Zok's Baltic Porter
Watch City Brewing Co.

Listed ABV here is 7.2%, though the bar tent-card had it as over 8%.... Had a 20oz mug of Zoks, courtesy of JohnnyP talking our biertender into letting me use some other Mug-Club members mug... Thnx JP, and to the owner of Mug #9....

Pours deep, dark brown, nearly black in appearance. Needless to say, 'twas opaque, save for some glimmers of color near the edge of the mug. Head was creamy and tan, yet thin. Still, it lasted well and left some decent lacing. Nose was heavy on the roastiness yet still had some floral hop oomph coming through. The one thing I found to be lacking here was the body. Smoothness on the tongue was A-Ok, but the body itself was a bit on the thinner side of medium. I'd expect more from something in this class of bier.

Taste, like the aroma, is quite roasty. Also brings forth a nice malty sweetness which coats the mouth nicely. The roasty quality really stands out, with a sustained bitterness and a sort of "charred" aspect to it. Floral hops are also quite prominent, with a somewhat "sourish" character hitting the palate. That aspect brought me immediate comparisons to Guinness Foreign Extra Stout... Any evidence of a higher ABV was very well hidden...
Overall, quite good, though the lack of more body still weighed somewhat negatively....

Prosit!!

overall: 3.95
appearance: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | mouthfeel: 3.5 | drinkability: 4

922

Picked up some brewing supplies with this one on 5/31/2006. Looks like a 12-oz goblet pour.

Nice, mocha cream 1/2-inch head settles to a ring of coffee-tinged halo and a spray of sheeting; fairly nice lacing going through. Pitch black hue - not much else to be said. Chalky caramel, chocolate sweetness and some smoked cedar on nose. Very light on the mouth - wanted more, but otherwise the smoky character hits the tongue first followed in order by malty root beer barrels, black licorice (with a touch of annise), and finally some coffee notes.

Pretty good, though somewhat lacking in the Baltic department.

It pours a roofing tar color with a fast fading tan head and some lace.
The aroma is thick with roasted malt. Smells of smoke, coffee, chocolate, licorice and alcohol are all quite potent. A sweet smoky malt flavor mingles with espresso, licorice and honey. The hops reveal a bit of grapefruit and peppery spices. The warming alcohol is quite noticeable. This tasty porter reminds me a little of Sinebrychoff, only Zok is quite a bit sweeter and lacks the sharp-edged flavors of its Finnish cousin.

Winner of the Brewmasters Choice as best in show at the 2003 Boston homebrewers competition - brewed at WCBC by Paul Zocco.

Pours a deep black from which no light can escape. The head is small and brown, and laces nicely. Aroma is huge, with dark roasted malts, some dark fruitiness, a hint of chocolate, and some anise. Flavor is equally large, coffee, dark fruits, cherry, some anice, and a good spicy finish. Body is as full as full can be, slight bits of alcohol came through in the end. A truly superb beer, I gotta get back to WC and get me another growler (or 2) of this stuff.