Smoked Baltic Porter - Great Divide Brewing Company

Patrick999

Florida

3.9/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

I haven't been too crazy about Great Divide beers in a while, let's see if this reverses the trend. How is it that they are talking about this porter on the label as if it was a lager? Hmmm....I'm sure this must have been discussed on the forums at some point....but I'm too lazy to go find it.

Poured into a pint glass. Slightly less than opaque darkness, dark with some hints of red. Thin head but one that retains well.

Definitely some smoke in the aroma, but I get more chocolate and light coffee than smoke.

Smoke is the dominant flavor here, but in a mild way. Smoky but not overbearing. There's some of the chocolate mentioned in the aroma and also the light hints of coffee.

Thin in feel. Overall, this doesn't wow me, but at the same time I am finding it very easy to drink. I like what GD has done here with the low-ish ABV - it was a lot easier to reach for this bomber knowing that it was in the low 6% range rather than a 9% monster of a porter. Increasingly, I'm looking for "beers with flavor but not too high in ABV," and this bomber fits neatly in that category. I could see myself having another or two in the fridge.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2011 23:17:29 | More by Patrick999

csfcmitchell

Texas

3.25/5  rDev -12.6%

05-23-2013 15:52:05 | More by csfcmitchell

mrwelk

North Dakota

4.5/5  rDev +21%

05-15-2013 01:47:31 | More by mrwelk

Kelp

New Hampshire

3.5/5  rDev -5.9%

04-15-2013 06:14:21 | More by Kelp

chickenm

British Columbia (Canada)

4/5  rDev +7.5%

04-09-2013 02:58:53 | More by chickenm

bulldogg915

Wyoming

3.75/5  rDev +0.8%

04-02-2013 21:37:18 | More by bulldogg915

nebula1999

Connecticut

4.5/5  rDev +21%

03-26-2013 23:35:14 | More by nebula1999

Lare453

Florida

3.75/5  rDev +0.8%

03-22-2013 15:30:05 | More by Lare453

DenverLogan

Colorado

4.51/5  rDev +21.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

From 22 oz bottle dated July 14, 2011 - 7.5%.
Poured in a St Bernardus chalice.
Dark copper - mohogany...small amber head.
Aroma of chocolate malts, vanilla, slight espresso.
Significant carbonation and a soda like mouthfeel.
Flavors of rich malts, dark chocolate, sweet malts, a touch of funky/sour fruit juice. Rich and inviting, certainly less smoky than fresh but nonetheless very tasty.
I'm guessing I'll rate this fresh and give it a higher rating, but for the style and overall flavor profile, at this age, it's remarkably wonderful.

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2013 05:50:38 | More by DenverLogan

spycow

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev +0.8%

03-10-2013 23:46:39 | More by spycow

Jadjunk

Georgia

3.54/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

"Smoked Baltic Porter is the sultry sister of a storied style. Brewed with traditional German malts and hops, this dark lager gets its special twist from a hefty addition of Bamberg smoked malt. This smoldering, medium-bodied lager is sure to please. Smoked Baltic Porter is smooth, smoky and dark...mysterious enough yet? Brewed in the style of a Baltic Porter. Date on bottle is July 13 2011.

Poured from a 22 oz. bomber to a snifter. Served north of 50º Fahrenheit.

(Appearance) Pours a light tannish creamy froth head over a dark brown body. Retention is average at best. Pretty good appearance, but nothing phenomenal. 3.5

(Smell) Aroma is mildly sour roasted malt with a note of smoke on the finish, mild clean malt aromas. Pretty shallow on the depth of this aroma. 3

(Taste) Medium roasted malt and toasty grain. Mild char on an otherwise clean and light, mildly smoky and dry finish. Smoke presence is notably mild, not quite as big a player as the label might suggest. Nonetheless, the fair malt profile and lower alcohol makes the drinkability very high. I like the flavor but don't think it plays true to style, expected much more depth and character. 3.75

(Mouthfeel) Mild carbonation, some mild slickness and a mild tartness. Body is light for the style, medium+ overall. Alcohol presence is quite low. A decent pairing. 3.75

(Overall) Amongst "Baltic" Porters this is one of the lightest bodied examples I've tried so far, very light in flavor. Time likely wiped much of the smoke flavor and added some sourness but it didn't impact much but the aroma. For a drinkable porter with a subtle smoke character, this is likely to be your choice beer. 3.5

Great Divide Brewing Company's
Smoked Baltic Porter
3.54/5.00

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2013 01:20:44 | More by Jadjunk

taigor

New York

4/5  rDev +7.5%

02-11-2013 16:41:32 | More by taigor

DmanGTR

New York

4.25/5  rDev +14.2%

01-29-2013 04:16:15 | More by DmanGTR

Ciocanelu

Romania

4/5  rDev +7.5%

01-25-2013 21:07:22 | More by Ciocanelu

oldp0rt

Quebec (Canada)

3/5  rDev -19.4%

01-19-2013 14:31:59 | More by oldp0rt

BlissJunkie

Michigan

4.25/5  rDev +14.2%

01-14-2013 19:39:56 | More by BlissJunkie

Chrily

Norway

3.5/5  rDev -5.9%

01-14-2013 11:13:26 | More by Chrily

iemailjack

Florida

3/5  rDev -19.4%

01-08-2013 03:33:01 | More by iemailjack

Florida9

Illinois

3.53/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Bottled 8/8/10. Apparently I've had this one for a while.

A: Frigin' gusher...Spilling beer all over my counter. When it stops I am only able to pour a few ounces before the head comes rushing over the side of the glass. Color is very dark brown if not black. Head is large and bubbly. Dark brown colored head. Very light lacing.

S: Aroma isn't bad. Vanilla and chocolate. A little molasses. Along with the light smoke (not at all overpowering and it's not the dominant aroma), this one comes off smelling like a burnt brownie.

T: Taste is similar. Lots of chocolate and not a lot of smoke. There is some some smoke, just not much. Charred malts. Sweet molasses. Raisin. Vanilla.

M: Medium in body and a bit light for the style. Overcarbonated. Mild bitterness.

O: A decent beer. Drinkable. Wonder if this one would be better fresh. When it gushed, I feared it might be infected, but I don't get that impression.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2013 23:00:26 | More by Florida9

BeerLover99

New Jersey

3.5/5  rDev -5.9%

01-01-2013 18:58:37 | More by BeerLover99

HomerS

Sweden

3/5  rDev -19.4%

12-22-2012 17:57:34 | More by HomerS

RickS95

Indiana

4.03/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

High marks in my book as I prefer the dark stuff. Extremely dark pour. Very black with a tan head. The head is a finger and a half thick, creamy early on, with a slight lack of retention. Eventually you're left with a dark liguid and a creamy dark top.

Very malty nose. Caramel malts. Smoke is prevalent but not overpowering. Faint licorice notes. Slight vanilla hit. Semi-sweet chocolate.

It's got a nice flavor as again, the smoke is prevalent, but not overpowering, allowing the other ingredients a place at the table. Caramel and chocolate. Licorice or anise. English toffee?

Very smooth and creamy. Medium-bodied...could use more body but nothing wrong with the way it it. On the sweet side, but not too much so. Smoke is there. Bitter finish to clean things up.

Overall, a nice rendition of something that usually doesn't work for me. I think the smoke and the sweetness helped make this enjoyable for me. I accidentally bought a second bottle of this and now I'm glad I did.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2012 04:08:13 | More by RickS95

andthevolcano

Delaware

4/5  rDev +7.5%

12-08-2012 02:56:07 | More by andthevolcano

MarcWP

3.75/5  rDev +0.8%

12-02-2012 01:17:49 | More by MarcWP

tuckerlikesbeer

Minnesota

4/5  rDev +7.5%

11-29-2012 07:03:24 | More by tuckerlikesbeer