Obolon Porter
Obolon Brewery

 

 

 

poured a dark caramel color, lighter than expected from a porter

light foamy head that fades quickly, no residue on the glass

very malty, sweet smelling aroma

initial taste fades quickly, but there is a lingering sweetness

not a bad beer, however not a real standout for me

to me this beer is closer to a brown than a porter

Pours with a frothy, very lightly browned, tan colored head that sits on top of a very dark brown colored beer. When held up to the light it shows an almost brilliantly clear, deep red color and lots of carbonation. The aroma smells quite sweet and for some reason makes me think of cocoa puffs breakfast cereal; there really is something that smells of sweet, toasted grain and chocolate syrup. Somehow this is really weird smelling, yet it is at least quite interesting.

Sweetish tasting, with a deeply nutty flavor that is backed by a dusty cocoa note and a noticeable bitterness that seems more roast grain derived than from hop character. Light sherry notes signify some age and oxidation. Fairly fizzy and almost light bodied for a beer of this strength. What is interesting about this beer is how the light oxidation produces a nice nuttiness that mixes quite well with the roast malt notes of cocoa and light coffee.

500 ml bottle poured into a pint glass.

Pours a mohogany color with a thick tan head that disappears quickly with no lacing. Very sweet aromas of malt, dried fruit, caramel, & toffee. Has a sweet yet smokey up front taste with molasses followed by slight hoppiness and a finish of raisin. Surprisingly light mouthfeel, moderately carbonated. Pretty easy drinking beer. I wouldn't have guessed that the alcohol was as high as 7%.

Another of the baltic porter tastings with Stopper and Farrardc.
This bottle is at cellar temp and is a gusher upon opening! UGH.
Finally pours a mahogany color with .5 cm head that fades quickly to a surface layer.
Aroma is caramel and toffee with slightly funky/tart bready nose. First sip reveals a light body with gentle rolling carbonation. Flavor is mild but some caramel and malt sweetness gives way to bitter ETOH on the finish. This brew scored poorest of the nite.

This poured a dark and hazy mauve, and smelled like prunes and malt. It tasted very sweet like prunes and roasted malt, with some bitterness in the aftertaste. It seemed almost sticky, and was thick with no carbonation. Overall this wasn't one of the best porters I've tried, but it was interesting.

A dark caramel brown colored beer with ruby highlights. Has a nice fizzy light brown head. The aroma has a strong molasses and brown sugar character with a hint of licorice in the background. Again in the taste the molasses note dominates. With a brown sugar sweetness on the finish and that hint of licorice.

Appearance: Pours a murky ice tea brown color with a head that, while initially substantial, falls away almost as quickly as a soda; the lacing falls away rapidly as well

Smell: Caramel; nothing more, nothing less

Taste: What is somewhat acceptable on the nose is a disaster on the tongue as the caramel dominates the flavor; after the swallow, it fades a little bit and raisiny flavor with a hint of fusel alcohol sneaks in so that you know it is a beer

Mouthfeel: Surprisingly uncarbonated and a bit watery

Drinkability: Truly disappointing; drain pour

This beer is a nice ruby-brown color with a thin head. Obolon Porter does not have a very distinctive smell, and tastes on the sweeter side of the porter spectrum. While a little thin for a porter, this is something of which I would drink two.

At $2 for a .5 liter, this was a good value, and rates better compared to some other Ukrainian beers I have tried.

Pours a clear dark ruby with almost no head after a quick fall of what first is. Nose is caramel and woody with most of the nose being a sugary caramelized character. Flavor is smoky on the front and it fades away but makes a comeback on the aftertaste and what is left in your mouth. There is a strong sugary sweetness to it that seems kind of out of place. Feel is very bubbly. I almost feel like I am drinking a soda. Drinkable, yeah. It is okay. But after having the Sinebrychoff Porter last night and now this...I kind of feel iffy about this one. Just seems to lack some finesse overall.

Into the glass with an active light tan effervescent head that diminished quickly. Holding it to the light reveals a warm opaque mahogany glow. There is rich maltiness on the nose like the sweet caramel malty character that boils off the wort during brewing. This masks subtle hints of chocolate, leather, whiskey, and plum. The 7% alcohol is hidden well amongst flavors of caramel, acidic coffee, minerals, and leather. The finish pushes towards the mineral notes leaving a sharp crispness on the back of the tongue. Body is surprisingly light and refreshing, a nice beverage for a warm autumn evening as the chill sets into the air.

$1.99 for a 500ml bottle at Merchants. I think this beer is faulty so keep that in mind for the review. The cap left a rust-ring around the lip and when poured, no head, minimal if any carbonation, but I did hear a little whoosh when I opened it. Pours to a cloudy, very dark mahogany. The head (swirling required) has a yellowish tinge. The aroma is expansive...as intense as Sam Adams Triple Bock...TONS of raisin and prune juice, dark rum, molasses, licorice, dates and figs, dark caramel, sweet tobacco. The nose on this is more intense than any other Baltic Porter I've had. Awesome! Mouthfeel is slick, medium-dense bodied, and syrupy due to the minimal carbonation. The taste is great as well...it holds up to my expectations from the nose...bushels and bushels of dark fruits and tobacco. The bitterness is well-balanced and earthy...quite nice. Long aftertaste of fine, moist tobacco. Cleanly fermented, no off-flavors. Alcohol is imperceptable in taste.

This is a great Baltic Porter (even if it's flat, hence the appearance score), rivaling Okocim/D.Carnegie/Dojlidy as one of my favorites. I really want to get another bottle of this and see how it tastes with carbonation, but dang, even flat, it's a tasty gem. Highly recommended!

500 ml green bottle. No freshness date noted.

Dark brown in color, with a thick creamy tan head.

Aroma is caramel malts with some sugary undertones.

Flavor is sugary sweet coffee with just a hint of rum.

Body is thin.

I’m bummed. This started out looking so promising, it finished with barely a fizzle.

Big green bottle, served at 40 degrees F.

Murky dark caramel brown with light coming in around the edges. Khaki head is a little fizzy and doesn't stick around too long. Toasted grains, sugary caramel, light chocolate, and roasted malt bitterness on the nose. Taste is similar, but surprisingly full-flavored and without any odd skunky/cardboard flavors I have found in other imported Baltic country brews (especially ones in green bottles). Smooth chocolate and caramel meld with moderate roasted bitterness and subtle flint/mineral flavors. Not bad. Medium-body with a slightly soapy and overcarbonated feel. The best Ukrainian beer I've had? Yep (but it's also only the second or third I've ever tried!).

Purchased at Sam's Blue Light in Durham over the weekend when I rewarded myself with a stop at Sam's after getting up early on a Saturday to attend a job fair. Pours a dark brown with burgundy highlights and a resiliant finger of tight bubbled head. Nose is heavy on the dark fruits and quite pungent. Chocolate and coffee notes are also there but if you like figs and prunes you'll love this beer.

The fruitiness is still the main player here along with a tinge of alcohol and a little smokiness. Body is a bit lighter than expected and a little disappointing. Still, this is a drinkable porter and a good change of pace from the amped up coffee and dark malt versions one usually gets from US brewers.

Other than the ubiquitous lager styles, I'm not sure if there is another style that is produced by so many different nations' brewers as Baltic porters; this is at least the ninth nationality of the style I've been able to try. This is nice when you want to try something from a new country but don't want a predictable, boring macrolager.

500 ml green bottle pours a clear mahogany body with a one finger beige head. Good retention with some patchy lacing on the glass. Aroma is chocolate and dark fruits accented by some floral hops. Light medium body with some overcarbonation. Taste is milk chocolate, molasses, prunes, bitter old coffee, and some bittering floral hops. Just a hint of dark fruits here. Not a bad Baltic porter, but nothing compelling.

Оболон Портер
Obolon Porter, Ukraine

Bottle into glass:

This Beer pours a black dark brown color. The head is very think and dispended quickly.
The smell was good, a very sweet chocolate smell. By the time I went for my fist sip the head was almost gone but a little lacing still survived.
The taste was of malt-liquorish, after a bit the sweetness was too strong. The liquid consistency was fine.

Poured this 1 pt. .9 oz. tapered green bottle into a Samuel Smith pint glass. No date in the "best before end" window/panel. The body was a hazy dull rootbeer color. The moderate beige head was fizzy and faded within a few minutes.

Smell was raisin bread. Notes of carmelized sugar. Nothing compelling or especially interesting.

Taste was sweet. there was very little hops presence. No porter-like tanginess. Really rather one dimensional. But who knows this may be a really old/abused bottle.

Mouthfeel was medium in body, not as light as expected for a porter. Carbonation was relatively high.