Baltic Porter
Buoy Beer Company

Can at Hops & Bottles. Dark brown pour, soft beige head. Aroma is equal parts coffee, chocolate and roasty malts. Taste is bitter, roasty, coffee, mild sweetness in the background. Deep. Really solid.

Dark amber-brown brew with sticky beige lacing in the Troubadour tulip. Aromatic with some coffee and cocoa among the roast grain. Sudsy and creamy mouthfeel. Warm and mellow but dark flavors. Deep roasted malty taste with burnt sugar a touch of raisins. Just the right strength and not overly sweet. Moderate bitterness in the aftertaste with a lingering burnt malt flavor. I see this is the fourth Baltic Porter I've had this month, and this might be the best. It seems to be so well balanced among all the flavors and fancies. From the 12 oz can purchased at Elizabeth Station. No apparent date.

 

This beer pours a dark brown with a small tan head. The aroma is dark roast, chocolate, slight caramel and a hint of coffee. Slightly bitter on the taste. Basically, smooth drinking and flavorful. Not great but good. BOD 10-9-2024

Got in a BIF from snaotheus. 16 ounce can into tulip glass, canned on 2/2/22. Pours opaque dark brown/black color with a 2 finger dense and rocky tan head with fantastic retention. Dense soapy lacing on the glass, and good amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, toast, dark/brown bread crust, herbal, grass, pepper, light dark fruits. Taste of big dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, roasted nuts, dark bread/crust, toast, wood, herbal, peppercorn, pine; light smoke, charcoal, dark fruit. Moderate pine, herbal, roast, char bitterness on the finish. Medium-plus carbonation and body; balanced creamy/grainy malt, sticky/resin hops, and chalky roast in the mouthfeel. Lingering resin/chalky drying after the finish, no acrid/astringent flavors. Perfectly clean lagering with minimal fruity/yeasty notes. A bit sharp on bitterness, but not overwhelming. Great rich malt and balanced earthy hops. Minimal warming 7.8%. Spot on style all around.

16oz can

Pours only a finger of tan head into my Nonic. Retention is average and the head mostly fades within a minute or two. Initial lacing looks quite nice. Body is black with some brown hues around the edges. Looks ok so far.

The nose has significant notes of hazelnut that start to fade as my nose adapts. Faint roast. Some astringency underneath that, probably alcohol. Not a very complex or robust nose, but I like it.

Flavor leans heavily on that roast at first, definitely a little alcohol in here as well. Significant hazelnut comes out as it warms. Definitely some weight to it, especially compared to the nose. The hazelnut character is delicious.

Carbonation is on the higher side. Relatively light bodied - certainly a lager. Drinks pretty crisp and dry despite there being some sweeter malty notes. Bitterness is low, but there is a small alcohol bite. Overall a nice mouthfeel, even considering the bite.

Similarly, the drinkability is pretty good even considering the aforementioned notes.

Appearance turned out ok. The lacing was pretty lazy, but not nonexistent.

Overall a nice beer that develops over time. The hazelnut comes in heavy and then blends nicely into the beer. At the end of the day it's a flavorful brew with a deceptively light body - yay dark lagers.

Poured into a Fremont small snifter. Pours a very dark mahogany brown with ruby notes, with very little light transmission and a half finger light khaki head with great retention and nice lacing. Aroma of dark toasted malt, cocoa, malted milk and light coffee. Flavor is dark toasted malt with light char, cocoa, drip coffee and a bare hint of dark dried stone fruit. Cocoa and light char in the finish. Medium bodied with light to moderate creaminess and nice mouth feel. A very pleasant porter overall. Not as much dark fruit character as I expect from this style, but the cocoa and coffee notes are so good and well balanced, this presents itself very nicely. Started this a bit on the cold side and it definitely shows more character and body at near room temperature. I liked this a lot, one of the better Buoys I've had.

 

Look: Black with a beige head that stays about 1-finger with good lacing. Rich, ruby-red color when held up to light
Aroma: Roasted malts, chocolate/cocoa, slight nuttiness – my mouth is watering again
Taste: Follows the nose but stronger/deeper overall. Well balanced – not too creamy or light but definitely has the lagering show through with a crisper finish than a typical porter [ale]
Mouthfeel: Bold and smooth at first, then thins out rather than lean towards a chewy finish – crisp finish but not at all light or watery
Overall: This is tasty stuff from a brewery I respect and enjoy, not to mention also an extremely underrepresented style. I dig it and if Baltic porters are your thing, this one is recommended – a winner.

500 mL bottles purchased at Costco in Warrenton, just a few miles from the brewery. Pours a rich dark brown, clear with good depth. Light head and lacing. The aroma is subdued, but we can pick up some roast malt, pumpernickel and coffee. Letting it warm to cellar temperature before digging in. Taste is dry, pronounced flavors of roasted grain, toffee, chocolate and molasses. Good lingering aftertaste. Has that added flavor a Baltic Porter has over its more sedate cousins. A rare style, hard to come by anywhere and even harder to find one of this quality..

Clear dark brown with two fat fingers of light tan foamy head. Good amount of lace as the head drops.
Smell is dark roast coffee and cocoa.
Taste is dark roast coffee and cocoa. Some hop bitterness at the end.
Mouthfeel is medium with good carbonation. Finish is dry and bitter.
Overall a tasty Baltic Porter.

 

500ml bottle purchased from Safeway in West Salem OR.
$4.29
Beer in the glass is a dark brown, almost mahogany..but light around the edges. Great thick and frothy tan head.
Aromas of slightly toasted bread and cream. Slight saltiness.
Taste is very smooth with some coffee and dark chocolate notes. Slight dark fruitiness..and a touch of sea salt at the end.
Nicely balanced mouth feel thick but enough carbonation to carry the beer. Dryish finish which is great.
Nice Baltic Porter..you dont see much of this style nowadays