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

Phelps

Arizona

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

Bottle sent by wowcoolman, poured into a snifter.

Thin yet opaque black, like mixed watercolor paint. The head is large, about two inches tall, the consistency and color of sugar boiling on the stove. It soon collapses to a dense inch and sets up camp. Looks thick enough to walk on.

Lots going on in the aroma. Figs and raisins first, followed by mild bittersweet chocolate chips, then smoke, vanilla, oats. Smooth, rich, cigar-like.

This right here is how it's done. Tangy dark chocolate and milder fruits up front. The swallow brings milk chocolate, toasted oats and vanilla. Smokiness is much more prominent, settling in after the swallow and lingering for a long while. Dark prunes show up every now and then. A flash of fruit at every swallow quickly gives way to roast, which I like here — more porter than Baltic.

Thinnish body. Medium-light, but with interesting creaminess and gentle, massaging carbonation. Not much alcohol — just some warming in the throat.

A nearly pitch-perfect example of a Baltic porter. Great balance of sweet and smoky.

Serving type: bottle

07-23-2012 20:15:20 | More by Phelps

bashiba

Iowa

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

Poured a deep dark black with a long lasting dark tan head, light lacing.

The smell is sweet and a bit smokey with a rich dark chocolate quality to it.

The flavor is intense, a big wave of smokey and burnt malts wash over my palette with sweet dark fruit and milk chocolate lingering behind, there is a nice bit of dank green hops in the finish giving this enough bitterness to keep the malt flavors in check. Really liking the smokey richness.

The mouthfeel is thick and chewy and has quite a bit of hop oil.

This is a monster of a porter, super flavorful and complex, I'm really digging this.

Serving type: bottle

07-21-2012 21:41:11 | More by bashiba

lovindahops

New York

4.65/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I decided to tap into this anticipated gem from one the best breweries in the north east. I'm thinking this beer is going to be a beast to be reckoned with :)

A- jet black body with a mischievous head of mocha foam that layers itself in colors like tan and dark brown. With carbonation ripping through, the mocha latte embraces the edges of my hill farmstead stem and literally becomes analogous to thick skin. This is an impressive bodied beer

S- Dark raisins that are not draped in alcohol yet hearty with a sugary scent are at the forefront. A scent of light black coffee comes to fruition with the toffee caramel scent as well.

T- Sweet dark fruit with mocha coffee creamer are tastes in parallel to make for an awesome taste combination. So drinkable with the coating flavor of sugar and caramel. This is what a Baltic porter should be

M- creamy, carbonated, and masking alcohol to enhance drinkability

O- vrooom, vroooom. Whats that? I just ran to my local store to strip the shelves of the best Baltic porter ever made. Try this and you will agree. A combination darkened fruit and caramel tones make for a great treat in the winter time in the northeast (or summertime of the northeast)

Serving type: bottle

07-20-2012 23:42:11 | More by lovindahops

abrand

Illinois

4.1/5  rDev -4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bomber poured into a pint glass. Bottled in 2009

Pours a black color with a small ebony head. Foam fades quickly. Smells of coffee, raisins and hints of chocolate. Malts are also noted. Taste is quite smooth for the alcohol content of this. Nice hints of dark fruits with a bitter finish. Mouthfeel is medium to full bodied. Overall, a nice drinkable after dinner beer. Ages nicely.

Serving type: bottle

07-14-2012 12:35:33 | More by abrand

chinchill

South Carolina

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

22 oz. bottle, 2012 vintage, served in a glass snifter.

Appearance: nearly black but with faint traces of brown. Topped by a moderate size, creamy/sudsy, light brown head than reduces to a ring and some 'islands' all too quickly. Still able to leave lacing on the glass.

Smell: Lots of chocolate for a beer without any actual cocoa; also dark malt and dark fruits, with a hint of coffee. Smells sweet.

Taste: Chocolate, coffee, raisins, dark roasted malts and dark fruit flavors are all quite evident in this very flavorful beer. Despite the coffee component and some hop flavor, the brew is only mildly bitter.

Mouthfeel: Creamy and smooth full body. Medium carbonation, perhaps a bit higher than expected, imparts some liveliness.

Overall as good as any Baltic porter I've had: Smutty's Baltic Porter is indeed a world-class beer. Flawlessly crafted, it has excellent aroma, taste and mouthfeel; looks great too. Wish I had bought another one to tuck away for a year.

Serving type: bottle

07-11-2012 23:24:38 | More by chinchill

hagbergl

Massachusetts

4.73/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Was fortunate enough to find bombers of this beer at a local liquor store in Jamestown, RI while vacationing there. Sometimes you get lucky...Enjoyed this beer with my girlfriend–we split the 22 oz. bottle. Poured into a pint glass.

Appearance (4.5/5): Motor-oil black. A high altitude pour produces a generous, creamy three finger tan head of foam. It looks so good–like a dark chocolate shake.

Smell (4.5/5): Big chocolate and dark fruit aromas with a bit of clean alcohol. It smells exactly like you want a dark beast of a beer to smell–strong, a little hot...A little mouth-watering, I'd say.

Taste (5/5): Chocolate and dark fruit flavors dominate this beer, following the nose. Some hop flavor and toasted malt flex in the background lending a nice bitter edge that helps temper the beer's sweetness. This beer is most certainly a "Big Beer" as per Smuttynose's series of high gravity beers they put out during the year. Awesome tasting stuff, similar to some Russian Imperial Stouts. Pretty much flawless.

Mouthfeel (4.5/5): Creamy and smooth. Fairly minimal carbonation, as one might expect. Drinkability is scarily high because of the taste, but you would not want to drink more than one bomber of this stuff or things could get silly. It's a heavy-hitting sipper, for sure.

Overall (4.5): Plenty have said it already about Smutty's Baltic Porter, and I have to agree with them: this is a world-class beer. It has virtually no flaws–an excellent aroma, taste, and mouthfeel and looks great in the glass. Impressive and imposing. But don't be intimidated. Buy it if you stumble upon it at your local store.

Serving type: bottle

07-11-2012 20:08:32 | More by hagbergl

KDawg

Illinois

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

poured from bomber into a tulip. Pours a near black color with a small head.

Deep deep aromas of coffee, roasted malts, and bitter dark chocolate.

Full bodied with a real rich feel and really good notes of roasted coffee, malts, and dark chocolate.

This was damn good. A big beer that really packs a wallop.

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2012 02:05:59 | More by KDawg

spamages

Michigan

4.23/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

A: Thick and black with a small tan head

S: Chocolate, sweet alcohol, sweet malt, light coffee and roast. Delightful.

T: Bitter chocolate, sweet alcohol, a little fruity, fairly sweet finish. Just enough bitter roast to balance out the malty sweetness.

M: Thick, rich, and full, oily sweetness.

O: Rich, sweet, chocolaty porter. Great dessert beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2012 22:44:03 | More by spamages

rodkin

Missouri

4.15/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

I guess the porter/stout distinction is often blurred, but this definitely looked like a stout. Really dark, small head.

Smell was really nice. Roasted coffee, chocolate, some dark fruits, a hint of some sweetness. Nothing new, but very good, and stronger than I expected.

Taste pretty much follows the nose. Really well balanced though, very tasty. It's a lot bigger tasting than I was expecting, and not a hint of the alcohol.

Mouthfeel was great. Really thick mouth-coating. However, I would have liked a bit more carbonation.

Very drinkable, very pleasant. I'd love to get another bottle. And the bottle art was pretty cool, too!

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2012 18:09:19 | More by rodkin

ThisWangsChung

Maryland

4.38/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

About 6 oz. (from a 22 oz. bomber) poured into a small wine glass. From notes.

A: Pours a very dark brown color body. The head is a three finger light tan color with impressive retention and lacing.

S: Strong roasted malts, coffee, chocolate, and dark fruit - a textbook smell, but a great one.

T: This has one of the most immensely bold roast profiles I've ever encountered; actually this is one of the most in your face tasting beers I've ever had. The huge roastiness does transition to chocolate and licorice after a while, while the finish sees a surge of dark fruit to go with the big roast. Wow, this has so much flavor, and it has solid balance, to boot.

M: This has a medium body with good carbonation and dryness. The aftertaste is loaded with long-lasting dark fruit and roast, and the alcohol isn't very noticeable on the palate and body.

O: Here's the thing. It's amazingly flavorful, but there's so much flavor that it hinders its drinkability somewhat. Put simply, it's an incredible beer that makes me unsure I could polish off a bomber of it solo. Split this one with friends, a little goes a long, long, LONG way. I'd still get this stuff again and again without hesitation.

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2012 23:16:50 | More by ThisWangsChung

scruffwhor

Illinois

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

Black chocolate in color with a great brown head that retains pretty well. Looks like super, dark chocolate coffee.

Rich, dark chocolate, coffee, and super roasted malts, maybe even burnt. Tis aroma dominates! Just a little noticeable alcohol.

Lots of coffee, dark chocolate, roasted bread crust. The alcohol hits from teh middle too the finish. Pretty good alcoholic warmth that lingers for awhile. Great sipper, and perfect for a cold winters night.

Palate is oily and warm.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2012 00:06:24 | More by scruffwhor

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

Greywulfken

New York

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

A: looks like an imperial stout - black beer with a fat milk chocolate head that leaves lots of lace

S: typical aromas of an imperial stout: chocolate, deep roasted malt, espresso

T: I'm seeing a trend here: black roasted malts, some choclate, hints of dark fruit and anise

M: smooth for the most part but with a nice little bitter bite

O: sounds like this beer should be somewhere between the and English porter and a Russian stout - flavor imitates geography? Well, I'd say this beer hits that mark pretty spot-on: it was like a slightly lighter imperial stout, slightly more on the dry (rather than sweet) side

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2012 21:45:22 | More by Greywulfken

sendsilk

Florida

4.4/5  rDev +3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Picked this up at my local shop. a 22 oz bottle I think was $6.99.

Wow, what a great baltic porter. Nice and dark and rich in appearance. Smells great, like dark fruits, chocolate and coffee. The taste does not disappoint! The flavors mimic the nose with a light touch of char, nice coffee (not too much) and a wonderful vanilla/chocolate taste. Super glad I picked this one up as it is the first time I have seen it. I will be going back to get a couple more to enjoy!

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2012 14:31:20 | More by sendsilk

vcek

Connecticut

4.55/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Very dark, only one finger of amber/ golden brown head that dissipates in under a minute leaving some thin lacing

Smell: Roasted malt, chocolate, coffee, very slight sourness

Taste: Malt, molasses, dark fruit (raisin, fig, perhaps plum), chocolate, espresso, bourbon, mild alcohol, I would even say some licorice. Nice balance of malty sweetness and roasty bitterness

Mouth feel: Thick but smooth syrupy/oily texture. Low carbonation.

Overall: Extreme smooth, drinkable, and tasty. A fine treat; one of my favorite porters. I don’t think I’ve ever had a Baltic porter I didn’t enjoy, but this one is truly wonderful. Decent price as well.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2012 04:28:47 | More by vcek

Thiestru

Georgia

4.78/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

1 pt. 6 fl. oz. bottle poured into a Hobgoblin pub glass.

Appearance: Black and opaque with a one-finger caramel head, which gradually subsides to a thin cap. Lacing is noticeable, but it disappears before very long.

Smell: Primarily chocolate with a hint of something tangy.

Taste: Very chocolatey, with a beautiful bitter aftertaste. Alcohol is warming but not cloying. I'm impressed by how well balanced this is.

Mouthfeel: Rather creamy, but clean. The beer coats the mouth but doesn't linger for long.

Overall: This is just about a perfect beer. Sadly, I haven't had much experience with Baltic porters, but if this is any indication, it's a marvelous style. For such a dark, heavy beer, it's amazingly drinkable and refreshing. Bravo!

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2012 07:07:09 | More by Thiestru

UCLABrewN84

California

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

Bottle pour sampled at mrbubbler's tasting.

Pours a clear dark brown with a khaki head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Foamy streaks of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of roasty malt and dark fruit aromas. Taste is the same with a nice roasty bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good beer with a nice balance of roast and fruit aromas and flavors.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2012 03:15:53 | More by UCLABrewN84

Andrew61923

Connecticut

3.9/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a Duvel tulip.

A: Dark, dark brown with a finger's worth of khaki head. A thick pour.

S: Cocoa, chocolate, dark fruit, and coffee. Smells great.

T: Heavy on the chocolate with some of the dark fruit coming through as well. The high alcohol comes through at the end.

M: Decently thick with light carbonation. A nice lingering taste.

O: Glad to have tried it fresh. I look forward to try it aged, as I have a bottle from last year as well.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2012 18:56:47 | More by Andrew61923

LaCoursiere

Minnesota

4.25/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to trxxpaxxs for this 2012 and a 2008 to put it up against. The 2012 was poured into a 6oz tasting glass.

A - The color is black as night with a deep dark ruby hue where a bit of light shines through the thick glass bottom. It formed a 1/2-finger dark tan head that dissipated fairly quickly. Very little lacing

S - Great pungent aroma with notes of coffee, roasted malts and dark fruits. There is a hint of soy sauce in there that is a nice accent.

T - Chocolaty with molasses and coffee up front with nice roasted malts coming in the middle and mild hop bitterness wit a bit of smokey char in the finish.

M - Nice and smooth on the way with a nice burst of light carbonation. Nice light alcohol warmth, but not boozy.

O/D - This one is great. The balance of malt, sweetness and bitterness is among some of the best beers I've had.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2012 02:10:39 | More by LaCoursiere

draheim

Washington

4.08/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz bottle into a snifter. Pours a rich brown w/ a dense mocha head that gradually settles to a ring of foam around the glass.

Aroma is chocolate, dark roasted malt, vanilla, and dark sweet fruit.

Taste is rich nutty chocolate and roasted malt w/ a bitter finish.

Mouthfeel is velvety smooth and moderately dry.

Overall this is a solid beer and I assume it's pretty representative of the style.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2012 04:56:43 | More by draheim

mdfb79

New York

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

I've had this bottle in my fridge for about 10 months now and just have never gotten around to it. Bottle says it iis from 2010, poured into my NYG Super Bowl XLII Champions pint glass…really need to get a Super Bowl XLVI glass.

a - Pours a very dark brown, almost black color, with one finger of dark tan head and moderate carbonation evident. Head lasts for several minutes and looks thick and creamy, and leaves an inch of Guiness-looking head throughout drinking. Ton of lacing left on the glass; looks fantastic.

s - Smells of roasted malts, bitter dark chocolate, sweet dark fruits, toasted malts, light coffee, and light cream. Very nice, very roasty. Awesome nose; just a ton going on and it all works really well together.

t - Tastes of roasted malts, dark chocolate, bitter hops, sweet dark fruits, sweet milk chocolate, cream, vanilla, toasted malts, light coffee and espresso.

m - Medium to full body and low to moderate carbonation. Super smooth and creamy. Somewhat thick; an amazing body.

o - Overall I thought this was a fantastic baltic porter; I was pleasantly surprised. I have no good reason as to why I never drank this, but didn't realize it had such a good score until I came to type in my review. I thought it was supposed to just be an average porter but turned out to be one of the better baltic porters I've had. Looks great, has a near perfect mouthfeel, and has a ton going on in the taste. Not sure how much "aging" it helped as it is probably 1.5-2 years old at this point, but it's drinking near perfect. As normal, non-barrel aged baltic porter's go (still like Dark Knight and BBA Shipwreck the best), this might be the best one I've had....I like it more than the Ølfabrikken Porter. Would like to have it again.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2012 00:09:23 | More by mdfb79

Immortale25

Florida

4.13/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a snifter. Label says bottle conditioned in 2012.

A- Pours an intimidatingly opaque black color with a 1/4 inch head that soon dissipates to a thin ring around the edge of the glass and specks of surface foam. Web-like lacing.

S- Deep notes of dark chocolate and iced coffee. Some toast notes in the end.

T- Hard smack of roasted malts that cross the border into burnt. Some glass taste shows itself in the second sip but, after that, it's all heavy malt that's slightly bitter in the aftertaste. Notes of dark chocolate and some raisin.

M- Intensely robust with some alcohol twang. Medium-low carbonation. Sticks on the tongue for quite a while between sips.

O- Definitely a sipper. Kind of wonder if a year of aging would even things out in this one. A bit overpowering, but maybe it's what a true Baltic Porter should be.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2012 03:02:36 | More by Immortale25

Teleweizen2

New Jersey

4.13/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - pours a dark onyx color with some brown highlights around the rim. A heavy pour yeilds a rocky head of deep tan colored foam caps the black elixir. Dissipated rather quickly. No lacing.

S - the nose exhibits sublet notes of fruit and spice. Black cherries, raisins and prune intertwined with star anise. A touch of molasses and some hints of wood and coffee in the background.

T - semi sweet chocolate malt flavors upfront. Cherry fruit esters envelope the tongue mid palate which plays nicely with counter points of licorice and an earthy hop bitterness which lingers for a bit of time after the finish.

M - smooth yet creamy texture almost oily. Full bodied. Medium high carbonation.

O - a very flavorful version of the style. All flavors are there in balance and seem to be highlighted nicely.

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2012 03:08:10 | More by Teleweizen2

sentomaster

Connecticut

4.63/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A- Black pour with a big, frothy, two finger head of tightly packed tiny bubbles recedes leaving a goopy pattern of lacing.

S- Tons of fresh roast aromas along with cola, licorice and some earthy hops. Or maybe earthy cola and licorice from the hops, either way its great. Freshly ground smooth black coffee grinds and smooth dark chocolate truffles.

T/M- Rich smooth chocolate and coffee upfront with a licorice, anise like kick and a hint of citrus underneath it all. The hefty roast backbone is plenty sturdy enough so that it never leaves the picture while you sip, but it also isnt too bold that it would venture into stout territory. The hops come out a bit as just a hint of citrus is imparted before it finishes with a dash of earthy and fresh, not biting, hops along with more licorice and cola. As the former linger, the smooth bittersweet cocoa and roast come back around for a parting farewell. Deliciously smooth with enough tight carbonation to pick up mid palate. Significant body bordering on thick and chewy, but not losing composure it stays tight and smooth.

O- pretty much perefect. Inviting from start to finish and a very sublime brew. It falls just short of perfection in its complexity, but makes up for it in it's awesome ability to perform exactly what I think the brewers wanted it to: a sublimely rich and smooth Baltic Porter

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2012 05:44:20 | More by sentomaster

schoolboy

Ohio

4.5/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This was pretty easy drinking for a Baltic Porter, and that's the criticism - it shouldn't be. I don't think I ever had one of these this simple. I had one that was smoother, but this one, though complex, lacks the appropriate complexity I would expect.

It's thick and almost oily. Not too sweet (but sweet). Very nice.

I would buy this again as it is so easy to appreciate this well made brew.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2012 22:21:48 | More by schoolboy