Ode To A Russian Shipwright
Olvalde Farm and Brewing Company
- From:
- Olvalde Farm and Brewing Company
- Minnesota, United States
- Style:
- American Porter
- ABV:
- 7.5%
- Score:
- 86
- Avg:
- 3.82 | pDev: 15.18%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 46
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- Jul 17, 2020
- Added:
- Nov 18, 2011
- Wants:
- 17
- Gots:
- 15
SCORE
86
Very Good
86
Very Good
Ode to a Russian Shipwright is my tribute to the brewing legacy of Peter the Great. I use rye and spruce, ingredients that were important to the Baltic region and sailors, to create a porter honoring the time and tastes of Peter. And true to legend, I've brewed it strong enough to survive a cold winter voyage (from the brewery to the house).
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Reviewed by rodbeermunch from Nevada
2.82/5 rDev -26.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3
2.82/5 rDev -26.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3
Right on the label "Imperial Stout Porter". Ok. Interesting branding.
Pours black. 1/4" light brown head. Aroma of heavily roasted dark fruit and barley. Very Baltic indeed. The spruce and rye just come out similar to a kvass, in that they threw some twigs and spice rack up in the blend.
Taste keeps up the dark fruit smoked kvass feel to things. Also pretty bitter. I'm just straight up not having a good time bro. There is a weird yeast feel to it too. This doesn't taste like any American porter I've ever had. Tastes extremely Euro comparatively. Too much sting from the alcohol, dark fruit, juniper, spruce, bitterness, plum quad like feels. I just don't think spruce works in a dark beer. Seems like more of a beer that was made for reasons other than to make a good beer, looks like they went for the novelty factor, which is cool, but also a big shoulder shrug when it fails to be something you actually want to drink.
I guess drinking this when its like around 100 degrees ain't the best timing either.
Jul 17, 2020Pours black. 1/4" light brown head. Aroma of heavily roasted dark fruit and barley. Very Baltic indeed. The spruce and rye just come out similar to a kvass, in that they threw some twigs and spice rack up in the blend.
Taste keeps up the dark fruit smoked kvass feel to things. Also pretty bitter. I'm just straight up not having a good time bro. There is a weird yeast feel to it too. This doesn't taste like any American porter I've ever had. Tastes extremely Euro comparatively. Too much sting from the alcohol, dark fruit, juniper, spruce, bitterness, plum quad like feels. I just don't think spruce works in a dark beer. Seems like more of a beer that was made for reasons other than to make a good beer, looks like they went for the novelty factor, which is cool, but also a big shoulder shrug when it fails to be something you actually want to drink.
I guess drinking this when its like around 100 degrees ain't the best timing either.
Reviewed by brentk56 from North Carolina
3.52/5 rDev -7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
3.52/5 rDev -7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
2013 bottling
Appearance: A slight gusher, the beer pours coffee colored with a one finger tan head; splashy lacing and decent retention
Smell: Smoky chocolate tones with a vegetal, sprucey character
Taste: Dark fruit and somewhat tart cherry tones merge with chocolate, up front, with the spruce and the smoke kicking in; the finish presents a blend of this unusual array of flavors
Mouthfeel: Medium to full body with moderate to high carbonation; has a Belgian stout feel
Overall: Interesting combination of ingredients but the concept isn't doing any favors for my palate
Feb 18, 2018Appearance: A slight gusher, the beer pours coffee colored with a one finger tan head; splashy lacing and decent retention
Smell: Smoky chocolate tones with a vegetal, sprucey character
Taste: Dark fruit and somewhat tart cherry tones merge with chocolate, up front, with the spruce and the smoke kicking in; the finish presents a blend of this unusual array of flavors
Mouthfeel: Medium to full body with moderate to high carbonation; has a Belgian stout feel
Overall: Interesting combination of ingredients but the concept isn't doing any favors for my palate
Reviewed by pat61 from Minnesota
4.49/5 rDev +17.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.49/5 rDev +17.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
L: Pours bright dark brown under a 2” tan foam collar that grips the side of the glass.
S: Spicy, spruce and malt.
T: Has a Baltic Porter kind of palate with a Belgian yeast character and then there are those amazing spruce tips. Some rye spiciness. Finishes with a trace of tartness.
F: Medium, medium full body, very soft, fine carbonation.
O: Creative and well made porter. More of a Baltic Porter by way of Belgium.
Jul 14, 2015S: Spicy, spruce and malt.
T: Has a Baltic Porter kind of palate with a Belgian yeast character and then there are those amazing spruce tips. Some rye spiciness. Finishes with a trace of tartness.
F: Medium, medium full body, very soft, fine carbonation.
O: Creative and well made porter. More of a Baltic Porter by way of Belgium.
Reviewed by Oakenshield53 from Minnesota
4/5 rDev +4.7%
4/5 rDev +4.7%
My wife came home with this one, which was good luck, since the spruce tip component might have kept me away for a good while.
There's a lot going on here, man. My descriptive powers are well overmatched by the contents of this bottle, but in three words, it's really good.
In a few more words - the spruce component surprised me - not because I didn't know it was there, but because I liked it so much. This is a beer you have one pint of, and pay attention to.
But the odd thing was, I got what I'd call kind of an olive tapenade flavor from this. Maybe not a good phrase to use in conjunction with a beverage, but it works, and the flavor stayed with me through the rest of the bottle.
This showed up right around dinner time, so I had it with some good crusty bread and a sharp cheddar, and it was a righteous combo.
Aug 30, 2014There's a lot going on here, man. My descriptive powers are well overmatched by the contents of this bottle, but in three words, it's really good.
In a few more words - the spruce component surprised me - not because I didn't know it was there, but because I liked it so much. This is a beer you have one pint of, and pay attention to.
But the odd thing was, I got what I'd call kind of an olive tapenade flavor from this. Maybe not a good phrase to use in conjunction with a beverage, but it works, and the flavor stayed with me through the rest of the bottle.
This showed up right around dinner time, so I had it with some good crusty bread and a sharp cheddar, and it was a righteous combo.
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