Ølfabrikken Porter - Ølfabrikken

FosterJM

California

4.55/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

1639th Review on BA
Bottle to 20oz Nonic
22oz

Thanks to Ehammond1 for this bottle.

App- This was a deep dark brown. Like a bit of chocolate mixed with that brown crayon from a crayola box. It was a bit of a dense center with some ruby edges and sat in the glass with a rich looking app. The head was a good 2 fingers and slightly pulled apart with some good cling. A very good looking porter.

Smell- This was a nice and full aromatic porter. It started off a bit smoky with a little bit of candied chocolate sweetness and the once it got a little above 60 it became much more smooth on the nose. No booze, no grainy porter notes, just a bit more chocolate and malt. Like a beer milkshake.

Taste- A really great Porter. This opened a bit small at 1st with a bit of the flavors seemingly playing on their own. A little chocolate, a little smokey and a touch malty. Once it warmed a little passed the 60 mark it transformed into pure bliss to where I couldnt put the glass down. It was gone before I knew it. Silky smooth at points and blended well when a bit more of the chocolate come out. No trace of a normal porter hop bite either.

Mouth- Sublimely smooth and medium body. A great body on this one, with silky chocolates malts making it like a beer milk. A good carbonation level with a touch of prickly behind but more of a medium body.

Drink- I am really sad I only had 1 bottle of this one. The beer is drinking fantastic lately and cant thank E enough for this beer. Would love more! Could see why it was a Top 100 for a while.

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2012 18:34:08 | More by FosterJM

Gregfalone

California

4.43/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

This is my first beer review ever, so ill do my best-

Serving- Poured from a 650 ml bottle marked "minst holdbar til 2007 09" into a 22oz wheat beer glass.

Appearance- Beer pours out almost syrupy and nearly black, with 1 finger of light brown head, that dissipates after a minute or two, completely disapearing 3/4 of the way through,leaving no lacing. No light shows through this beer whatsoever. Looks like used motor oil. I like used motor oil!

Aroma- Smells of roasted malts, Carmel, delicious coffee,brown sugar
and a hint of smoked meats.

Taste- This one starts off bitter, and dark fruits in the middle, but not sweet. like dates, but without sugar. It ends almost like a port wine. Slightly sweeter than the beginning, but still not "sweet". I guess it's literally bittersweet. Can slightly detect the alcohol

Mouth- Medium-heavy to heavy body, nice and thick. Perfect carbonation. Coats well, makes me want a steak.

Overall- This beer is no longer produced, and I think it is a real shame. I was lucky to spot it sitting on the shelf at my local neighborhood liqourstore. This is a very good Baltic porter, I wish I could compare it to a fresh one, but I guess that will never happen. If I ever see this again, I will most definately buy it.

Serving type: bottle

10-20-2012 06:36:56 | More by Gregfalone

Dreadnaught33

District of Columbia

4.15/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to Chris (raveskdr) for sharing this rarity that's been on my wants for a long time.

The beer pours a great very dark brown with very little head and no lacing whatsoever even with a swirl, has a very viscous look.

The smell is very well balanced, no flavors really stand out its all quite compact and delicious smelling. Like a really decadent dessert with great sweet chocolatey notes and succulent malt, almost likes milkshake. Dark fruits add in, giving it the Baltic porter character that disguises some of the roast. Very nice aroma.

The taste is very similar, and again has a very compact and smooth palate to the flavor, very refined and tight. Nice dark fruits, a little soy sauce (without being salty), slight roast, a lot less sweetness than the aroma though so it is not at all cloying but I do wish it was a little sweeter it would balance out the mid palate very nicely and propel the other flavors.

The palate is good, not as viscous as hoped almost bordering on watery but very smooth and no burn or heat from alcohol at all, a,so very little carbonation.

A very nice beer, a star in the Baltic porter style!

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2012 00:23:11 | More by Dreadnaught33

falloutsnow

Illinois

4.43/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bottle from Friar Tuck's in Savoy, IL
No bottled on date
Poured into a tulip glass

Ølfabrikken Porter is an excellent Baltic Porter, less sweet than others in the style, with a focus on roasted characters that outweigh any sweetness by a significant factor. For some, this may be not appropriate, but I found this a highly enjoyable "big" porter with plenty of robust aromas and tastes. I only wish it was more readily available (and still in production?).

Pours a tan head that is 2cm in height, composed of small and medium-sized bubbles. Leaves modest, spot-like lacing along the side of the glass as it descends. Eventually, head settles to a thin cap atop the body. Drink itself is extremely dark brown or black in color (unable to tell) that allows no light to pass through it. Unable to see any carbonation.

Aroma features strong roasted malt, chocolate malt, and coffee scents (strength in that order), with minor notes of prune-like sweetness and brown sugar. Scents are generally

Taste features strong, dominant roasted malt and coffee beans along with some vanilla, caramelized sugar, and chocolate. A flurry of rich, roasted flavors of all sorts, quite delicious.

Medium to medium-heavy bodied, with medium-level carbonation that's just enough to effervesce this slightly on the palate. Resultant mouthfeel is generally smooth, but with enough carbonation to have everything move on the palate purposefully and not feel stagnant. Closes dry, with a bit of residual stickiness.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2012 05:02:10 | More by falloutsnow

DarthKostrizer

California

4.38/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Look: Black with a brown ring at the top. Just over a 1/4 inch mocha colored head and ok retention. The head settles to a thin collar

Smell: Lots of chocolate malt and some coffee with just a whiff of vanilla and brown sugar

Taste: Roasted malt and roasted coffee upfront with some brown sugar mid palate and finishes with a nice amount of chocolate

Mouthfeel: Medium to full body low carbonation and a silky sticky finish

Overall: Just a great beer

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2012 02:56:00 | More by DarthKostrizer

coreyfmcdonald

Georgia

4.08/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

22 oz bottle into a goblet

A: Pours pitch black with a finger of dense medium brown head. Retention is great. Beautiful beer.

S: Strong roasted malts dominate with molasses, smoke, and dark chocolate in the background. I also get some dark fruits in the background, but it's fairly weak. As the beer warms up, I get more and more dark fruits and molasses.

T: Upfront, I get strong dark chocolate and molasses. Interestingly, roasted malts and smokiness build strength as I take more sips. Moderate hop bitterness is present, enough to balance the beer without being overpowering.

M: Quite thick with strong carbonation.

O: A very solid Baltic Porter. Nothing overly interesting, but it's not trying to be. I very much enjoyed this.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2012 00:21:29 | More by coreyfmcdonald

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

500 ml bottle in an oversized tulip glass.

Pours black with a ¾ finger width of frothy milk chocolate colored head. This retains with a thin creamy ring around the edges of the glass, leaving back a cascade of spotty lacing which slowly descends down the sides of the glass. The aroma smells of smoky roast, chocolate, brown sugar, and green citrus. This is strong enough feeling in the nose but unfortunately also has a strong underpinning of fusel alcohol underneath with takes a bit away from this.

The taste is quite rich and flavorful, with notes of dark smoky roast and bitter citric hops, which is balanced by a sticky sweet wall of chocolate and sugary molasses flavors. This finishes dry and bitter, with some lingering smokiness hanging on the breath after each sip. The mouthfeel is fuller bodied and sits with some chewy heft in the mouth. A bit of a firm prickle runs down the center of the tongue, which adds some liveliness to the feel. Unfortunately, like the aroma, I’m just picking up too much alcohol in the body and taste of this that does add some stinging qualities that distracts a bit from the other flavors.

I had been cellaring this one for a couple of years, so I’m not sure how big of an impact this had on the beer but despite having a rather flavorful smoky and tangy character to it, this just showed too much alcohol (especially for a 8% beer) to be wholly enjoyable for me. It’s definitely intrigued me enough though to maybe track down a fresher bottle of this at some point. Even with the alcohol this is still quite good.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2012 15:30:43 | More by Kegatron

auroracrisis

Kentucky

4.38/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bomber into a snifter.

Black, small head on the pour with a ring as it is settles. Not very dense, a shade of red or brown can be seen around the edges of the body against the light.

Roast, fudge, and chocolate greet your nose with a touch of earthyness. More roast in the form of espresso and bakers chocolate lie directly behind the initial aroma. This one is all about that nice, toasty roast.

Opens with soft roasty notes of espresso and the sweet/bitter combination of the darkest fudge you can imagine. Moves further into more sweet, oily flavors of rich darker chocolates. A hint at earthyness as well on the finish.

Thin-medium on the tongue with a touch of drying. A bit oily too, and almost no carbonation.

Great roast and chocolate flavors displayed on a nice oily canvas. It's a shame this brewery went out of business, I am really liking this beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2012 07:12:55 | More by auroracrisis

4DAloveofSTOUT

Illinois

4/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

poured into tulip glass.

Appearance: black bodied beer with medium brown head.

Smell: Really smoky and roasty nose. Has a fruity note in there too!

Taste: Smoke is heavy in this beer; its smoke notes are both meaty (like bacon) and roasty. Even finding a little bit of charcoal and earthiness in there as well from the smoke notes. Some chocolate and black licorice that add some sweetness that help to break up all the smoke dominating the beer. I also get a hint of plums and raisins. The finish and aftertaste is all smoky.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied beer with moderate carbonation. The beer feels like its a well made beer and the carbonation is appropriate for the style. Very drinkable baltic porter. Not boozey at all.

Overall: Really nice Batic Porter. I think that Killer Kapowski and this beer are the best Baltic Porter I have drank; but I do prefer killer kapowski. I wish this beer was just a little less smoky and just a bit sweeter. Not much else I would change.

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2012 04:36:33 | More by 4DAloveofSTOUT

abraxel

Michigan

4.68/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Tasted side-by-side with a few other highly-rated baltic porters.

A - Looks about the same as all the others: dark dark brown, with a finger or two of chocolatey head. This one has better head retention than the others and leaves little trails of lacing down the glass.

S - Roasty toasty chocolate, a dollop of dark fruits (grapes and prunes?), and altogether tastiness.

T - Roasty, chocolatey, slightly smoky malt; fruity esters that blend with the malt seamlessly; and a nice twinge of sourness that pulls everything together but is somehow elusive. It's an acidity that's obviously there but that I can't seem to single out or focus on. This is, basically, everything that I love about baltic porters.

M - Moderately thick and chewy. Very little alcohol to speak of.

Overall, this is fantastic. This is everything a baltic porter should be.

Serving type: bottle

10-31-2011 02:40:19 | More by abraxel

brew3crew

Ohio

3.3/5  rDev -23.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

In line at founders for CBS. Thanks Cam

A-brown boey with brown head that quickly disapates

S-little bit of smokiness but really not that much

T-smokiness and a lot of malt. Maybe a little bit if oxidation? Don't know if that's it but it tastes like it

M-medium body and smooth

O-decent beer but not my style

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2011 09:38:16 | More by brew3crew

Urbancaver

Ohio

4.3/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a dark brown with reddish tints. A nice yellowed head. Smells roasty as all get out. Lots of dark malt sweetness. Tastes malty and a bit boozy. Strong roasted characteristics. Nice thick mouthfeel. Overall quite enjoyable. Definitely a solid Baltic porter

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2011 09:27:22 | More by Urbancaver

scottfrie

California

4.58/5  rDev +6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

22oz bottle thanks to craytonic. Pours into Anderson Valley snifter.

A: Pours black with a very dense dark brown head that took its time to recede into a thick film that left a thin network of lacing down the glass.
S: Sweet notes of coffee, chocolate and maybe marshmallows. This is very rich and a bit boozy.
T: Very rich flavors of chocolate, nuts, vanilla and coffee. Super roasted all around, rich, and potent. The finish is sweet with brown sugar and the aftertaste is very roasted and lingers forever.
M: Velvety soft mouthfeel due to a thick body, low carbonation that is ever so soft. No acidity, no bitterness, and the sweetness from the sugar is far from overpowering or cloying.
O: Rivals and maybe surpasses Smuttynose Baltic. This is one incredibly smooth and rich beer without a trace of bitterness or acidity. Very well done.

Serving type: bottle

09-19-2011 02:36:19 | More by scottfrie

julian

Washington

4.4/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Color of the midnight sky on a moonless night...in the middle of the jungle. Thick coating of mocha colored head that lasts for awhile leaving big a bubbly layer on the surface. Beautiful.
4.5

S: Roasty, chocolatey, nutty, earthy, mild coffee aromas.
4

T&M: This is an incredible porter. Almost stout like in mouthfeel and taste. This has a rich, oily, thick feel but is also very drinkable. Amazing taste of dark roasted malt, chocolate, coffee, nuts, hint of dark fruit and brown sugar. Oh man, so good.
4.5/4.5

O: A 7.2% Porter that tastes like a Stout and is absolutely incredible. I love it.
4.5

Serving type: bottle

08-29-2011 16:20:37 | More by julian

aasher

Indiana

4.33/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I was lucky enough to find this one at a store that gets very little craft traffic. This one pours a medium bodied midnight black in color with chestnut highlights and a slight beige ring around the glass. It smells of sweet malts, chocolate malt, roasted malts, and bitter coffee beans. It tastes of sweet chocolate and very bitter, yet authentic coffee beans. It's pretty similar to coffee from a French press. I really like the finish, it's very "beany". It drinks light in consistency yet coats your mouth pretty well, leaving behind nice and rich coffee flavors. It's easy to drink yet still a sipper due to the complexity. Overall this is a damn fine porter, I'm glad I finally found it.

Serving type: bottle

08-22-2011 23:46:10 | More by aasher

SykDoc

Wisconsin

4.35/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Got this courtesy of a trade with Gonzoillini, much thanks. Poured into a tulip. It pours very dark and is opaque when held to the light. A one inch mocha colored head forms and reduces to a nice lacing.

The aroma is good with a primarily milky sweetness, some smoke, and a chocolate maltiness. Somewhat simple but good.

The taste is where it's at. Big notes of smoke, dark chocolate malts, some milky sweetness. Also roasted coffee and an interesting fruitiness that seems to include multiple tastes.

The mouthfeel is medium bodied, somewhat light for a porter. Low carbonation with a smoothness that is followed by a nice dry finish. A residual bitter note also lingers.

Overall, this is an easy beer to drink due to reasonable ABV, solid flavors without destroying my palate. Very good.

Serving type: bottle

07-22-2011 02:35:02 | More by SykDoc

Marty30

Pennsylvania

4.43/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to smokeypeat for this long time want. Poured into a Duvel tulip at 55 degrees.

A. Dark,black,no light shines through this brew. 2 finger khaki colored head. Some sticky lacing.A nice quarter inch cap remains.

S. Big smokey notes in here I got them right away. Roasted malts,bacon, dark chocolate.

T. Wow big flavor in here, Roasted malt burnt flavor. I taste bacon, Walnut,dark chocolate.Leaves a smokey aftertaste.

M. Medium feel that is velvety smooth.Coats the mouth.Good carbonation for the style.

Overall I am very impressed with this,there is tons of smoke and roasted notes ,very well put together. Must try.

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2011 18:56:02 | More by Marty30

OakedCanuck

Washington

4.03/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz bottle into cervoise.

A - Dark brown to lighter black. Brown edging. The head on this thing is a thing of beauty. About 2 fingers, fluffy, a deep mocha brown with darker lines through it. Excellent

S - Roast coffee and bitter chocolate. Some charcoal and wood. Slight grass and pine with a bit of grains.

T - Great tasting beer. Big espresso and bakers chocolate. A nice subdued smokiness accented by some fruit (currants, orange zest, banana (very minor though)) and caramel malt.

M - Medium, silky and smooth

O - This is an easy drinking porter. Fantastic looking beer that had huge roast and malty flavour profiles. Very good.

Serving type: bottle

06-22-2011 17:50:29 | More by OakedCanuck

thagr81us

South Carolina

4.45/5  rDev +3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Massive thanks goes out to Rake for sending me this one as an extra in a past trade! Served from bottle into a Stone nonic. Poured pitch black with a two finger tan head that subsided to half a finger very slowly. Maintained nice lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of sweet malt, roasted malt, dark chocolate, dark fruit, and cream. The flavor was of sweet malt, roasted malt, brown sugar, dark chocolate, and cream. It had a medium feel on the palate with medium high carbonation (almost creamy in texture). Overall this brew amazed me if I'm honest... The mouthfeel on this one was other-worldly from what I ususally get from a Baltic Porter! The flavor was quite excellent as well and very well balanced. The aroma was also very nice and inviting to the senses. Not a lot could be said wrong about this brew at all... Really glad I got the chance to try this one as it had been on my Wants for a LONG time. An excellent example of the style!

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2011 12:49:49 | More by thagr81us

wchollif

North Carolina

4.22/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to thecpj for this bottle

Poured a dark brown, not black like some "baltics" I've had. The head was very nice coffee color, for that I was impressed. The nose was good malty with some banana. The flavor of this beer really shines. It's really high on roasted malts but not burnt. Caramel flavor and low perceived alcohol with light mouthfeel makes this very drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2011 20:35:19 | More by wchollif

Chico1985

Massachusetts

4.35/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Hard/impossible to find this in stores around here now, so a good find at Dirty Truth at only $10/bomber.

Pours black with a small brown head, forms a ring quickly not leaving much lacing.

Smell/taste - Smell was good but taste killed it. Lots of great flavors present. Bitter chocolate, espresso, smoke, brown sugar, vanilla, light notes of coconut and dark fruit. A bit of a hop punch as well. Surprising amount of sweetness considering the style but a good mixture of smoky, roasty, and sweet. Nice complexity with no unwanted flavors.

Silky smooth mouthfeel with lowish carbonation, a bit of alcohol noticeable now and then.

A great beer, half this bomber was gone in a flash.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2011 00:35:08 | More by Chico1985

sendsilk

Florida

4.25/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Finally found one of these a few weeks back and havve been waiting to try it. $11 for I guess a 16 oz bottle.

A- Nice, very dark and rich looking. Very small head even with a fairly vigorous pour that dissipates almost immediately.

S- Pretty freaking good. Nice dark bourbon and cocoa notes.

T- Not too shabby. Definitely a nice taste but a little sweet. Almost like a milk stout. Fine flavors here to enjoy though.

M- This is the one weak point of this porter. Pretty light mouthfeel. The taste is there but just a hint more to the mouth thickness would be good for me.

O- A GREAT porter. One of the bext in the style that I have ever tried. If you see one grab it, it's worth trying but because of the expense (this one was $11) it will be a while before I have another one.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2011 23:28:08 | More by sendsilk

brewerburgundy

California

4.5/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

22oz bottle, Boulevard tulip,

It's as black as it gets and the head is dark and beautiful. The texture of the head is like custard, the color like milk chocolate, and the retention decent.

I sense no bells and whistles in this beer, it just does what it does very well. Excellent aromas of the expected very dark fruits, sweetened espresso, dark roast, bitter dark chocolate, and just the hint of alcohol. It also has hints of licorice and is a bit smokey.

The flavors are equally as enticing. Very rich dark chocolate flows back over the tongue and perfectly bitter coffee and roast work to balance. Sweet vinous fruit mingles and isn't too prominent. This seems very much like an Imperial Stout, possibly one using Belgian yeast, but that is no flaw.

Velvety is the best adjective I have for the mouthfeel. Perhaps oily is appropriate. The carbonation is moderate-low and overall it's one of the best I've encountered.

While I'm not actually sure what could make this beer better, it is very, very good. It's done with style, with class, and with no extraneous ingredients. It's better than many of the big Stouts at 7.5% abv. A bigger beer is not always a better beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2011 04:04:04 | More by brewerburgundy

jgasparine

Maryland

4.33/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

A- Poured from the bottle with the medium brown head, which was nicely sustained, and gave way to some incredibly sticking lacing. The body was a completely opaque jet black color. No visible carbonation.

S- The rich nose comprised of stewed malts and roasty aromas. A mild low alpha hop character protrudes from the background. Nuances of dark chocolate and licorice. Sweet, rich and simply elegant.

T- A nice replicate of the nose with stewed and roasted malts, which are met with a mild hop bitterness, and a moderate roasty bitterness midway. The finish is a little drier than I would have liked, but the flavor is still wonderfully dynamic and likeable.

M- And incredibly thick and chewy body, accented by a wonderfully soft carbonation- Very much like a velvet blanket on the tongue. Low astringency and virtually no alcohol detected on the pallet.

D- Dangerously quaffable. Incredibly smooth and rich, non-bloating, and wonderfully dynamic. I could skip this ad infinitum.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2011 23:53:32 | More by jgasparine

kingcrowing

Vermont

4.45/5  rDev +3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

22oz bomber poured into an 8oz taster.

Pours a pitch oily black with a small dark brown head. Nose is strong with dark coffee and chocolate notes, quite sweet with a hint of alcohol.

First off the mouthfeel is phenomenal, it's velvety smooth, creamy and light. There's an awesome coffee bitter finish, light and roasty. Carbonation is perfect, it's unobtrusive and makes it spot on. It's a bit sweet but the roasted bitterness of it makes it near perfect.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2011 20:32:47 | More by kingcrowing