes of dark chocolate. Moderately bittersweet taste brings the roasted malts together with caramel, dark fruit and walnuts. Hops add a woodsy, herbal edge. Smooth, creamy, full bodied mouthfeel.
Feb 09, 2026
Photo of damndirtyape
Reviewed by damndirtyape from Ohio

3.8/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
On tap at the Devil’s Backbone brewery and outpost in Lexington, VA. Served in a Tulip glass.

Appearance: Very dark brown approaching black. No real head or lacing at all.

Smell: Roasty, a little smoky with some dark chocolate notes.

Taste: Bitter roast up front, cocoa powder, a wee bit of caramel sweetness.

Mouthfeel: Nicely thick, but little to no carbonation. A little stick on the teeth. Dry finish.

Overall / Drinkability: While the higher ABV is well hidden, this beer comes across more like a stout than a Baltic Porter. It went well with food (meat loaf in this case), but I didn’t quite feel it hit the style right. While more than the sum of its parts, and I enjoyed it, it’s more of imperial stout in my opinion.
Mar 23, 2025
Photo of brentk56
Reviewed by brentk56 from North Carolina

3.8/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Appearance: Pours coffee colore with a fizzy beige head that quickly fades away; leggy with some splotches of lace

Smell: Roasted malt, chocolate, plum and coffee

Taste: Roasted malt and plum flavors forward with some chocolate and coffee tones developing; the flavors fade a bit heading into the finish

Mouthfeel: Medium to full body with low to moderate carbonation

Overall: Best by 6/28/21 so not the freshest but the carbonation issues and the flavor should have held up a bit better than this; not unpleasant, however
Feb 17, 2022
 
Rated: 4.18 by BeerForMuscle from New Jersey

Sep 12, 2021
 
Rated: 3.98 by Taenim from Maine

Apr 19, 2021
 
Rated: 3.94 by StoutAtTheDevil from Alabama

Apr 02, 2021
 
Rated: 4.38 by hoppyhoppy from Pennsylvania

Mar 21, 2021
Photo of mvanaskie13
Reviewed by mvanaskie13 from Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured into a narrow pint glass: color is very dark brown, head is light tan and presents 1 finger thick and dissipates to thin top with some spotty lacing on the glass.

Smell is dark fruit (raisins), light chocolate, lighter roasted malt.

Taste is lighter than anticipated with light dark fruits, dark chocolate, light roasted malt, light nuttiness, light caramel, limited hop note and not much booziness.

Mouthfeel is pretty smooth - low/moderate carbonation, moderate sweetness and bitter chocolate, slightly drying.

Overall a smooth baltic porter with some thinner flavors than others but pleasant dark fruit notes and bitter chocolate.
Mar 10, 2021
Photo of rudiecantfail
Reviewed by rudiecantfail from Pennsylvania

3.85/5  rDev -2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
12 ounce bottle poured into a Duvel tulip glass.

L---Darkest, impenetrable brown color. Meaty, light brown head with good retention. Very good lacing.

S---Fairly light aroma. Roasted malts. Coffee is stronger and chocolate is lighter.

T---Stronger than the nose, but the same notes. Coffee, roasted malts and chocolate.

F---Thinner than expected, maybe medium minus. Carbonation is fairly light.

O---It's hit or miss. Some aspects are very good, some are below par.
Feb 15, 2021
 
Rated: 3.93 by ItsBeer4Me from Pennsylvania

Feb 07, 2021
Photo of tradershmulie
Reviewed by tradershmulie from Connecticut

3.75/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Very solid beer. Not exceptional.

Light brown head. Deep deep brown body.

Very smooth taste. Nice high abv that you totally cannot taste.

Overall very good.
Dec 31, 2020
 
Rated: 4.32 by gunguy45 from Pennsylvania

Dec 26, 2020
Photo of jkblr
Reviewed by jkblr from Indiana

3.91/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
12oz bottle BEST BY 07.02.21 poured into a tulip pint glass at fridge temp 8% ABV 28 IBU. The beer pours bright, dark brown in color with rusty tan colored head. The head recedes to a thin cap. Minimal lacing. The aroma is mild with roasted malt and subtle hints of chocolate and coffee. The taste is semisweet, tangy roasted malt with hints of caramel and chocolate. Earthy hops enter on a mildly bitter finish. The mouthfeel is medium to thin bodied with average carbonation and a mostly dry finish. Overall, very good.
Nov 28, 2020
 
Rated: 4.21 by Curt3 from Ohio

Oct 06, 2020
 
Rated: 4.1 by RyanPollie from California

Oct 03, 2020
Photo of lastmango
Reviewed by lastmango from Pennsylvania

4.17/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
Poured pitch black with a one finger tan fizzy head. No lacing. Nose of molasses, toffee and coffee. Sweet roasted malt, dark chocolate, coffee and toffee flavors. Very Nice! Moderate thin mouthfeel with light carbonation. Booze sneaks up on you as if it were an 11 ABV. This is a great Baltic and I would buy again.
Mar 21, 2020
 
Rated: 3.75 by BeerDreadz from Florida

Feb 27, 2020
Photo of paging12
Reviewed by paging12 from Virginia

4.12/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
Hints of raspberry, toffee, coffee on the nose. Smoky, charred coals from the winter fire pit.

Great look. Rich, dark black. Like a nitro cold coffee pour. Thick foamy brown head on the pour dissipates to a lacing that covers the top constantly.

Sweet malty on the tongue, like dense chocolate liqueur cake.

Sparkly on the mouth, sticky sweet lacing.

Good beer. I like this. Good solid winter beer.
Feb 08, 2020