Origin of Darkness - Põhjala
Collective Arts Brewing
- From:
- Collective Arts Brewing
- Ontario, Canada
- Style:
- Baltic Porter
- ABV:
- 9.6%
- Score:
- 92
- Avg:
- 4.17 | pDev: 6%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 12
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- Dec 31, 2024
- Added:
- Oct 25, 2020
- Wants:
- 1
- Gots:
- 2
SCORE
92
Outstanding
92
Outstanding
Baltic Porter aged in Cognac barrels, w/ Plums
About 7,000 KM and the Atlantic Ocean separate us from our friends at Põhjala Brewery from Estonia. But geography doesn’t mean a thing when kindred brewing spirits come together! We put a Baltic Porter base into freshly emptied XO Cognac barrels from France to age for 9 months. After that we added plums to elevate the sweet stone fruit character. This beer exemplifies the beautifully deep, sweet, and rich cognac flavours. Pour a glass and curl up in front of a roaring fire, you fancy f*ck.
About 7,000 KM and the Atlantic Ocean separate us from our friends at Põhjala Brewery from Estonia. But geography doesn’t mean a thing when kindred brewing spirits come together! We put a Baltic Porter base into freshly emptied XO Cognac barrels from France to age for 9 months. After that we added plums to elevate the sweet stone fruit character. This beer exemplifies the beautifully deep, sweet, and rich cognac flavours. Pour a glass and curl up in front of a roaring fire, you fancy f*ck.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Reviewed by SLeffler27 from New York
4.13/5 rDev -1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
4.13/5 rDev -1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Pours very dark brown (SRM 31-35) with a two and a half inch dark walnut foam that has gold glittering in it. The head gradually settles to a creamy quarter of an inch, leaving a curtain of fine lace that adds a golden brown tint to the Swiftwater snifter. After each sip, a viscous film clings to the glass almost producing legs.
The aroma opens with alcohol fumes. Plums and molasses make up the middle, while prunes and roasted malt follow.
Dark roasted malt leads to crispy brownies and singed chocolate in the flavor profile. Bitterness and sweetness are balanced and neither becomes a focal point. The finish is long, filled with chocolate and tobacco.
As previously noted, the alcohol is above expectations. It is quite warm with a dull bite. The beer has a full body and the texture of rubber. Carbonation is soft and prickly.
This is another fine sipping beer that would be a great partner to a mild cigar and long conversation on a cool, late Autumn evening.
Dec 31, 2024The aroma opens with alcohol fumes. Plums and molasses make up the middle, while prunes and roasted malt follow.
Dark roasted malt leads to crispy brownies and singed chocolate in the flavor profile. Bitterness and sweetness are balanced and neither becomes a focal point. The finish is long, filled with chocolate and tobacco.
As previously noted, the alcohol is above expectations. It is quite warm with a dull bite. The beer has a full body and the texture of rubber. Carbonation is soft and prickly.
This is another fine sipping beer that would be a great partner to a mild cigar and long conversation on a cool, late Autumn evening.
Reviewed by TooManyGlasses from Canada (AB)
4.15/5 rDev -0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.15/5 rDev -0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Pours a slightly viscous black with half finger, at best, of dark reddish brown head - sticky lacing on glass.
Aroma hits strongly with dark fruits, hint of molasses, caramel malt, chocolate and alcohol - cognac barrel apparent.
Sweet and chocolatey on the palate, some caramel, but more of the dark fruit at back - plum, cherry - hints of Black Forest cake - boozy with flavours of the cognac barrel and a little espresso bitterness.
Full and sticky sweet mouthfeel with plummy, fruity notes lingering and you know the alcohol heat is there!
May 07, 2023Aroma hits strongly with dark fruits, hint of molasses, caramel malt, chocolate and alcohol - cognac barrel apparent.
Sweet and chocolatey on the palate, some caramel, but more of the dark fruit at back - plum, cherry - hints of Black Forest cake - boozy with flavours of the cognac barrel and a little espresso bitterness.
Full and sticky sweet mouthfeel with plummy, fruity notes lingering and you know the alcohol heat is there!
Reviewed by hman43 from North Carolina
4.51/5 rDev +8.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
4.51/5 rDev +8.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
Look: It pours very dark brown with a dark brown head. Head retention is on the low side.
Smell: There are strong dark fruit aromas that feature plums up front with noticeable alcohol mixed in. There are light roasted notes in the background with a bit of chocolate. There are low dark cherry notes.
Taste: There flavor starts of sweet with plums and other dark fruits. there are also dark cherries in the fruit flavors. There are lighter roasted notes with chocolate notes. The plums and some cherry elevate towards the end of the tasting.
Feel: It has a full body with a smooth texture. There is a tad of bitterness mixed with the sweetness in the finish. The alcohol warming is quite pleasant.
Overall, a strong combination of complex flavors with a silky smoothness.
Jan 07, 2023Smell: There are strong dark fruit aromas that feature plums up front with noticeable alcohol mixed in. There are light roasted notes in the background with a bit of chocolate. There are low dark cherry notes.
Taste: There flavor starts of sweet with plums and other dark fruits. there are also dark cherries in the fruit flavors. There are lighter roasted notes with chocolate notes. The plums and some cherry elevate towards the end of the tasting.
Feel: It has a full body with a smooth texture. There is a tad of bitterness mixed with the sweetness in the finish. The alcohol warming is quite pleasant.
Overall, a strong combination of complex flavors with a silky smoothness.
Reviewed by Tony210 from New Jersey
4.5/5 rDev +7.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.5/5 rDev +7.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Pours like midnight oil, thick and impervious to light. Minimal mocha head does not fade. Great aroma of dark chocolate, dark roasted malts. I definitely get the sherry casks as well. Flavor is bittersweet dark chocolate, cocoa, dark espresso, sherry barrels create a light winey flavor, plumbs round out the beer nicely with a gentle sweetness. Extremely creamy and thick. Overall a very nicely executed BA Porter, will buy more.
1/20/21
12 oz can dated 9/24/20
4.5 rating
6/15/24 update - chocolate and sherry fased a bit, but still creamy and delicious.
Jan 20, 20211/20/21
12 oz can dated 9/24/20
4.5 rating
6/15/24 update - chocolate and sherry fased a bit, but still creamy and delicious.
Reviewed by Sammy from Canada (ON)
3.8/5 rDev -8.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
3.8/5 rDev -8.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
The plum is in the very last sip. Very sweet. A porter, but not your normal baltic porter. Still worth a try for porter fans. Cognac gave it some character.
Jan 17, 2021
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