Czarny Boss Porter 18,1% Wag.
BOSS Browar Witnica S.A.

Czarny Boss Porter 18,1% Wag.Czarny Boss Porter 18,1% Wag.
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From:
BOSS Browar Witnica S.A.
 
Poland
Style:
Baltic Porter
ABV:
8.5%
Score:
79
Avg:
3.25 | pDev: 18.77%
Reviews:
15
Ratings:
20
Status:
Active
Rated:
Jun 25, 2019
Added:
Feb 23, 2008
Wants:
  1
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
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Ratings by SteveS1:
Photo of SteveS1
Reviewed by SteveS1 from New York

3.15/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Look: Pours a translucent mahogany, with a nice bubbly tan head, decent retention. Mild lacing.

Smell: Chocolate and cherries. Hint of tartness, roasted malts, caramel.

Taste: Starts chocolaty with sweet dark cherries, and is consumed by fresh brewed coffee on the tongue. Finishes with heavy roasted malt/coffee.

Feel: Medium-to-heavy bodied, very light on the carbonation. Less creamy and more watery.

Drink: As with any baltic porter, very drinkable if you enjoy a sweet malty beverage. The alcohol content is high, and it will sneak up on you, so pace yourself. Overall it was a bit more tinny than some of the other baltic porters I enjoy, so this has become the new average.
Oct 10, 2011
More User Ratings:
Photo of tigg924
Reviewed by tigg924 from Massachusetts

1.98/5  rDev -39.1%
look: 3.25 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.75 | feel: 2 | overall: 2
Pours opaque, dark brown in color with 1/4 inch head. Taste is tobacco and dark chocolate. Heavy bodied, sweet, roasty, with low carbonation. Usually a fan of this brewery but this one is just meh. A below average beer that has way too much tobacco taste. Hard pass for me in the future.
Jun 25, 2019
 
Rated: 2.83 by grahuba from Connecticut

Dec 03, 2017
 
Rated: 2.49 by Duffman79 from Connecticut

Feb 05, 2016
Photo of keithmurray
Reviewed by keithmurray from Connecticut

3.92/5  rDev +20.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Appearance - chestnut brown body with tan head

Smell - roasted nuts, toffee, caramel, anise, cola

Taste - toffee, caramel, toasted cashew, butterscotch, chocolate

Mouthfeel - lighter end of medium bodied, light carbonation, medium sweetness upfront from the toffee/caramel notes, toffee lingers long in the finish

Overall - middle of the road baltic porter that is light bodied for the style, worthy of a try for lovers of the style. Likely will not revisit this one despite the price, unless I could get a hold of a fresh bottle.

Price Point - $1.99/16.9 oz bottle
Aug 21, 2015
Photo of NEBeerGirl
Rated by NEBeerGirl from Connecticut

2.5/5  rDev -23.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5
Simply. I did not like it
Jan 07, 2015
 
Rated: 3.75 by Latarnik from New Jersey

Jul 12, 2014
Photo of biegaman
Reviewed by biegaman from Canada (ON)

3.56/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Pouring a bottle of beer takes no more than 6 seconds. Still, the last 3 seconds of this pour were enough to make me search for a 'best before' date; the contents looked thick as Play-Do and served to intensely muddy and make murky-brown this otherwise black beer. I saw chunks of sediment the size of croutons come out the bottle - perhaps I better fetch a fork?!

The aroma has so much dried fruit flavour and sherry-like oxidation that it smells rather Belgian or English, but not at all Polish. Absent is the usual supporting cast of tarry roasted malts, in its place pure prune/plum esters chased by loads of other dried/dark fruits. In both character and strength it smells like a port - eyes closed, we're actually in Portugal.

The taste, however, is straight out the Baltic: black licorice, figs and raisins, brown sugar, stale chocolate, dark toffee, and cold black coffee. It is a lot to take in for one mouthful. There's a Maltesers-like malty milk chocolate flavour; it tastes like something you'd get at the movie theater.

This sample is lord knows how old which likely takes something away from it, but, for an old beer, the oxidized and remarkably 'port-like' qualities place it into a category of it its own. True, this doesn't quite have the gratification of a standard Baltic Porter, but it does afford unique dried fruit tastes and a mellow but potent disposition that has a sherry/digestif-like satisfaction.

It does feel wrong reviewing a beer from the other side of the Atlantic without knowing when it was made (then again where's the best before date?) Besides, that's kind of the loose idea behind Baltic Porters; these beers are meant for transport and for aging and Czarny Boss seems to have held up just as intended. A fresh sample wouldn't have been scored any different.
Mar 03, 2014
 
Rated: 3 by timmy2b from New York

Dec 10, 2013
Photo of flagmantho
Reviewed by flagmantho from Washington

3.65/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured from 500mL bottle into a dimpled mug.

Appearance: deep, dark, extremely rich brown hue with a finger of frothy dark tan foam which subsided somewhat quickly leaving little lace. Other than the head, quite nice looking.

Smell: smooth, fruity aroma of raisins and cherries and dates, with a big helping of molasses and bread and yeast. It smells rather like an imperial kvass -- which, frankly, I don't mind.

Taste: extremely similar to the smell; if anything, more raisiny and molassesey. Not much bitterness to speak of. Again, we're looking at something like a strong kvass.

Mouthfeel: medium body with a nice, well-integrated carbonation, and a surprisingly rich, smooth texture. I quite like it.

Overall: this beer may not be the best in the world, but it kind of suits my palate. Perhaps it is my Polish genetics.
Sep 26, 2012
Photo of CaptDavyJones
Reviewed by CaptDavyJones from New York

3.23/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Poured a dark brown color from a 500 mL bottle. Not very dark, with quite a bit of light penetrating through this porter.
Thin tan colored head that dissipated fairly quickly.
Aroma is predominantly of molasses, with some sweetness of dark fruits; like raisins soaked in alcohol.
Taste is very sweet throughout. No signs of hops in this porter, all malt here. Medium to thin bodied, a little body would have definitely helped. But for the price that it is sold at you can't complain.
Not the best of porters, at least one that doesn't satisfy my palate.
Apr 03, 2012
Photo of LeoPanna
Reviewed by LeoPanna from New York

3.83/5  rDev +17.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4.5
A: nice coca-cola black, no head to speak of... the glass is small so that may have something to do with it..

S: smells good, kind of dirty, but I can already tell this is gonna have some bite to the flavor... malts, raw chocolate, dates...

T: Wow, this is surprising.. this is a cheaper version of the Carnegie Porter (one of my all time favorites). For $1.99 for a pint bottle, this is really a great find. This is also the first cheap Polish beer I really enjoy. Heavy malts, a little raisin, dates, molasses.. the alcohol gives the flavor a boost, but doesn't overpower..

MF: The downside to this beer, no carbonation to speak of, kind of thin.. but, again, for 1.99/pt, I'm not complaining.

O: Great find...The reason I'm giving it a 4.5 Overall is because I've been looking for the best cheap beer (less than 2 usually) and this is exceptional. It makes me wonder what I'm all about. I've spent the usual 10-15 on a pint of something special before and have been disappointed. To think I could buy 5 of these for 10 bucks makes me appreciate the side of beer that doesn't get glorified on this site. When I'm strapped for cash, and I can't get a hold of the Anchor Steam Porter, this will be my go to porter.
Jan 15, 2012
Photo of Hoagie1973
Reviewed by Hoagie1973 from New York

3.52/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 2 | overall: 3.5
Deep brown in color. Very small head.
Molasses and caramel nose.
Smooth chocolatey flavor with a hint of roasted coffee. Fair balance and slightly dry finish.
Falls short in the mouthfeel category; a bit watery, almost no carbonation to speak of.
It's fine, but nothing spectacular. I'm beginning to think there just aren't many outstanding Baltic Porters, although I haven't tried some of the most expensive ones.
Jul 05, 2011
Photo of wcintula
Reviewed by wcintula from New York

3.42/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4
The picture on the profile does it no justice, it's got a nice drawing of a jolly bald bearded flannel-wearing man carrying a barrel.

Poured into a Guinness tulip pint pours black with ruby highlights when held to light with a big, but quickly receding head. Note decent lacing. The smell is big crystal malt, dark figs or prunes, some chocolate. Good earthy bittering hops in there balancing the sweetness. The body is thinner than expected, however, doesn't hurt enjoyability.

It's good to see someone making decent beer in Central Europe that hasn't been bought by Carlsberg or Heineken(correct me if I'm wrong).

EDIT: No freshness dating noted, label looks outdated after visiting brewery's website.
May 18, 2011
Photo of far333
Reviewed by far333 from Connecticut

3.57/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Deep brown with reddish highlights where light gets thru. A firm cap of tightly bubbled light brown foam.

Aroma of dark chocolate and raisins, notes of leather and smoke.

Vinous flavors, lots of raisin and fig, dates and some dark chocolate and espresso.

Thin mouthfeel, just a tad slick. Tasty beer, interesting to taste a take on the style from the perspective of another culture.
May 27, 2010
Photo of soulgrowl
Reviewed by soulgrowl from England

3.47/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 1 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Laura says it's a 1. So a 1 it shall be. To me, it is more of a 2 or 2.5, perhaps even a 3. Let's say 2.5. The head is soft and fine, beige and short-lived. The body is a teak-cherry black-brown, with a few ruby highlights. Laura says fushcia, but I disagree. It is ruby.

Raisin dominates the aroma, like a raisin dressed up as a dominatrix. In turn she is spanking a clientele of bing cherries, caramel, and milk chocolate. Even its rummy alcohol remains submissively in check. In the flavor, the scene is more evenly shared: treacle, caramel, brown sugar, toast, tea with honey, burnt grain, and wild tangent of cheap whisky.

A bit thin on the palate, but in truth that keeps things more drinkable than they need to be. Quite dry as well - and perhaps a good choice for cheese. Still, this is far from the best Baltic Porter out there.
Dec 09, 2009
Photo of jdhilt
Reviewed by jdhilt from New Hampshire

4.48/5  rDev +37.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5
Pours a three finger light tan head that fades slowly, leaving a good lace. Black color no highlights. Light-medium carbonation and medium-heavy bodied. Sweet roasted caramel nose. Flavor is sweet roasted caramel with just the right amount of hops. Really good porter. Good price at $1.69 for a 500ml bottle from Manchester Wine and Liquors Manchester, CT.
There is no 18.1% WAG on the bottle, I hope this is the same porter.
Nov 24, 2009
Photo of Jeffo
Reviewed by Jeffo from Netherlands

2.18/5  rDev -32.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2
Got this at De Bierkoning in Amsterdam.

From a bottle into a snifter.

Notes: 18.1% WAG

APPEARANCE: Pours a one finger medium looking beige/tan head with decent retention. Dark brown / black body with very little carbonation visible, though there was some decorating of the thin film on top. Splotchy film and a ring remains until the end but leaves no lacing down the sides of the glass.

SMELL: Some roasted malts and dark fruits, plumbs and dark grapes perhaps. Hints of leather in there and a good dose of cacao powder. A hint of chocolate in the background too. Pretty strong on the cacao powder; a little too strong I think.

TASTE: Roasted malt with some hints of caramel, dark fruit and chocolate. This is soon overtaken by a large slap of cacao powder. The middle gets somewhat bitter and leads into a bold and long lasting bitter-sweet aftertaste of caramel sweetness, chocolate notes, and lots of that cacao. It's a bit too sweet with too much cacao as well. Certainly waggy.

PALATE: Thinner body and higher end carbonation. Semi-creamy going down and finishes slightly sticky on the palate. A slight scratch at the back of the throat too. A little too light for the style, and for my liking.

OVERALL: I don't know what to say about this one. It certainly isn't your average Baltic porter, as it's got this funky sweet-cacao combination going on. I'd say this one is a little too WAG heavy for me. This is one you'll have to try for yourself though, because if you're a fan of the WAG effect, this won't disappoint. Waggalicious.
Nov 08, 2009
Photo of stcules
Reviewed by stcules from Italy

2.95/5  rDev -9.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3
Different label, but same ABV. I think it fits here.
Almost black, with reddish edges. Scarce foam, beige, ok.
In the smell dark malts, with chocolately notes.
Quite carbonated in the mouth, with a good maltiness, and chicory hints.
A lot of liquorice in the aftertaste.
Light to average in body.
It has something similar to a schwarz bier. Drinkable.
Nov 26, 2008
Photo of Absumaster
Reviewed by Absumaster from Netherlands

3.6/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
This beer is different in ABV and in label and I suspect this is the non-export version of the BOSS Porter from the same brewery.

It pours a translucent black color with a thin white head that leaves only a small ring on the side of the glass.

Smell is roasted with molasses and cacao and chocolate. A nice dark malt arome with cacaopowder whiffs.

Taste is full of dark malty notes, there is chocolate and the cacao is noticable, it is even powdery. The beer is a bit sticky and really heavy. It has a one-dimensional character, it lacks complexity and although it is not bad, it should had some more twing. Body is quite thin and drinkability is good.
Feb 23, 2008
Czarny Boss Porter 18,1% Wag. from BOSS Browar Witnica S.A.
Beer rating: 79 out of 100 with 20 ratings