Baltic Porter
Chuckanut Brewery

12oz can received through the good offices of vurt. According to the stamp on the top rim of the can, this was canned on November 18, 2025.

Poured into a 12oz snifter, this was a very dark brown, virtually black, and looked to have a little viscosity to it. Big, creamy looking head that was a slightly dark shade of tan, and took it's sweet time dropping. Lots of lace.

Mildly roasty nose. I get elements of sweetened coffee and dark fruits, a little molasses, a little campfire.

Roasty, malty, slightly coffeeish, a little bit of char in the flavor department. A little sweet and fruity, in a lightly figgy way. Has a slightly pumpernickel taste to it. Slightly bitter at the finish. Finishes clean. Definitely a lager yeast.

Full bodied without actually seeming heavy. Slightly creamy mouth feel.

Really nice BP. I could drink several of these, but my diabetes needs me to stop at one. Probably good for my health that it's not generally available in eastern Washington.

2026-01-31
12oz can served in a snulip. Canned Nov 18 2025. My can says it's 8.4%.

Pours dark brown to black with a medium sized dark tan head, looks like a healthy amount of carbonation. Smell is lots of yeast, some burnt crust, something in the vicinity of chocolate but not getting there, and something in the vicinity of anise and also not getting there. Whatever the third point on that triangle would be, I guess.

Taste adds in some roasty bitter and nutty...openness? Still not hitting chocolate or anise, still can't quite describe what I'm tasting. Something on the really bitter side of horehound and root beer barrel? Roastiness almost to the point of smoke or charcoal.

Mouthfeel is thick but not heavy, approaches gritty but doesn't quite hit it. This is a really interesting, really tasty beer.

 

 

Dark chestnut brown that could be mistaken for black. Hints of ruby piercing the corners when held up to the light. Gorgeous pillowy rich brown head. I'm with it.

Nose gives me hints of coffee and roasty, mildly ashy grain.

Flavour is more rich and oily than the aroma. More coffee, along with a rich sweet streak that gets close to sherry. Finish brings forth an earthy bitterness that carries through.

Slick and oily but with an almost hot (pepper not alcohol) note to the end. Finishes with some lingering bitterness.

I really dig it.

 

 

Poured into a Fremont small snifter. Pours a very dark mahogany brown, appearing nearly opaque black in the glass with a half finger dark khaki head with great retention and nice lacing. Aroma of lightly toasted and biscuit malt, light cocoa and brown bread. Flavor is biscuit and lightly toasted malt, brown bread, graham cracker, earthy dark dried fruit and cocoa. Light malt char and mild hop bitterness in the finish. Medium bodied with light to moderate creaminess. An interesting take on the Baltic porter style with a much maltier, somewhat drier taste than usual. The mixture of toasted and crackery biscuit malt is very flavorful.This leans a little into old ale or the dark biscuity style of British barleywines, which are not made much any more. Although I missed the dark fruit notes that are common in this style, the malt is so rich and flavorful that I'm completely pleased. A malty wonder that looks, smells and tastes great. I'm really glad that Chuckanut is bottling now and I can try their various styles.

Crowler from Birdie Time Pub.

Black with a dense, brown head with excellent retention and lacing this looks excellent. The nose is excellent. Deep, rich ,dark fruit with plums, brandied raisins, buckwheat honey, a delightful deep grain character,a blend of dark chocolate, bitter coffee, dark caramel, a mild pumpernickel like sweetness. And as good as the nose is, the palate is even better. Holy cow. Smooth, soft, supple, remarkably well integrated. Mildly sweetened dark chocolate, dark caramel, toffee, a deep, dark honey note. Despite these being sweet flavors, this is not a particularly sweet beer. A moderate grainy bitterness is present, along with a mild, bitter hoppy flavor, mildly earthy and complementing the dark fruit flavors particularly well. Smooth, bitter, roasted grain and coffee with a little dark caramel and toffee bittersweet flavors that linger on in the finish, this beer is medium in body, softly carbonated and just incredible. Highly recommended, this is easily the best Baltic Porter I've had.

Dateless bottle purchased at Chukanut South March 2019. 16.9Oz shared by M&K.
L: Deep dark brown/black. Thin tan head with tiny bubbles
S: Mollases, brown sugar, roasted malt, sweetness, hint of burnt smokiness, fresh dark chocolate, caramel, cinnamon, and baked goods.
T: Toasty, mocha cappuccino coffee, chocolate aftertaste, no perceived bitterness, burnt sugar, and molasses.
F: Smooth, thin but with a coating creaminess, no heat or alcohol for 8%
O: Outstanding and drinkable porter. Entertains being a dessert beer without the overwhelming sweetness or thickness. Extremely impressive and glad we have another bottle.

Thursday, December 28, 2017 5:03 PM
Pint/16 ounce pour at the Brewery in Bellingham, WA
Sight: black liquid with small foam
Smell: not a lot of aroma
Taste: slightly bitter, sweet no bold taste
Feel: long follow through, tart bitter aftertaste
Overall: very good beer ok to repeat, look for maybe

 

 

What a quality made Baltic Porter. I have nothing bad to say about this beer. Nice bold, cloudy, dark brown look. Nice medium/heavy, mostly medium brown malts. Barely any acidity. Very faint coffee and chocolate. Nothing overpowering, very well-balanced. Full-bodied.

Overall - Clean and tasty. I wish they would create and release this more often. It's been 2-3 years since they last had this on tap. What a shame we have to wait that long for such a great beer.

I was fortunate enough to catch the brief November 2013 run of this 1 year aged baltic porter. Have enjoyed it every time it comes on tap, but this was special. Dark garnet. Tan head. Smooth, heavy mouthfeel. Alcohol sits quietly in the back row until the nice glow hits a few minutes after the first sip. I'm not one to taste all the nuances that others can in their beers, but this is dark fruit all the way. Reminds me some of a Belgian double. Considerable sweetness well balanced with hop bitterness. No competing hop flavors or aromas. As with Chuckanut's lagers, wonderful malt aftertaste that lingers.

 

 

Served in straight pint glass. Poured a lightly translucent black, with just under 1/2inch of tan head that had moderate retention & lacing.

The aroma is mostly gentle grains, with some very light roast. Just the right amount of roast IMHO, enough to be noted, not so much as to dominate or distract. There's just a touch of floral, earthy hops, and, perhaps, a tiny bit of yeast spice. On the tongue, there was a nice blend of flavors, slightly sweet malts, grain oriented malts, hints of hops, and a judiciously delicate bit of roast on the finish.

The body is full, smooth, even, and nicely light. Drinkability is amazing, I had 5 pints a couple nights ago, and am having a hard time sticking to my ticker nature. I just keep ordering these things. Overall, I don't have a lot of experience with this style, but I have a hard time seeing a better American made version. A must try. Worth a trip to Bellingham, WA for. Hopefully, this will sell good, and we can convince the brewery to at least put this into yearly rotation. Preferably, several times a year.