Howling Mad
Working Hands Fermentation

a rather impressive baltic porter here, nice and roasty, dry and even crisp from the lager fermentation, nice winter weather beer, but i would drink this anytime, nicely refined, these guys have a good thing going! gorgeous pour, black and not too thick, some shine to it but muted, short light tan head on top, really appealing. it smells mature and dry, with a big roast profile rising as it warms, bitter but not aggressive, no sign of its alcohol strength, and nuances of good coffee and light smoke, lovely build on this. there is a subtle yeast thing to the ferment, old worldy and adding interest, a lager strain of some kind but its hard to identify with all the dark grain in this. i love that they only left a little malt richness in the middle, its about the dark stuff here and its not compromising on that. bitterness is there, espresso beans, some underlying minerality not common in beer like this, and a fast finish and smooth body with a lot of bubbles, love the life this has, really nice mouthfeel overall. i think on the whole here we have a classic example of the style, executed with precision, and i was thoroughly stoked on it. sneaky strong, doesnt drink big at all...