Shirtless Putin Nuzzling With Dolphins
Call to Arms Brewing Company

i love baltic porter, but you know what else i like? i like when someone shows up to a pregame party before a party bus and show on a hot summer day with a barrel aged baltic porter to share around while everyone else is drinking cans of adjunct lager. there is never a bad time to crack a beer like this, and i feel lucky to have been one of those guys setting down my swill for something heady, even as the midday temperature crossed the 100 degree threshold. this is a great beer, anytime, and call to arms has nailed this one. the porter is strong and rich, dry like its been lagered and aged, and without too much heft to it for its strength. the barrel character is assertive here, as much char and oak as there is whiskey, even some bitter bite to it, fully awesome with the chocolate malt in here, the subtle vanilla and cola notes, and the thin but lingering palate feel. nice roast to this, an espresso low end and a milk chocolate max out point, not much body which is odd for all this flavor, but it hides its booze well, even though the beer warms up way too fast in the summer heat. this is a winner, one of the best i have had from these guys really, and while outside of this being a baltic porter, i dont really get the name as it pertains to the liquid. whatever, it tastes awesome! almost unforgettable given the comical context we had this in...

 

 

 

Thick, Boozy, Roasty, Soy Sauce

This barrel-aged Imperial Baltic Porter with coffee was matured in Four Roses bourbon barrels and infused with Sweet Bloom Coffee Roasters' Hometown blend. It pours pitch black with a dark tan head and an impressive amount of lacing as the head drops. Thick, viscous and syrupy, Shirtless Putin throws a sharp aroma of booze-soaked raisins. Massive roastiness upfront is followed by tang, black treacle, chocolate, coffee, peppery booziness, and a soy sauce-like back end. Very warming. Great name. Better beer.

As reviewed in BeerAdvocate magazine #121 (February 2017).