Sinebrychoff Porter - Oy Sinebrychoff Ab

fain12

Massachusetts

1.53/5  rDev -63.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 1 | feel: 2 | overall: 1

I got this in bottle at Deep Ellum about a year ago. I'm not sure if it was just the batch, but this was the worst beer I have ever drank. I got it because coming from a Finnish heritage I figured I'd like it but oh no. It looked fine, smelled a little odd, and tasted like salted meat. Considering the other reviews I must have gotten a bad batch, but when I called the waitress over, she told me that it should be fine as the beer hadn't been there long.

Oh well. Chaulk that up to one bad beer

Serving type: bottle

10-09-2009 23:39:04 | More by fain12

drperm

Virginia

2.05/5  rDev -51.2%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

I’m seeing a lot of really high ratings for this one. Here’s a counter-statement.

If you like a one-trick pony beer, here’s a candidate. This brew’s singular trick is darkness. Black. Darker than a black steer’s tuckuss on a moonless prairie night. As in, very dark.

Some adjectives to describe both the nose and the taste: licorice, coffee, sorghum molasses, soy sauce. The finish is too harsh to redeem those things.

Next, please!

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2008 14:20:18 | More by drperm

LilBeerDoctor

New York

2.55/5  rDev -39.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

On tap at The GInger Man (listed as Sinebrychoff Porter). Pours black with a tan head. Aroma is sour and peaty, kind of weird. Flavor is very medicinal with sweet roasted malt. This was pretty bad...my opinion seems very different from others--bad keg?

Serving type: on-tap

08-27-2009 01:39:34 | More by LilBeerDoctor

jackndan

Illinois

2.78/5  rDev -33.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Porter, from Finland: Deep, almost jet black color. The head is as dark brown a head as I’ve ever seen. Taste is very powerful, with pronounced tastes of bitter dark chocolate. This beer is surprisingly bitter, more like very strong coffee, rather than from hops. Lingering aftertaste of bakers chocolate, with alcohol warmth and taste. I’ll pass it by if offered again.

Serving type: bottle

07-22-2002 10:39:43 | More by jackndan

DrDCon

Illinois

2.85/5  rDev -32.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Poured into tulip a dark nearly opaque drown. Decent head of 2 fingers the color of chocolate milk with a long retention.

Immediate smell is of average intensity: crushed grapes and a strong woody tone. Tastes of molasses, lightly of wood chips, chestnuts...very nutty porter. This beer has a somewhat smooth stout-feel on the mouth; it thinly coats the palate with chocolate and wood. This beer was pretty good, though unfortunately the feel and the taste stick around forever.

Serving type: bottle

07-20-2009 19:59:25 | More by DrDCon

avylover

Virginia

2.93/5  rDev -30.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

A beer from finland eh? this is new for me, although I've sampled some American Baltic Porters. This stuff pours out thick & black. Light does not penetrate it. Looks more like an imp. stout to me. Nice tan head. Aroma is heavy on the raisins, with a bit of coffee type maltiness in the background.Taste is quite subtle. There is alot going on here..but it's hard to pinpoint any of it. Definitely some chocolatey/coffee type flavors, along with some alcohol, but nothing is jumping out. The mouthfeel is slick and quite watery. There is decent carbonation but nothing special here. Drinkability is not so hot in my book, but the thin mouthfeel helps a bit. Porters & stouts are not my thing it seems lately.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2005 00:14:16 | More by avylover

akorsak

Pennsylvania

2.93/5  rDev -30.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

This is a 12 oz bottle of Koff porter served in a Troegenator seidel.

Appearance: The ale is a black oil color with a nice thick coffee-colored head. The head leaves a nice lace throughout the glass.

Smell: There is a soft chocolate aroma wafting out of the glass.

Taste: The beer has a slightly burnt roast flavor with a hint of sourness. The flavor comes across as a little too burnt and flat, somewhat abrasive and a definite letdown from the nose. The roasted flavors are a little to pungent.

Mouthfeel: The malts are overdone, giving the beer an unpleasant taste.

Drinkability: I admit that I was too anxious to try this, as it seems to be universally enjoyed, but I just don't think that it is on target.

Serving type: bottle

08-04-2006 20:24:33 | More by akorsak

allforbetterbeer

Colorado

2.93/5  rDev -30.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured into a Swiss wine snifter.

Body is totally black, no highlights. Pretty impressive! A gentile pour yielded a finger of latte-colored head that leaves a nice ring around the edges of the surface.

The initial aroma is of dark licorice, raspberry dark chocolate, and a touch of black coffee grounds. Swirling brings up more dark chocolate (we are talking 80%+ cacao).

I unexpectedly find the flavor to be lacking much... as if the bulk of the flavors were absent and all that is left is some astringent bitterness. Maybe it is too cold, I will let this sample warm a bit and then continue. Warming improves the flavors to a small extent, but I still am finding a sour tinge and some non-descript astringent flavors dominating, with some sharp bitterness and coffee ground characteristics in the aftertaste.

The mouthfeel is surprisingly thin and watery, without the body that usually characterizes this style. Carbonation feels to high, but that might be due to the watery mouthfeel.

Conclusion: I find this Baltic porter to be a far cry from the best in this class. However, it is possible that the bottle I have obtained is too old or there is some other problem with it (however it is not oxidized and came from a store with a good track record).

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2011 18:03:40 | More by allforbetterbeer

JDV

Texas

2.98/5  rDev -29%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

bottle thanks to Beerlando
Black pour with a quickly fading bubbly fizzy brown head. Smell is a touch of soy, molasses, some figgyness and heavily of peat, much like a scotch ale. Nice medium body that isn't too thin or thick, with a slight worcestershire tastes. Dull fig flavor as well and tastes too much like a peaty, Mcewan's scotch ale or Traquair house to me. Nicely made beer, but the flavors just aren't for me.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2008 18:56:45 | More by JDV

tone77

Pennsylvania

3/5  rDev -28.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Poured from a brown bottle into a weizen glass. Has a black color with a small head. Considerable lacing of the glass. There is a mild coffee aroma. Taste is mild with hints of coffee, finishes slightly bitter. Medium bodied and a tad bitter in the mouth. This beer is a bit heavy on the stomach for continuos drinking. Overall a so-so beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-13-2009 23:52:31 | More by tone77

winomark

Missouri

3.03/5  rDev -27.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours an inky black with a small, quickly fading brown head. Almost a syrupy, glugging sound when poured. Aromas of soy sauce, licorice, and lots of roasted malts. Toasty, slightly bitter palate. Not as thick and rich as the nose promises. Long, lingering finish. Flavorful, toasty mouthfeel with a light toasty finish. Overall, a solid beer. I think this is my first baltic porter, and it has encouraged me to try more.

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2004 23:26:39 | More by winomark

warmstorage

Georgia

3.03/5  rDev -27.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

11.2 ounce bottle, states 7.2%, poured into pint glass.

Pours a deep, dark black with a vigorous brown head, medium dense, which leaves foamy lacing.

Aroma is roasty, sweet, figs, very slight chocolate.

Taste is similar: roasty and sweet, stonefruit, slightly metallic, earthy. Very slight alcohol warmth. Lingers long, aftertaste of chocolate. Mouth is slightly tingly with carbonation, medium to thin bodied for style.

Overall, a decent, drinkable beer, but unremarkable.

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2006 02:54:14 | More by warmstorage

HopHeadKen

Iowa

3.08/5  rDev -26.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Thanks to Steelreign for the trade.

Good Pffftt sound when the bottle is opened, and it pours a deep amber color with a thick creamy tan head composed of fine, medium and large bubbles. This head has some staying power.
Smells of toasted malt, with a taste of toasted malt and roasted barley with hints of carmel and chocolate. There is a slight hint of sourness (bitterness?) in the aftertaste; perhaps it is the age of this beer, it has a date code of 6-27-2003, and I do not know how it has been stored or treated over these past three years. This is the reason I have not scored this beer well in the Taste category.

Mouthfeel is good, not thin.

In my opinion this porter is a near cousin to an English Stout, and I would like to try another one that is not as well aged.

Serving type: bottle

08-24-2005 14:52:35 | More by HopHeadKen

ccrida

Oregon

3.15/5  rDev -25%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

33cl bottle poured into my meantime snifter, Sinebrychoff Porter is a pitch blackish brown with a dark, red tinged tan head that leaves pretty heavy lace. Served around 55F.

Smell is faint, dusty and, very cardboard like, weird. Some burnt caramel malt comes out as it warms.

Taste is chalky, some ashy roast, drying alcohol, leafy hops, with astringent aftertaste. There is a little bit of coffee creamer and cocoa, some old leather and wood, but it's really not to my taste and overall on the blander side for the style.

Mouthfeel is very dry, and prickly, with a thicker body.

Drinkability is OK, I have to say I was disappointed with this one for sure, especially once I saw how highly rated it was. I prefer my Baltic's richer, sweeter, and with more depth and smoothness, this one is all about the dry, boozy roast.

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2008 03:41:15 | More by ccrida

sliverX

New York

3.28/5  rDev -21.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

poored a pitch black, held up to light and none came through, a small mocha head that dissipated fairly quick to just the rim of the glass which left quite the amount lacing every sip
smelled faintly
tasted like a very bitter burnt chocolate with an alcohol after bite
wasn't bad but wasn't great in the mouth
wasn't to bad to drink either but will most likely just be the one time purchase

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2008 01:04:06 | More by sliverX

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.35/5  rDev -20.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

This one was recommended by a friend of mine, he said that he loved it and that if I hadn't drank it before I should give one a try. So I ordered one up and poured it out. The beer was black as night and had a thin brown colored head on top. The smell of the beer was heavily roasted, it had some light chocolate aromas too. The taste of the beer was almost like charcoal at first. It was burnt tasting and not all the good to me. The aftertaste sort of gave off this odd creamy flavor. Not sure how it works but that was what I kept getting. The mouthfeel was thinner than I expected it to be. Overall I wasn't a huge fan of this beer but it must strike good with some people it seems. Maybe worth trying again.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2012 01:49:29 | More by Knapp85

deejaydan

Michigan

3.4/5  rDev -19%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours an inky black with a good a head and good retention. Aroma is slightly of burnt raisins, but also a funky smell that I can't put my finger on. It's almost like that of my dog's treats. Taste is raisiny and chocolatly and a hit of coffee in there too. Mouthfeel is good. Drinkablity.. it's interesting, I will finish this bottle for sure, but I don't know if I'd seek it out again. It's a very clean non-lingering beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2005 04:05:49 | More by deejaydan

jhu1995

Maryland

3.4/5  rDev -19%
look: 5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a pint glass and had a black color, with a dark tan, thick head. Excellent lacing. Appearance was exceptional with this beer. The smell was mostly roasted, and coffee-like with not much else. The taste followed the smell with roasted/coffee flavors dominating and a slight touch of sweetness in the aftertaste. Was expecting something a little more complex. I thought it was very full-bodied and very smooth on the mouth. A very drinkable beer, but missing some complexity in the taste. Overall a very solid brew.

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2006 00:49:13 | More by jhu1995

Hagbard

Connecticut

3.45/5  rDev -17.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

This is some potent stuff! Pours a deep black into the glass. A very thick, dark brown head forms after a less-than aggressive pour. The aroma doesn't really prepare you for the taste...it is just understated malt with some chocolate undertones. The understatement ends as the beer hits your tongue. Chocolate malt grips your tongue and does not let go until well into the aftertaste. The first few sips were almost overwhelming due to the strength of the malty background. This is definitely not what I was expecting, as I expected something a little less potent. That's not to say I didn't enjoy it, or wouldn't seek it out again, it's just not something I would want more than one of in a sitting. Drinkability suffers due to sensory overload.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2004 13:46:19 | More by Hagbard

yelterdow

New Jersey

3.48/5  rDev -17.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Served at just over fridge temperature in an English pint glass. No freshness date indicated.

Appearance- Wow... what an incredibly beautiful color on this beer... chocolate with deep, ruby tones that mimic liquid cherries. The head, expanding slowly with a sexy cascade, is brown with cherry red tones. This is without a doubt a dessert for the eyes, I can't wait to taste it.

Smell- Cherries, cream, chocolate mousse cake... outrageously delicious aroma. The malts anchor the fresh, fruity nose.

Taste- Surprisingly, the potential flavors indicated by the smell don't pan out on the palate. The mildly roasty, Munich malts are the driving force behind the beer, but there isn't much else interesting going on... especially given the tease right from the pour itself.

Mouthfeel/Drinkability- The thin carbonation complements the heavy weight in the mouth... it's still a bigger beer, and should be approached that way. For a strong porter like this, I would have liked to have more complexity and balance to marvel at. Much more intriguing before the swallow than after.

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2007 04:11:50 | More by yelterdow

rmolledo

Florida

3.48/5  rDev -17.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours Black as night with a Big, retentive, Frothy Beige head.

S: Alcohol, Chocolate, Vanilla, Woody. No Hop Aroma.

T: Roasted Malts, Dark Chocolate, Prunes. Roasted Coffee Beans.

MF: Dry Smooth Finish. Slight Alcohol Burn. Low to Moderate Carbonation.

D: Light Feel for a Porter but doesn't Lack in flavor. Less Filling than most porters. Not bad. Could probably have a couple of these in 1 night.

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2010 02:15:36 | More by rmolledo

merlin48

Kentucky

3.5/5  rDev -16.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

11.2 oz bottle pours an opaque dark brown with a three finger tan head that seems to last forever, and leaves patches of sheet lacing all over the glass. Very nice looking. Aroma is disappointing, with not much on the nose but some chocolate and light smoke. Mouthfeel is creamy, but has a light texture. Taste just doesn't seem to emerge until room temperature. Cocoa, a hint of coffee, light smokiness, and a slightly dry finish. Very smooth, and alcohol is well concealed, but this one will sneak up on you with its superb drinkability. I was disappointed in this one, as it doesn't measure up against others of the style.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2004 23:25:04 | More by merlin48

kernalklink

Arizona

3.5/5  rDev -16.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Poured an opaque black with one of the darkest heads I've ever seen. Aromas of burnt coffee and what seemed like black olives. Immediate yeasty tang on the tongue follwed by the chocolatey coffee malts with a nice lasting hop character at the end. Sweet and sour raisens stayed on the tongue long after each sip. Mouthfeel was good, with a heavy brew feel balanced by the moderate carbonation- interesting texture. A little sour for this type of porter for my taste, but good overall.

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2006 17:04:22 | More by kernalklink

biglite351

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -16.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A - I would have bet the house that this was a stout, maybe even a RIS. No light at all, tall dark head, rather creamy, no lacing.

S - strong malts, some chocolate and fruit.

T - strong malts and a good bit of fruit/raisins with some dark chocolate in the after taste.

M - mild coating with a little tingle in the after taste.

D - a little less fruit and this could be an all-nighter.

Serving type: bottle

10-04-2010 20:52:55 | More by biglite351

KarlHungus

Minnesota

3.53/5  rDev -16%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottled in 1997. This brew pours a thick motor oil black color with no head what so ever. The aroma is very rich. Caramel, chocolate, roasted malt. The taste is largely of roasted malt with chocolate in the back ground. The mouthfeel is full bodied with nice carbonation. Overall, the brew isn't bad, but I think it may be past its prime.

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2005 23:09:30 | More by KarlHungus