Baltic Porter
Three Heads Brewing

 

Poured into an English pint glass. the appearance was a dark murky brown close to black color with a finger's worth of off white foamy head that slid off at a decent pace. Lace seemed somewhat stringy yet messy.
The aroma had some sweet dark fruits and milk chocolate coming together initially and then some smoke and nuts (somewhat roasty with an earthy sweetness to it). Black tea at the end rounded it out.
The flavor was moderately sweet with a delicate roast and smokiness coming in for balance. Nice smooth sweet and dark fruity to milk chocolatey aftertaste.
The mouthfeel was about medium bodied with a fair sipping quality. ABV did feel as projected but wasn't distracting in any sort of "boozy heat-like" flaw. Carbonation felt on par. Nice smooth sweet rolling dark fruity finish.
Overall, for a Baltic Porter with a big ABV, I'd say this one works. Check it out if you get the chance, makes for a good cold Autumn's night.

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks to stillmatic2232 - which sounds like something you’d buy at a gun show without going through the proper authorities but evidently is some kind of rap album. 22 oz. bottle split with my wife.

Black & white bottle label yields black liquid, along with a few white slugs that sink rapidly. Smells like sweet malt - that’s it. OK.

Three Heads Baltic Porter is fun to say. Sweet malts, roast, touch of raucous smoke, chocolate, mixed nuts. Herbal tea on the end that grows stronger as the beer warms, until it’s second only to the sweet, sweet malts. Nice & thick, & with enough going on that it’s fun to drink.

A lovely dichotomy that’s simple with some depth. Very good.

 

Pours black and opaque at first but clear enough to show me a ruby hue at the bottom of the glass. Full chocolatey colored head that falls fast but not completely. Leaves lace that clings in spots and sheets, a couple rings were seen and it's a little leggy. Clears as it drinks to show rich brown hues.

Nose is coffee, cocoa and nuts. The caramel on this nose is sweet bright softness that is hard to describe. There isn't a whole lot of dark fruit and at first I thought I smelled licorice but that waned as it became the overall roasty character of the malt. Hops are a cool demure herbal but they give a sweet uplifted floral that perfumes the nose and contrasts all the malty notes . Malt smells a little sweet but not too rich. I am smelling coffee and cream.

Drinks smooth and chocolatey. That chocolate is not the dominant flavor though, a surprising bit of roasty malt is. There is a light scent from smoke that does not smell too much like char on the nose and does not intrude to be first on the palate either. It does contrast the sweet dried fruits that are also content to reside quietly in the background. Raisins, dried dates, currants and only in the finish will you see plum. I keep thinking I smell coffee and cream; and the beer is very creamy. Hops show some pepper on the nose as it warms.

The finish is smooth and silky. The mouthfeel is medium but the depth of flavor seems to surpass that. No bite from bubbles just a tickle and a bit of warmth to linger. A hint of sweetness finishes the beer but it dries out as hop bitter and the bitterness from the alcohol pepper the finish. Imagine a schwarzbier brought to a festive strength and fullness. That is this beer. This has the subtle simplicity of the lager amidst all it's malty complexities. I like it very much.

 

 

 

 

Bottle purchased at the East Ave Wegmans in Rochester, NY.

This one pours a very dark brown, nearly black, with a small white head, and a good level of lacing.

Smells like creamy milk chocolate, a little bit of smoke, and some slight fruitiness.

This really surprised me in how nice it was. It is a little light for the style, I expect a bit of heft, but the drinkability is therefore very good as a result. There's some really nice sweet milk chocolate character, some very light smoke, dark berry fruit, and milky coffee. I wish there a bit more roast character, it slightly leans more towards sweetness.

This is very creamy, which is quite nice. The creaminess does a fairly good job of masking the thinness of the beer. A bit more heft would be good here.

This is one of the best beers Three Heads has come out with- and certainly the best since they got their own brewery.