Baltic Porter
Trinity Brewhouse

On-tap 1/17/11 at the brewpub Providence, RI, served in a US tumbler pint glass.

A: The beer is a deep dark brown color, short dense off-white head that fades very slowly and leaves a thick lace on the glass.

S: The aroma contains roasted malts, dark fruit, honey, coffee and a touch of hops.

T: The taste starts out with a hearty roasted malt character followed by flavors of dark fruit, black coffee and honey. There are touches of smokiness and alcohol in the background. The hops presence is very mild but complementary and brings a good balance. The after-taste is slightly sweet.

M: Smooth and a little crisp, medium body, medium carbonation, finish is sticky.

D: Tasty, goes down easily, slightly filling, strong kick, good representation of style, this is a nice stronger dark beer to drink for a while.

On tap from brewery.

A- Dirty black with tan creamy head and moderate lacing.

S- Anise, licorice, roasted malt, hints of cocoa

T- Rich, deep, spicy licorice and molasis.

M- Medium bodied, slightly thick.

D- Not my favorite. Too much licorice taste with slight booze.

Served on-tap at Trinity Brewhouse, in Providence, RI.

A- Pours a dark, murky black with a small tan head that quickly disappears. This is the only good aspect of this brew.
S- Oh god, what is that? NyQuil? Jagermeister? No, that's just the anise. Wayyy too much anise.
T- I didn't think this beer could taste worse than it smelled, but in that aspect it delivered. The anise is strong, heavy, and completely overpowers anything else going on in the beer. Pretty much tastes like someone poured a shot of beer into a glass of Jagermeister.
M- From the few sips I could stomach it hasa medium body, but the anise just lingers on your tongue.
D- None. Absolutely no drinkability. I came nowhere near finishing this.

This beer was an absolute shame. There might be a good/decent porter lurking behind this beer, but everything is just overpowered by the anise. I'm all for experimenting with your brews and adding new ingredients/spices, but this one was a complete failure. Trinity should be ashamed that they allowed this beer to be served.

Made with molasses and anise seed.

A-Deep, dark brown with ruby highlights and a thin tan head that reduces to a thin ring and leaves spotty lace.

S-Licorice and roasted malt with a touch of sweetness. All of this is rather light but it is well blended.

T-Richer flavours with a pleasant spicy bitterness created with the licorice and dark malts. A finishing sweetness wit just a hint of blackstrap molasses. A nice combination of flavours with nothing overwhelming but rather complimenting.

M-Medium bodied rich and smooth. Astringent aftertaste and a dry finish.

D-Well done. I like the anise/molasses addition. A well crafted and tasty brew.