Uncharted Territory: Baltic Porter
Magnify Brewing Company

 

Appearance: pours a black color with a thin 1/4" head that slowly falls to a thin surface covering.

Smell: roasted malt and chocolate hit the nose.

Taste: roasted malt, dark bitter chocolate, raisins, some oak, and an earthy bitterness. Alcohol is well hidden.

Mouthfeel: heavy in body. Lightly crisp to start, smoother and velvety at the finish. Slight dryness at the end too.

Overall: a really good porter that is slow sipping but packed with flavor and a comforting mouthfeel.

massive thanks go out to sirsteve for tossing me this tick on the way out from a tasting. initially it was just a porter, and then it opened up and hot dog! what a porter!!! exactly as advertsed, the oak is there but overwhelmed by the nibs which tames back the porter char in a big way...feels like a 50/50 split between the porter char and chocolatey goodness. solid porter...or should I say impy porter. this would be better at a lower abv for sure.

Traded for this beer not that long ago and got around to it tonight after having the Point of Divergence earlier tonight. I'm really liking the darker offerings from Magnify as they've been a welcome change from the dank IPA's that they usually release. This was so easy to enjoy as it wasn't overly roasted and had a wonderful range of flavors, combined with an easygoing nature!

Not a bad pour to this as the liquid was thin with a dark chocolate hue and topped off by a massive tan head filled with big bubbles. Lots of milk chocolate, cocoa nibs, and some coffee in the nose with all of those dark notes in the taste. Some powder and roasting gave this a nice mouthfeel but this wasn't too chalky nor too watered-down as the mouthfeel was spot-on with some vanilla tossed in for good measure. Not roasted enough nor strong enough to be a true Baltic Porter, this was an American take on the style that went down much easier than a counterpart from Europe would!

This had potency but it wasn't able to be tasted nor felt as there was only a slight warming effect by the time I finished this off. The light lacing and molasses-like sweetness that lingered may not have been in line with each other but they were signs that this was more complex than I was led to believe. This was fun stuff that's helping to put Magnify on the map, and easily worth seeking out!

Pours nearly black in color with ruby hints at the edges when held to the light. Starts with 2 fingers of super dense cocoa brown head that sticks around for quite awhile and leaves behind sporadic lacing. Aroma is a punch of cocoa upfront with some roasty malt underneath, subtle oaky notes appear as the beer warms a bit. Taste is more subdued, the roasty notes are a bit less intense here. Medium bodied with moderate+ carbonation. Overall a solid beer but I'd expect a bit more depth of flavor and a much fuller body from a Baltic Porter. I like everything I smell and taste but this doesn't quite tick the correct boxes to be a Baltic Porter.

 

Love the roasty, oak, cocoa flavor. Not overwhelming. Very tasty. Could be slightly sweeter for my taste but overall a great, balanced porter that is perfect for these cold winter nights in NJ.

My favorite Magnify beer from the recent releases. It's a nice break from all the NE IPAs they've been cranking out. I could drink this all winter long. Great aroma, roasty taste and amazing creamy mouthfeel. Make it again!!

 

Poured from can purchased on release date into Brakspear pint glass. It pours a beautiful ebony color with walnut hues and two full fingers of frothy, mocha colored head and lacing with excellent retention. It's as pretty a pour as you'll ever see. It smells of roasted malt, cocoa, vanilla, and nuts. This is one tasty porter: rich roasted malt, baker's chocolate, coffee, toffee, and nuts. For a porter, it is particularly rich and creamy - almost stout-like. It is lightly carbonated and the 8% ABV gives it character and substance. Overall, this is absolutely first rate in all aspects. It proves beyond doubt that Magnify can brew fine dark beers.