Strata Porter
Pühaste Brewery

Can at Las Buenas Pulgas, served in a trappist glass. Dark brown color, medium head with short retention, just a line of a sticky lacing. Aroma is mostly hop, with some chocolate and raisins. Medium body, sticky texture, flat carbonation. Sweet dry finish. Taste is medicinal, with hops, chocolate, soy sauce and raisins. Not my favourite one from Puhaste.

 

Pours a deep, dark mahogany coloration with a medium, creamy, lasting head. Smells of quite roasted, slightly caramelly malt, chocolate and fruity hops, with just a hint of pasin fruit coming through. Taste is an excellent balance of quite roasted, slightly caramelly malt and fruity, slightly resinous hops, with some chocolate and hints of coffee and licorice coming through, as well as hints of passion fruit, citrus and pine as well. Finishes quite roasty, with a medium bitterness and some chocolate, licorice and passion fruit lingering in the aftertaste. Smooth mouthfeel with a medium body and carbonation.

This makes for quite a roasted and fruity Baltic Porter that almost crosses over into Black IPA territory with its mix of roasted malts and fruity, slightly resinous hops. In fact, I would say it's more of a BIPA than a BP, but since I love BIPAs, this works very well for me, although purists may be disappointed. Nevertheless, there's some chocolate, coffee and licorice to this as well and I really love the roasted, dry character here, with a good bitterness and very little sweetness coming through here at all.