Saboteur
Gigantic Brewing Company

 

 

Very impressive, full bodied baltic porter. Immensely layered , its shame its retired and a shame I didn't get more bottles when I had the chance.

Very dark brown pour - near pitch black - with a medium height dark tan head with poor retention. Notes of roasted coffee beans, cocoa, chocolate, cherries and sugar. Medium body, medium to high carbonation and a roasty bitter-sweet finish.

 

Pours seal brown with a meager head of mocha foam that soon recedes to a thin ring. Robust aroma smells of roasted malt, molasses, peat, and even a touch of chocolate.

The taste follows the nose, with roasted malt, molasses, coffee, milk chocolate, and plenty of earthy hops. Mildly acetic undertones remind you that this is still a Baltic porter in spite of the more complex malt profile. Medium-light body and mild carbonation make for a still, loose mouthfeel that's not uncommon for the style but meeker than I prefer.

Overall, this is a really nice Baltic porter that brings a little something extra to the flavor department while maintaining all of the hallmarks of the style. One of the better ones I've had, perhaps topped only by Komes.

 

Yields a fairly massive 3-4 finger head of loose, airy foam, a decidedly dark brown hue, considerable dimpling across the surface, below average retention but good stick to the thinnish lacing streaks. Fully opaque black liquid, you see a few bubbles stick to the glass inside but that’s it, no real hue variation at the rims, does not appear to have any sediment or such. The nose is mildly roasted, more so driven by sweeter dark chocolate, carob and toffee notes, solid milkiness as well, there is a charcoal and doused campfire wood aspect too, not much going on by way of fruit nor citrus, just keeps the chocolate coming. Medium-bodied but the lack of active carbonation gives it a leaden mouth feel. Milkier here but not as sweet as the nose might suggest, however, not roasty either, just dry. Cocoa, chocolate, challah bread, cola, that charcoal to tar persists, also has a semi-oily texture in spite of the dryness. Hint of black raisin or grape fruit flavor. The depth of the chocolate and lactose fill out the finish to replace any missing complexity and, honestly, inch it out in the direction of stout beer. Nice enough, might prove a better experience on tap.

 

Tasted in a pint glass from draft at Sunset Foods on November 22, 2015. Look is deep dark brown with a medium tan head and some lingering lacing. Smell is coffee, bitter chocolate with bread and caramel malt notes. Taste is coffee, bitter dark cocoa with biscuit and caramel malt flavors. Feel is medium in body with a smooth creamy finish

If you're the kind of person who likes stouts, but thinks most porters are too sweet, you will enjoy this offering. Smells of roasted coffee and malt. Big coffee flavors and some bittersweet chocolate. Roasted flavor persists in the aftertaste. Relatively thin mouthfeel, but it doesn't hurt the beer. Solid offering!

look dark dark brown/cocoa minimal off white head poured from 22oz bomber into pint glass
smell amazing! complex, mix of cocoa caramel coffee and strong alcohol almost bourbon very nice!
taste not as great smooth mostly smoky and cocoa
slight bitter aftertaste
overall a decent baltic porter although the taste was disappointing relative to the smell