Livonia
Phantom Canyon Brewing Company

C / AVERAGE

like i always say, the world needs more baltic porters, and i order one almost every time i have the chance. its a style that just doesnt get enough love. this is a pretty good one, although much less obviously a lager than many others because the malt is so robust. its really honed in on the cocoa aspect of the roasted barley, and comes through almost chocolaty, bakers chocolate, its not sweet at all, but the flavor is there for sure. impressive head retention on this one, nice lace, and quite a lot of carbonation. it drinks refreshing, certainly for a dark beer anyway, let alone one this big. the body is right on medium, and the finish is long and drying but not quite dry, there is a lingering mild caramel sweetness for a second or two. id like to have more yeast flavor in this beer, its strange that that aspect is so minimal, but the build is nice here, and i wouldnt change much really at all. i was really impressed with this place, the beers were all far better than i remembered from my first visit.

Dark, turbid brown; thin head; minor amounts lacing. Very faint roasted grain and chocolate notes. Some coffee and chocolate flavors; mildly astringent. Mrdium-heavy body; slightly sweet yet finishes dry.

A decent beer that seems a bit weak taste-wise and really loses points for lackluster aroma. Still, it manages to bring about some porter satisfaction and is worth a try.