Baltic Porter
Port City Brewing

Pours a dark color with a nice head and lacing
Aroma has chocolate malt and caramel hints
Taste has a chocolate malt and caramel flavor
A medium bodied decently carbonated beer
A good Baltic Porter

Pour has an off-white verging on light khaki foam head with a dark reddish-brown body. Interestingly, it is not completely opaque, so glimmers of light peek through highlighting the red body notes. On the nose is a bitter (dark) chocolate, toffee, and dried dark fruit (like a prune or raisin). Taste matches well, although the darker fruits seem more prominent while the bitterness avoids an overly sweet drink. Feel is on the medium side with a touch of carbonation. Not as much heft as other baltics but in some ways that is refreshing and may serve as a more enjoyable offering for those turned off by the darker, heavier offerings.

From the pint can, it pours a very dark brown, slightly hazy at the edges, with a light brown/tan head that slowly reduces and leaves some lacing. The nose gets roasted malts and sweet malt. The taste follows, with a malty sweetness coming through initially with some chocolate and dark fruit evident. Mild aftertaste. Medium to slightly heavy body.

 

 

The beer pours a nice and creamy off white head that dissipates but leaves a surprising amount of stuff on the surface.
The smell is good. There is a whiff of green apple with toffee mixed with a moderate and sweet caramel. Some moderate to light roast. Nice wood note.
The taste is good. More roasted and a chocolate presence that hasn’t been noticed in the smell. Sweet and dried dark fruit note. Slight tart and tiny sour note.
The feel is good. Medium bodied with a nice biting carbonation. Goes down smooth.
A solid beer and worth getting. It isn’t as extreme as other Baltic porters but well balanced.

On tap:
Not a lot of head but a little lacing from the medium thin ring, split by a side view of the Milky Way across the surface. Clarity is discerned as I tip a half-full glass.

Nose and taste share chocolate and a deep roasted coffe aspect. The nose has a little more burnt toast note where the taste has a little bit of a citrus or tart berry flavor that is almost subdued by the roasted malts.

Certain aspects of this are more straight stout, but the feel, while a tad heavier than othe Baltic porters I’ve had, isn’t overbearing. The fairly clean feel and slightly effervescent carbonation help to lighten it a bit.

A nice porter that drinks a little more near a stout.