Challenge the Bear
Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery

I was doing my weekly-re-up at Rieker Bottle Works earlier today when I heard someone order this in a Crowler. Say what?!? Gimme one doze jawnts for The CANQuest (tm), mang! The co-owner just smiled knowingly & already had one in the queue for me! 8=O I really dig a good Baltic Porter & if I could, I would smoke a Macanudo Maduro while drinking one. Unfortunately, adult-onset asthma kinda precludes that sorta thing ... Inna meantime, I raise this one as a toast to the late Stosh, owner of the Bloomfield Bridge Tavern (BBT) in Pixburgh (now closed), with whom I drank many a Baltika #9 Porter & smoked many a cigar after a Red (usually Red) or White plate of chow. He had a tough time moving Baltic Porters until I came along. Suddenly, they were a big hit & he couldn't keep them in stock, leading to him having the Stosh Stash in the cellar for us. We would put away a combined half-case a night, singing, drinking, smoking stogies & reading poetry (no s**t) until closing.

From the Crowler/CAN: "10/09[/2020]".

I have become VERY wary when CANducting a Crack! & Glug of a Crowler since the relatively larger vent, which sits further back from the lip than in other CANs, lends itself to some drippy dribbling action. 8=( I was highly successful on this ocCANsion & not only got a pseudo-cascade, but also raised just under two fingers of dense, foamy, puffy, deep-tan/light-brown head with decent retention. Color was a slightly-hazy Dark Brown to Very Dark Brown (SRM = > 27, < 34). Nose smelled of tobacco, toffee, treacle, anise and brown bread with raisins. 8=O Mmm. I could go for some toasted brown bread with raisins from a CAN right now! B & M Brown Bread is the best. Maybe with a schmear of cream cheese ... Mmm. Mouthfeel was medium-to-full, not quite creamy, but on the approach. The taste was a wonderful melding of all of the variegated flavors as noted on the nose! It had a beautiful opening taste of toffee, treacle & raisins before the darker, richer flavors of anise & tobacco kicked in. Mmm. It was wonderfully evocative of nights spent at the BBT with Baltika #9. If you are looking for a domestic version of a Baltic Porter, then you need look no further! Finish was semi-sweet with a lingering tobacco taste that made me long for a stogie. YMMV.

 

 

I don't see a date listed on the label.

Appearance: The beer is black and has a dark brown tint around the edges. It has a short light khaki colored head that quickly dissipates leaving no lacing.

Aroma: There is a bit of a brandy-like aroma to the beer. It smells like alcohol with a touch of prune and a bit raisins.

Taste: Up front there is a bit of toasted caramel which starts blending with a hint of toffee. Plum and dates meet in the middle for a very mellow presence. The beer finishes off with some alcohol flavor.

Mouthfeel: Smooth medium-full body with low carbonation and no bitterness.

Overall: The label states that this has "Graham Cracker, Honey, and a touch of Peanut Butter." None of these are noticeable at all. The beer is a bit boozy and doesn't have a lot of flavor or aroma. The flavor and aroma profiles don't really fit a traditional Baltic Porter either. It's drinkable but it's not one I'm likely to pick up again.

L: Poured from a bottle to a pint glass. Had a dark, mahogany brown color and a thick, opaque consistency. There was a thin, off white head that quickly dissipated. Not a whole lot of lacing to speak of.

S: A somewhat muted aroma of peanut butter, caramel, malt, honey, and vanilla.

T: Tasted of a little honey (sweet and fleeting), a whole lot of malt (present throughout; a dominant ingredient), a hint of vanilla, some peanut butter notes (less than expected), and a little caramel as well. This is one of those flavors that isn't pushed far enough. The elements are there, but not in enough force.

F: A so-so amount of carbonation with a smooth finish. Medium-bodied.

O: A drastically uneven beer. Not bad, but could've been better.