Barrel-Aged Baltic Porter
Milwaukee Brewing Company

Barrel-Aged Baltic PorterBarrel-Aged Baltic Porter
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From:
Milwaukee Brewing Company
 
Wisconsin, United States
Style:
Baltic Porter
ABV:
7%
Score:
81
Avg:
3.41 | pDev: 15.54%
Ratings:
20 | reviews: 11
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Oct 22, 2015
Added:
May 24, 2008
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  1
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
 
Rated: 3.52 by adamranders from Wisconsin

Oct 22, 2015
 
Rated: 3.5 by LoudRed from Massachusetts

May 17, 2015
 
Rated: 3.74 by speedvagen from Ohio

Apr 03, 2015
 
Rated: 3 by briiguy from Illinois

Aug 22, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by Giesch from California

May 13, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by cmwilliq from Wisconsin

Jan 23, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by wakajawaka76 from Illinois

May 30, 2012
 
Rated: 4.5 by CWhite from Wisconsin

Apr 20, 2012
 
Rated: 3 by I2uss from Minnesota

Nov 18, 2011
Photo of 4DAloveofSTOUT
Reviewed by 4DAloveofSTOUT from Illinois

2.45/5  rDev -28.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5
poured into a tulip glass.

Appearance: Dark brown bodied beer with a tan head. not much lacing noted.

Smell: oak and nutty notes. Cocoa.

Taste: moderate malt profile that tastes similiar to a brown ale. Its fruity, nutty, and has a mild astringency noted. Not much barrel notes going on in this beer. I get a sour taste from this beer too.

Mouthfeel: On the light end of a medium bodied beer. Carbonation is moderate.

Overall: Its just an out of place beer, not even close to a baltic porter style. Reminds me of an infected brown ale.
Aug 22, 2011
Photo of Duff27
Reviewed by Duff27 from Illinois

3.63/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
A- Fizzy off white one inch head. Clear, dark ruby red/brown beer. Above average head retention and lacing.

S- Bread like qualities but also faint cherries.

T- Deep dark malts. Somewhat chocolatey and nutty. 7% alcohol is well hidden.

M- Light on the palate.

D/O- Goes down very easy, especially given the ABV. I don't get the "barrel-aged" portion of the label description but whatever. This is the best Milwaukee Ale House offering I have had thus far, too bad it's not made anymore.
Jun 05, 2011
Photo of feloniousmonk
Reviewed by feloniousmonk from Minnesota

2.89/5  rDev -15.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2
Another one brought back from dairyland, and my first from this brewery.

Milwaukee Brewing Company, Baltic Porter, Barrel-aged Lager

Murky brown body, considerable floating particles…how'd they get in there, what are they doing? slim head, starts big, gets down to nothing', a dull brown.

Aroma, smoky and oaky. Even-tempered, malty, hints of cocoa.

Taste: Chocolatey, smokey malt, little hints of fruit. Carbonation is brisk, and the flavor is turning slightly sour. I'm not sure what I think of this one. Flavor isn't winning me over, it's lacking…something. I want to like it, I wish I did, really, just not doing anything for me.

I conferred with opinions on BeerAdvocate, and I'm not alone in down-thumbing this one. Hopefully my next experiences with Milwaukee are better.
May 24, 2011
Photo of Bulkman
Reviewed by Bulkman from Minnesota

2.08/5  rDev -39%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2
12 oz pour into my New Belgium snifter with an off white head. Dark red in color when held to the light. Very little aroma to speak of, just some charred wood & almost a pungent sour odor. Normally I like the subtle sour smell of Baltic Porters, but this isn't subtle & it isn't working for me. Taste is more of the same, but amplified. None of the vanilla flavor you might expect from a beer labeled as barrel aged is present. Mouthfeel is thin, and overall, this beer is a disappointment. I used to live in Milwaukee, so the homer in me really wanted to like this beer, but I can't say that I'll try it again.
Mar 26, 2011
Photo of BarrytheBear
Reviewed by BarrytheBear from Wisconsin

3.43/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
12 oz bottle purchased as a single. Must be getting old as I was excited to see this never seen before beer, only to remember once I got home that I had this on tap two weeks ago. Ah, good times.

Dark brown with an off white froth and plenty of amoeba cling

Smells of fruity esters, raisin, plum, and smoke

Tastes are certainly foreshadowed by the smell here. Smoke and char on the back leave a mildly bitter finish that couples with the light fruity yeast presence. Honestly cannot pull any barrel presence here.

Wish this was a bit bolder and snappier. Mouthfeel is light and creamy. A respectable effort that could use a tweak.
Mar 03, 2011
Photo of BeerFMAndy
Reviewed by BeerFMAndy from Wisconsin

3.29/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
12 oz bottle poured into a snifter. No date or info. "Barrel-Aged"

A - Clear but very dark brown, almost black, with a beautiful off-white head. The dense dollop of cream-like foam rested gently on the surface and lingered for a while before leaving little bits of lace.

S - Cold and slightly metallic, Milwaukee Brewing Co.'s Baltic Porter has low notes of roasted malt bringing with it hints of bitter chocolate and cocoa with coffee. Interestingly, it smells more like an ale with the fruity, yeast ester-like notes which are stronger than the typical Baltic porter aromas present. Very slight hops too.

T - This is much more ale-like in taste too. Fruity notes come out again, imparting prune and fig. Coffee is the main bi-product of really roasted malts followed by a little bit of semi-sweet chocolate. No barrel aging is apparent until it warms up a bit then barely pokes through.

M - Full-bodied and rich with a mild dry and very slightly roasted-bitter finish. Smooth on the palate and moderately soft with a small alcohol warmth on the finish.

D - This is a fair presentation of a Baltic porter from Milwaukee but it's leaning towards an ale isn't true to style. This brew needs to be more crisp and cleanly presented. A good mouthfeel and great appearance though.
Aug 16, 2010
Photo of katan
Reviewed by katan from Colorado

3.66/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
12 oz into a pint

A - Pours a fairly opaque brown color. Light spots around the edges. Head formation is light, breaks down to a film. Mocha in color.

S - Light amounts of bourbon leads the beer, followed by hints of coffee and toffee, perhaps some caramel. Bourbon has become stronger since the first one of these I had.

T - Starts off with a light bourbon note, which then is immediately complimented by some strong caramel, vanilla, and some oak notes. Mid-stream is on the sweeter side, no hopping. Finishes with a very potent bourbon note - smooth but yet grainy.

M - Moderate body - lightly clinging, cloying, carbonation is very light. Finishes with a sweet sugary texture.

D - Moderate to easy drinking. For a bourbon aged beer, I find the flavors to be well integrated. ABV is fairly potent, but manageable.

As noted, not an over the top barrel beer, but for the price it aint bad.
Jul 17, 2010
Photo of tpd975
Reviewed by tpd975 from Florida

3.72/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Another one courtesy of the man known as SeaBass

A: Pours a lighter shade of nutty brown. Small tan head. Little retention and no lace.

S: Aromas of sweet candy malt, dark sour fruit, and chocolate.

T: Nice malty sweetness. Mostly caramel with light molasses notes. Vanilla is there (from the barrel?) with light notes of chocolate and dark fruit. No oak to indicate this one spent any time in a barrel.

M: On the lighter side of body, very light for anything you usually find in a barrel.

D: Good, nice little sweet treat.
May 02, 2010
Photo of homebrew311
Reviewed by homebrew311 from Illinois

3.42/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
A: pours a very light brown with lots of clarity, 2 finger white head on pour, dissipates to about 1 cm, leaves dense bubbles around glass. Much lighter than any baltic porter I've seen before

S: the nose provides notes of chocolate and roasted barley followed by faint hints of oak and bourbon, the nose is quite subdued, I let this warm up a bit and still had trouble picking out many flavor in the smell

T: like the nose, everything on the palate is mild. There is a nice bit of chocolate and smoke character, a touch of molasses, lots of flavors that I associate with Baltic Porters, but something about it just seems watered down. This beer advertises itself as barrel aged for a month in bourbon barrels, the lack of time really shows in the final product as there is hardly any bourbon to be found. This beer isn't bad, but it leaves me begging for more flavor

MF: thin mouthfeel with high carbonation

D: the beer is nicely balanced and it makes for a quaffable brew, however, I feel that the end result falls short of what the label promises- a barrel aged baltic porter... this seems more like a regular porter with a *hint* of bourbon character
Mar 24, 2010
Photo of cokes
Reviewed by cokes from Wisconsin

3.53/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Translucent dark chestnut brown with a whipped topping of khaki suds that retains and laces fairly well.
It brings mocha notes and campfire smoke into the nostrils with minor traces of vinous fruity alcohol. It smells fine, but lacks a bit in both depth and breadth.
The same is said for the taste. It's plenty pleasing with its lightly acrid coffee grounds, sweet raisins, and burnt breadiness, and low level smokiness. But there is nothing in between. No development over time (except if you drink this cold, the flavor is even weaker).
Medium bodied once the rabid upfront carbonation settles down. It's drinkable in a Schwarzbier sense, and is probably better considered as such. The label states "Baltic Porter Barrel-aged Lager " and is decorated graphically like an oak barrel. I'm guessing that "barrel aged" is a nod to it's lagered-ness, since no actual oak traits appear (but if you try hard enough, some Bourbon elements show up at the verrry end, once it's at room temp...and 3 or so are down the hatch already...And if I was going to drink another, I might just believe...).
I'm discounting that as interference, and stating that it's label is a bit misleading.
Mar 02, 2010
Photo of dirtylou
Reviewed by dirtylou from Oklahoma

3.65/5  rDev +7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
pint, on tap at the ale house a few weeks ago in between stops at the art museum and the flight of the conchords gig. this was one of the specialty taps at the time

cell phone notes

appearance: dark mahogany body with no head

smell: raisin/prune, earthy, chocolate malts

taste: earthy, gummy, raisins/prunes/dates, dark malts...a pretty decent baltic porter i suppose - probably the best of the 3 beers i had
May 24, 2008