Smuttynose Baltic Porter (Big Beer Series) - Smuttynose Brewing Company

champ103

Texas

4.06/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

A: Pours a dark brown, nearly black color. A two finger tan/brown head forms with good retention. Rings of sticky lace are left behind.
S: Roasted malt up front. Coffee, chocolate. Then some dark fruits. Cherries and plums in the nose. Finises with a bitter dark chocolate aroma.
T: Follows the nose. Plenty of roasted malt, coffee, and chocolate. Dark fruits are apparent in the middle with cherries and plums. Finishes with a more bitter bakers chocolate flavor.
M/D: A medium to full body. Good carbonation. Though, just slightly on the watery side. Easy and enjoyable to drink. The alcohol is not noticeable, and an easy sipper.

One of the few from the Big Beer Series that I actually enjoy. I love plenty of their regular offerings, but have found many from this series ho hum and bland. However, this is very good, and recommended.

Serving type: on-tap

04-02-2013 04:41:19 | More by champ103

tobelerone

New Jersey

3.95/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pretty nice Baltic porter, on tap at Pinocchio’s in Media, Pa. Looks stout-like, very black, with a small tan head that falls pretty fast and some patchy lacing on the glass. Roasty aroma with prominent coffee and lesser bittersweet chocolate notes.

Nice roasted malt flavor, some coffee and chocolate, a touch of fruity esters underneath it all giving it a light sour twang. Lightly sweet with caramel, moderately hopped. Bitter aftertaste of both earthy hops and char.

Medium-full bodied with medium carbonation. Finishes fairly dry. Maybe a touch lighter and bubblier than I’d have wanted, but pretty tasty overall.

Serving type: on-tap

05-23-2012 18:10:58 | More by tobelerone

57md

Pennsylvania

4.05/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance is a dark brown color that is reminiscent of the color of bittersweet chocolate. The significant tan head leaves practically nothing behind, which is surprising for such a creamy offering.

The nose is not very strong at all. The flavor profile includes a mild chocolate flavor with some dark fruits and perhaps a touch of coffee bitterness at the finish. Not nearly as roasty as I would like, but a solid effort nonetheless.

Serving type: on-tap

03-02-2012 05:27:44 | More by 57md

RappAttack

Virginia

4.43/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: black opaque with thin head and is retained throughout
S: smells of dark fruit some caramel along with some licorice
T: licorice and caramel come through in the taste along with some other dark fruits even a little bit of coffee
M: thick viscous, nice creamy mouth feel
O: a great example of the style i was really impressed with this. had it on draft a the Capital Alehouse in Fredricksburg after a night of inventory at Total Wine a great way to end the night.

Serving type: on-tap

02-13-2012 16:58:58 | More by RappAttack

nickfl

Florida

4.33/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

2009 vintage

A - poured with a small head of dark tan foam on an opaque, black body. The head fades quickly and leaves little lace.

S - caramel, raisin, mocha, and licorice.

T - dark fruit notes of plum and black cherry up front. Some dark chocolate and raisin in the middle. Sherry, vanilla, raisin and burnt caramel in the finish.

M - a thick, oily body, moderate carbonation, and a sweet finish.

D - really nice, this has obviously aged well and the raisin and sherry notes only add to the complexity of an already dense beer.

Serving type: on-tap

02-10-2012 04:36:29 | More by nickfl

kylehay2004

Florida

4/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: single finger tan head with some lacing on a jet black body without light passing through.

S: one word, raisin. It is hard to notice anything else here. Vanilla notes perhaps.

T: Roasted, vanilla and sweet notes. Lighter on the dark fruit than the aroma predicts but still present.

M: full body and moderate carbonation. Fairly smooth. 

Overall: not too bad. Thick like most baltics and fairly drinkable. A little oily in the finish

Serving type: on-tap

02-10-2012 04:34:50 | More by kylehay2004

Chico1985

Massachusetts

4.2/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On-tap at Sierra Grille.

Pours inky black with a nice tan head that retains as a good cap, leaving some lacing.

Great smell I could smell from feet away. Big roasty/smoky malt, dark chocolate and dark fruits.

Doesn't quite match the scent but still damn good, definitely could be mistaken for an imperial stout. Roasted malt, smoke, dark chocolate and dark fruit are all big, very hoppy (pine mostly) for a porter too.

Good mouthfeel, but a little overly bitter to me. No booze noticeable.

A great beer but the hops are a bit too much in my opinion so it may improve with some age on it. But either way, really good stuff.

Serving type: on-tap

04-15-2011 23:11:28 | More by Chico1985

jlindros

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Tap at Portsmouth Gas Light Co.

Large creamy head, almost pitch black beer

Nose is dark malts, light roast, black patent malt, dry stout and baltic porter aromas, creamy malts, touch of earthy hops

Taste is fairly rich, bitter roasted dark malts, rich and a bit creamy, dry irish stout flavors, light dark fruits, chewy, touch of dark choc, baltic porter dry but stout like flavors , lightbooze, little fluffy, light earthy bettering hops

Mouth if med to heavier bodied, with decent carb

Drink is good, light booze, little sticky, nice bitterness

Serving type: on-tap

03-07-2011 22:59:38 | More by jlindros

wcintula

New York

3.75/5  rDev -12.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Black beauty with a brown head on her shoulders. Strong coffee, chocolate, malt smells with a matching taste profile. There are enough hops in there to balance the sweetness and keep it from being one-sided. The body is not too thick as you may think, the carbonation lifts it from being considered cloying. Nice beer.

Serving type: on-tap

02-14-2011 18:41:53 | More by wcintula

unit555

Pennsylvania

4.47/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

This beer is nothing short of spectacular. Dark color with a head color that tend toward brown. Slight chocolate ans prominent sweet notes. We enjoyed it as a desert beer and liked it so much we stocked up at the local bottle store. A seasonal selection so dont miss the opportunity when you find it.

Serving type: on-tap

02-14-2011 00:33:01 | More by unit555

IronCitySteve

Pennsylvania

4.28/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

On tap at Fatheads.

A: Pouts a dark black color with a small dark brown foam head. There is a moderate amount of lacing.

S: As it warms, the cocoa, dark chocolate roasted malt, alcohol and some sweet sugar.

T: Lots of sweet cocoa and chocolate hits the palate first and foremost and lasts throughout the tasting. There is some slightly mild hop bitterness in the middle. The ending is sweet and roasty with chocolate, molasses, dark fruit and roasted malts.

M: Leaves a sweet viscous taste on the palate. A nice full bodied beer.

D: A nice sipper on a cold night. Definitely a beer I would seek out and drink again.

Serving type: on-tap

02-14-2011 00:15:19 | More by IronCitySteve

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

4.25/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Max's.

The beer pours a darkish brown color with very good head retention and considerable, dark, mocha colored lacing. The nose is likewise attractive, consisting of coffee grounds, dark chocolate and a hint of vanilla. While the flavor profile replicates the nose, there just more of everything on the palate. The intensity of flavor is very impressiv in this beer, and the moderate sweetness (balanced nicely by the underlying hops) seems perfect for the style. Mouthfeel is medium bodied, with a long, somewhat dry and slightly bitter finish. There is some nice milk chocolate in the finish as well that I really like. Drinkability is good, though you can sense the alcohol is on the high side in this well crafted beer. Still, this is a delicious, well made baltic porter that was a pleasure to enjoy on draft.

Serving type: on-tap

01-27-2011 22:18:12 | More by johnmichaelsen

modernartblues

Connecticut

4.35/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Reviewed From Notes

Served into a Tulip at Mikro

A: blacker than black, 1/2" head (brownish coffee life in color) seems to never recede, plenty of sticky lacing

N: roasty, chocolaty, some dark fruits and coffee, tough to distinguish between an imperial stout

T: roastiness, followed by chocolate, the finish has an odd taste at the end that I had trouble identifying it,....after consulting the Smuttynose website, I found that 'baltic' porters are often brewed with lager yeast, which gives the beer a different profile than the classic porter....my verdict: pleasant and unique

M: this is where the porter part lives up to its name, though chewy the mouthfeel is not quite that of a big stout....good for a porter though

D: high for a high abv....loving this one, can see myself buying 4 or 6 packs of this

Serving type: on-tap

01-21-2011 21:49:04 | More by modernartblues

SkunkWorks

New York

4/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had on tap at Bobbique in Patchogue, New York. Served in a nonic.

Look: pretty black with a thin, mocha colored head. There's not a whole lot of retention and a little bit of lacing sticks to the glass but not a whole lot.

Smell: roasted malt and a bit of booziness and dark fruits. Not a whole lot but just enough.

Taste: roasted malt, dark chocolate, molasses, and a good portion of dark fruit and some alcohol.

Feel: not much in the way of carbonation, some alcohol bite, medium to full body.

Drink: I put this away fairly quickly but I ended up sessioning something else that night instead, so this might be one of those "You could have a lot of these... but do you want to?"

Overall, I'm not a big fan of Baltic porters in general but if Baltic Porters are your thing, this is certainly something you might like. Cheers!

Serving type: on-tap

01-17-2011 20:48:54 | More by SkunkWorks

Gehrig

Illinois

4.6/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Enjoyed on tap at the excellent Crane Alley in Urbana, IL.

Two dense fingers of dark mocha froth top a burly black body; good duration and decent lacing. Rich malty aromas--plenty of dark chocolate, caramel, roasted coffee, and a hint of berry.

The taste is spot-on; delicious! Heavy on the chocolate, but plenty of coffee and some toffee, too. Smooth and creamy, but with some molasses stickiness. Given the full, complex flavor base and pleasant mouthfeel, this almost has the taste and feel of an imperial stout. This is one tremendous porter, eminently drinkable and satisfying.

This is the first Smuttynose beer I've ever had and, after this gem, surely won't be the last. I am thankful that The Crane Alley had a Smuttynose tasting recently, for they have several more of their wares for me to sample. This was a tremendous introduction, and a tough one for Smuttynose to match.

Nothing short of outstanding.

Serving type: on-tap

12-12-2010 03:06:16 | More by Gehrig

blackie

Virginia

4.35/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

a: snifter serving, deep, murky brown in color, essentially black, with a creamy mocha head that retains quite well

s: leads with chocolaty roast and an underlying prune fruitiness, clear chocolate milk notes, raisin, balanced sweetness, complex

m: soft carbonation and a smooth, medium-full body

t: creamy roasted malts, lots of milky chocolate, prune and raisin, smooth roast, flavorful and rich, a delicious baltic

d: no problems here, the abv doesn't come through and the snifter is gone in no time, definitely blurs some style lines but whatever it is, I'll pick up a bottle

draft at ChruchKey

Serving type: on-tap

12-07-2010 03:01:23 | More by blackie

ElGallo

New Hampshire

4.18/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

2010 edition on tap at The Blue Mermaid in Portsmouth, NH. Generous pour into a balloon glass, little to no head, very dark in color.

I had this for the first time last year in the bottle and thought it was a bit boozy, but this year's batch is fantastic. There are some nice smooth malty notes in the nose: maybe some subtle molasses and dark fruit but no trace of roastiness, which I liked.

Taste was delicious and went down way too easily. Mouthfeel with porters is always an issue with me, and I don't really know why, but this one felt okay.

Overall Smutty did a nice job with this year's batch, and I highly recommend this to porter lovers and dark beer enthusiasts. Perhaps I'm finally sunsetting my IPA jonze until springtime...

Serving type: on-tap

12-02-2010 02:51:12 | More by ElGallo

drpimento

Wisconsin

4.28/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Whoa, serious beer. Served with a nice sized, light tan, fine foamy head and good lace. Aroma is malty, sweet, dark ripe fruit, a bit roasty and good. Ditto flavor and all of that comes out much more boldly. Body is great and carbonation too. Finish is mainly sweet with some bitterness to temper. A bit too big to be a session, but nevertheless a major, world class brew.

Serving type: on-tap

02-15-2010 06:33:52 | More by drpimento

ThirstyBird

Germany

4.38/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Served on tap at Track 84 in Warwick RI
A - Super dark brown with mocha colored head that falls slowly.
S - Huge roasty malty, chocolaty nose.
T - Rich chocolate roasted malt. It finishes with a black licorice flavor.
M/F - Full body - thick and smooth. Carbonation on the lighter side
D - It is truly on of the world's best baltic porters in my opinion.

Serving type: on-tap

01-07-2010 23:10:14 | More by ThirstyBird

alkchrios

New Hampshire

4.7/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This is one of my absolute favorite beers.

Appearance- deep, dark black with a matching brown half inch head.

Smell- i could smell this beer the second it was handed to me. Strong chocolate smell with what I thought were undertones of oak.

Taste- is just as good as it looks. Chocolate, roasted malt, but not overbearing. I however did not taste undertones of fruit in this one and ive drank many of these.

Mouthfeel- for as heavy as this brew is, its suprisingly smooth. This beer is a really good one to sip slowly and just let the flavors sit on the tongue. Lighter carbonation...mine however was served a bit too cold when i first had this on tap. I suggest treating this as you would a cask beer...57 to 60 degrees is how i prefer this beer.

Drinkability- As I said before this is a really good beer to sip or even put down a few with a smoke.

Serving type: on-tap

11-16-2009 16:45:31 | More by alkchrios

Lunch

Maryland

3.8/5  rDev -11%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Served on-tap at Frisco Grille in Columbia, MD (10/29/09). Served in a 10oz. goblet at a desired temperature.

A: Pours a very dark brown with one finger of a creamy coffee head that left decent lacing on the inside of the glass.

S: Not as pronounced as I expected but rather nice consisting of raisins, prunes, bitter dark chocolate, sweet malt and a hit of rum perhaps.

T: Fairly rich of prunes and raisins with a deep chocolate flavor emanating from a semi-sweet malt. A slight alcohol flavor is hidden behind a sugary black coffee and a roasted malt backbone.

M: Medium with a slight syrupy texture and seemed to improve as the beer warmed.

D: Fairly drinkable as the 8.7% abv. is hidden fairly well, but one was enough for me.

Overall I find this beer to be a pretty decent Baltic Porter, but it in no way wowed me as it has others. Worth a try.

Serving type: on-tap

11-04-2009 16:34:44 | More by Lunch

atsprings

North Carolina

4.45/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On-tap at Flying Saucer served in a standard pint glass a deep opaque black with a decent dark tan head that diminishes to a ring and leaves slight lacing on the glass. Aroma is slight brown malts and cocoa, but does not do the taste justice at all. Taste is a wonderful blend of bitter cocoa, brown malts, molasses, and dried fruits, very enjoyable and complex. The beer is on the heavy side of medium, but the alcohol is not intrusive at all, a very enjoyable sipper. This is a truly spectacular Baltic Porter.

Serving type: on-tap

10-21-2009 23:06:42 | More by atsprings

joepais

Maine

4.18/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Had this the 09 on tap and a 08 bottle yesterday. I went with the dark brews yesterday
The brew throws a wonderful tan head that easily can be brought back to life at anytime. A nice film of lace stays with this brew the whole time. The body of the brew was black with the 08 showing a nice caramel colored highlight when held to the light.

The differences between the two years are quite interesting. The 08 was huge in the oak and bourbon flavors and smell. Where the 09 bottle had a lot more dark fruits and other spice aroma and flavors going on.
Mouthfeel on both was medium to full with great carbonation.

Drinkability was awesome I easily drank a couple glasses. Looking at the two years side by side, I will say I liked this years a little more than last.

Serving type: on-tap

09-26-2009 15:41:47 | More by joepais

woosterbill

Connecticut

4.33/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz pour into a pint-style glass.

A: Thoroughly black body with a thin, quickly-dissipating brown head that leaves a little bit of fine lace.

S: Lots of roasted malts, with some spicy, smoky notes on top of the dark, raisiny sweetness.

T: Sweet roasted malts dominate, with some serious bitterness going on and adding complexity; chocolate, coffee, dark fruits, and hop bitterness all add to the experience. Very nice.

M: Thick and viscous with moderate carbonation.

D: Just bitter enough to avoid cloying sweetness; I could've had another, for sure.

Notes: This was my first Baltic porter, and I hope it won't be my last. A little more medium-bodied and bitter than most RISs I've had, this was a great beer to enjoy among others - i.e., not necessarily the night-ender that some high-ABV stouts can be. Great brew.

Cheers!

Serving type: on-tap

08-26-2009 23:50:24 | More by woosterbill

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.78/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Enjoyed on-tap at Cole's. Aroma of chocolate, and roast. Black, but reflecting light. Brown soapy head, some alce. Full mouthfeel, carbonation is right there. Fierce chocolate is right in front, the finish is coffee, with some sourness running through mid-sip.

Serving type: on-tap

08-17-2009 03:08:20 | More by northyorksammy