Baltika #6 Porter
Baltika Breweries

Darkmagus82 from Texas

3.83/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Poured from a pint bottle into a snifter glass
Appearance – The beer pours a deep brown color with a one finger head of off-white foam. The head has a decent level of retention, fading over time to leave a small amount of streaky and foamy lace on the sides of the glass.
Smell – The aroma of the brew is very strong of a roasted malt mixed with a good deal of caramel sweetness and a little bit of a char aroma. Along with these smells comes some lighter notes of cocoa and a touch of vanilla.
Taste – The taste begins with a very malty roasty taste that has a little bit of a caramel and vanilla sweetness upfront. As the taste advances the roastiness stays very strong, while the sweet fades a bit. At the same time there is a woody and earthy flavor that begin to develop with a touch of a molasses joining in as well recovering a bit of the caramel and vanilla loss. At the very end a hint of alcohol and a decent hit of char hits the taste buds, leaving one with a nice dark and roasty taste to linger on the tongue.
Mouthfeel – The body of the brew is somewhat on the thinner side in terms of thickness and chewiness for a 7.0 % abv porter, with a carbonation level that is rather average. A tad more thickness and a bit less carbonation may have been slightly more appropriate for the style and the roasty/slightly boozy/drier toasted tastes of the brew, but overall rather decent.
Overall – A nice example of a very roasty and somewhat drier finishing porter. Not over the top of chocolate and caramel/molasses like may porters. Quite balanced and easy drinking.

May 07, 2020

RichardLeahy from Australia

4.06/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

From 470 ml bottle into pint glass. Also had one straight from the bottle. L. Impressive black, very dark brown with khaki head to about 1 cm that doesn't last long. S. There is something, but my nose doesn't pick up much. Slightly fruity, maybe a touch of sweetness. T. Subdued, but some malty, fruit sweetness and finishing dry. Tastes less than it looks. F. A touch of tingly carbonation but generally smooth. O. The impressive looking bottle and look in the glass out perform smell and taste. I will drink again, because such a great looking beer, but a little underwhelming.
P.S. As I have drunk through the carton I have enjoyed this more and more. Rich, deep, sweet flavour, maybe molasses/treacle but not cloying. Will definitely drink again. Have upped my rating a notch.

Feb 12, 2020

EMV from Pennsylvania

3.73/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Poured from a tall bottle into a Dogfish Head tulip

L: Nearly clear dark, dark brown pour... nearly black with 2 fingers of off-white head. Lasts awhile... nice lacing.

S: Sweet and roasty. Dark sugars and toasted grains.

T.F: Big and sweet up front... toasted grains, molasses and dark sugars, plus a bit of cocoa and marshmallow. Fairly simple... needs a bit more balance. Lighter than expected... well carbonated. More cocoa, sweets, and roast at the finish.

O: A better-than-expected Baltic Porter. Big and sweet as per the style... as noted could use more balance, but for the price point (aka cheap) beer this is actually pretty flavorful. Definitely one for dessert.

Jun 06, 2019

Mark-Leggett from Missouri

3.97/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Pours dark with a white head that doesn't last long. Smells of roasted malt and dark fruit. Tastes of dark fruit, malt and chocolate. Smooth and a sweet finish. Nice.

May 31, 2019

Jonesc700 from Texas

4.18/5  rDev +14.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Dark brown not much foam or carbonation but not smooth like a stout. Definite hints of caramel, cocoa, coffee but not sweet or overpowering at all. Really good overall and doesn’t lose much flavor even after sitting for a while.

May 26, 2019

Sabtos from Ohio

3.44/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Dull Guinness black at full pour, but more clear cola brown in light, with a lumpy khaki foam head, this beer has notes of raisin, brown toast, licorice, cocoa and cigar and is overall sweet with a bubbly froth through a slick light body that finishes semi-dry.

Mar 26, 2019

Azdirtmover from Arizona

3.52/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Started sampling Baltika a few years ago.you normally don’t think of Russia and beer in the same thought.Above average in all types I’ve had and pretty cheap to boot.

Nov 18, 2018

jlindros from Massachusetts

3.37/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

Purchased at a Russian supermarket in Berlin
Decent fizzy head fades semi quickly, little lacing, dark brown almost black color
Nose sweet caramel and cola syrup, candy sugar little toffee and chocolate, biscuity thing
Taste like cola, sugary sweet candy, syrupy, cola syrup like dr pepper or something, little biscuity toffee, almost Smokey syrup, chocolate note, little bitterness, bit of alcohol
Mouth is med bod syrupy sweet sticky, decent carb
Overall eh

Jun 27, 2018

detgfrsh from Texas

3.68/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

From a bottle brewed 11.02.16. Pours black with a half finger of tan head that dissipates quickly. Roasted malt and brown sugar smell. Medium feel. Taste is malty sweetness with a touch of bitterness. A good porter that hits all the main points of the style.

May 26, 2018

Nass from Florida

4.23/5  rDev +16.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

I am drink mine at almost a month past the expiration date but a 7% porter should hold up really well unlike like your light lager sand light pale ales. I am partial to this style. I like how the dark fruit notes are not too overpowering. Porters are my favorite year round availability style of beer and this one is up there with the best of them. Cheers! A-

Mar 02, 2018

Suds from Missouri

3.02/5  rDev -17%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.75

This brew pours dark in color...deep brown with reddish highlights. Slim chocolate-milk colored head. The aroma is malty...think pale and dark dry malt extract. Not much complexity beyond that. The taste is sweet and malty. Not much depth...lots of light roasted notes and more than enough sweetness. Worse as it warmed. Full in body. Not a great beer.

Dec 30, 2017

Thomas_Wikman from Texas

4.09/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I believe it is the first time I am having a Baltic Porter so I cannot compare with how they are supposed to taste like, but I really liked this one.

Look: Dark brown with a one inch mocca colored head

Aroma: chocolate, hint of dark fruits

Taste: Mild roasted malts, caramel, chocolate, dark fruits such as figs maybe raisins. Alcohol barely noticeable.

Feel: medium body, easy drinking

Nov 08, 2017

patre_tim from Thailand

3.99/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Dark brown with a ruby tinge when held to the light. Opaque. Topped with 3 fingers of beige, foamy head.

Smells of vanilla, chocolate, and cherries. Slightly fruity.

The taste is initially of chocolate and cherries, then turns into long lasting black liquorice, slightly sweet, toasted notes, but no abrasive charring.

Medium, slightly bready body, moderate to low carbonation. Hidden ABV.

Got this in Chiang Mai, drinking it here Oct 4th, 2017. Really drinkable, smooth, good beer. Excellent rep for the style as far as drinkability.

Oct 04, 2017

ordybill from Georgia

4.25/5  rDev +16.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Poured from the 16 OZ bottle into a pint glass. The appearance is a dark black color with a medium sized tan head. The aroma is black licorice and malt. The taste is malt and black licorice. a very nice porter.

Jun 29, 2017

WickedBeer from Alabama

3.69/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

Just a quick review of my first beer from Baltika (Балтика). Poured into a standard pint glass from a 1 pint, .9oz bottle.

Look: very dark brown, almost black. Very small head of off white foam. Quickly dissipating lace.
Smell: Molasses and caramel malt dominate the smell. Slight nuttiness / breadiness in the finish.
Taste: Dominant molasses again, even balance of caramel malt. Very similar to the non-alcoholic beverage Malta Goya, which is brewed with barley and hops like beer, but with a very recognizable caramel flavor profile balanced by molasses. Surprisingly fruity flavors linger, similar to dried apricots.
Feel: light body, medium carbonation, slightly sticky but smooth.

Overall a pretty good porter! I think my perception is slightly skewed by that Malta agota beverage that I drank so much as a kid. Not the best, but a very drinkable porter.

Apr 02, 2017

pat61 from Minnesota

4/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

S: molasses, chocolate, nut, toffee, low alcohol and moderate ester aromas that suggest stone fruit. No harsh or burnt, sour or tart aromas.

L: pours dark brown with ruby highlights as streams of small bubbles rush to the surface. The 1/2" foam cap is cream to light tan with moderate retention.

T: palate starts nutty, malty sweet with dark dried fruit and soft alcohol. As it warms, figs come out more with light toffee notes and a hint of plum. Hop flavor and bitterness are medium low. There is nothing harsh or burnt. The balance is to the malt.

F: The beer is smooth with a medium full to full body and mild soft alcohol warming. Carbonation is medium.

O: This is a very drinkable beer with no harsh flavors.

Mar 22, 2017

PlutonowyManiek from Belgium

4.03/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Colour black, dark brown slightly shines through. The foam does not exist. The aroma of fruit and liqueur, roasted mixed with fried fruits, chocolates and peanut notes. Baltika 6 has an oily texture but not heavy, is incredibly smooth, velvety taste as above, but roasted is like fried fruits. Notes of chocolate, bitter like chocolates filled, background accents are a peanut. At the finish delicate burnt bitterness. Saturation low fit.

Dec 14, 2016

KLHBB from Colorado

3.7/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

At a Russian restaurant, poured from a bottle -- the bottle is heavy and gorgeous. I should have asked to keep it. Anyway, dark. The restaurant was also dark so I don't know what the color is. Malty, dark fruits, without the annoying coffee taste of American porters. Thick but not sticky or chewy, this is my first taste of this style and I like it.

Dec 07, 2016

AgentMunky from New York

3.96/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Poured from a 50cL bottle. Best by 24 March 2017 (bottled a year prior).
4.25/3.75/4.25/3.5/3.75
A: Mahogany red and clearish, with brownish head.
S: Sticky caramel with hints of roasted fruit.
T: Mm, 'tis the season for Baltic porters. Black currant, molasses, plums. Bready malts and sticky, beery finish.
M: Sticky, but not quite robust. Almost seems like a lager yeast at times.
O: A solid beer. No complaints. Would drink again.

Nov 19, 2016

NastyNorseman from New York

3.34/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

This dark brown tan headed porter is heavy on the toasted malts, but also carries alcohol in its taste and metal in the after taste. I was looking forward to tasting a Russian take on porter but this off-balance one makes me understand why the czars preferred English imports. Fruits carry the weight and the malt didn't bring it like I hoped. Finished a light as well. Not my brew of choice to warm my soul this winter that is for sure.

Oct 22, 2016

LiquidAmber from Washington

3.78/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Poured into a Fremont small snifter. Pours a very dark mahogany brown, appearing nearly black in the glass, with a half finger dark khaki head that dissipates to patches with light lacing. Aroma dominated by fresh and dried plums with mild dark toasted malt, hints of cherry and caramel. Flavor is smooth dark malt with light roast, plums and a hint of cherry, lightly nutty, with a mild sweetness. Medium bodied with a light creaminess. A more fruit forward take on a Baltic porter, and although the malt is not intensely roasty, it supports the fruit flavors nicely. A bit different than domestically produced Baltic porters, and a little subdued in flavor, but very pleasant and well balanced. I liked the hints of tart cherry that added a little interest, but not any sourness that I dislike in stouts. Nicely done. I remember buying this decades ago and being pleasantly surprised by it, I'm glad that I still find it fun to drink.

Oct 02, 2016

RBassSFHOPit2ME from California

3.86/5  rDev +6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Production date 11/02/2016
Best before date 11/02/2017
Must be somewhat fresh I'm assuming....

Surprisingly not bad. Not quite black but close. Black cherry color that holds a decent head. We're off to a good start here.

Smells of dark fruits. Biggest on sweet plumbs. Raisins in there too and some grains. There is a hint of alcohol in there too, along with a lager yeast note. This isn't overwhelming by any means, but there.

Taste mirrors the nose. There's a black licorice liquor flavor that compliments what I described in the nose with some cherry as it gets closer to room temp.

Mouthfeel is pretty damn good. Truth be told, I came into this with low expectations, and am very pleasantly surprised. A little boozy for the ABV, but its Russian!!! And I can appreciate that.

Sep 22, 2016

rodbeermunch from Nevada

2.21/5  rDev -39.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Pours an impressive black color with just some brown edges to it. The aroma was harsh alcohol and dark fruit.

Taste just kept hitting waves of overripe dark fruit bitterness and hot alcohol. Even though it looked big ass, it was actually a little thin and couldn't sustain all that heavy alcohol and dark fruit yeast.

I just can't get into this beer.

Aug 25, 2016

sokol_1993 from California

3.54/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Dark brown, almost black. Little head that dissipated quickly.
Smell and taste were predominantly roastiness that comes from the roasted malt. A little bit of bitterness from it too, but much lighter than Guinness' level.
Surprisingly, when it got warmer and nearly to the end, it was really fruity. A lot of dark fruit character, plum, raisin; maybe it's the alcohol making an appearance.
It's quite a nice brew, defeating all the macrobrew the US has to offer out there. Just too high level of alcohol to be drinking it constantly, like a true Russian. But will be happy to have it again.

Aug 19, 2016

teromous from Virginia

3.53/5  rDev -3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

The back label says: "11.02.16 16:07 11.02.17 5 W"

Appearance: Black body and a light khaki head. Tiny bubbles packed tightly together forming a velvety head. The head is short but has decent retention. It eventually does fade out to just a film and leaves no real lacing.

Aroma: It doesn't have much of an aroma but it does have a light sweet caramel scent.

Taste: That sweet caramel flavor comes through right away with just a bit of very light toast flavor. Just a touch of alcohol flavor but it tastes more like a light caramel liqueur flavor that you might find in a chocolate candy.

Mouthfeel: Light carbonation and a body that rests on the lighter side of medium. Wet finish that lingers on the palate but is not bitter or strong. A very sweet beer that has a slightly syrupy texture.

Overall: It is a decent porter with a nice sweet presence. If you are a lover of caramel flavored light bodied beers then this is for you. As an authentic porter from the Baltic region it might be interesting enough to try at least once but discounting this the beer doesn't have a lot of complexity or character.

Aug 04, 2016