Batch 69 Baltic Porter
The New Old Lompoc

Batch 69 Baltic PorterBatch 69 Baltic Porter
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From:
The New Old Lompoc
 
Oregon, United States
Style:
Baltic Porter
ABV:
7.7%
Score:
89
Avg:
4.01 | pDev: 7.98%
Reviews:
14
Ratings:
25
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Jan 02, 2018
Added:
Mar 18, 2010
Wants:
  4
Gots:
  1
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by digita7693:
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Rated by digita7693 from Germany

4.25/5  rDev +6%

Apr 05, 2012
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4 by 1971bernat from Virginia

Jan 02, 2018
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Reviewed by Lone_Freighter from Vermont

3.77/5  rDev -6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Poured into an English pint glass, the appearance was a sturdy black color with a thin finger's worth of a white foamy head that sustained for a little bit and then fell off at a moderate pace. Trickling lace slid off at a moderate pace.
The aroma had some thick sweet milk chocolate, caramel malts, biscuit/breadiness, and a nice balancing sort of wet cereal sweet grains.
The flavor was moderately sweet and now starting to develop a light coffee bean roastiness that I seemed to have missed in the aroma, unless it wasn't there - me, I'm not sure. But even when I go back to sniff it, I still can't smell the coffee. Light aftertaste of the milk chocolate and caramel.
The mouthfeel was about medium bodied with a fair sipping quality about it. Carbonation felt just a tad under, but I accepted it since there wasn't any cloying aspects about it. ABV did feel appropriate.
Overall, I didn't mind this beer for me, but would have liked some of those "dark fruits" I tend to get in Baltic Porters.
Jul 02, 2017
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Reviewed by macpapi from Oregon

4.15/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Pours a deep, dark color. It is mostly black with an almost purplish hue to the decent-sized but quickly dissipating head.

Smell is mostly roasted malt with the presence of chocolate and coffee to boot. There are also faint hints of biscuit and caramel as well.

Taste is mostly smoked, roasted malts. A pretty large presence of that flavor typical to the style. It is joined by essences of licorice, coffee, and chocolate. There is also a pretty decent hop presence here, the slight sting giving one the sense of tasting bitter chocolate or a dark roast coffee with hints of chocolate. A bit of alcohol sting is present as well. All in all, this is a nice, and somewhat complex, flavor.

Full-flavored and smooth body. Moderate carbonation and plenty of depth gives this beer a pleasing presence in the mouth.

Overall, this is a nice beer. It is a great representation of the style: somewhat potent, flavorful, deep, big, and full-bodied. This beer packs a bit of a flavor punch and it is a pretty substantial brew. I would definitely drink this one again.
May 16, 2015
 
Rated: 4 by shelby415 from Oregon

Dec 07, 2014
 
Rated: 4.75 by MikeAllen from Oregon

Jul 19, 2014
 
Rated: 3.25 by anteater from Oregon

Feb 22, 2014
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Reviewed by ccrida from Oregon

3.95/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
This bottle is from 2010. bought and cellared since then. Poured into my large Gulden Draak tulip, Batch 69 is blackish brown with a small tan collar.

Smell is unsweetened / bakers chocolate, some sour acidity. Lightly grassy hops.

Taste is nice and rich malty. Fairly roasty, some acridness, but not acidic, at least beyond what you might get from the dark malts. Don't remember if I had this fresh, but it doesn't have much in the way of softened, cellared notes, which I supposed augers well for a much longer run.

Mouthfeel is slippery yet not sticky malt. The age shows most in the rounded mouthfeel.

Drinkability is pretty good, a solid baltic porter that appears to be built for the long haul. I have another, I'll give it another 5-10 years easy.
Oct 23, 2013
 
Rated: 3.25 by TheRuss9585 from Vermont

Jun 10, 2013
 
Rated: 4.25 by Kopfschuss from Oregon

Jun 01, 2013
 
Rated: 4 by Vancoubeer from Washington

Nov 22, 2012
 
Rated: 4 by bluckbeyes from Oregon

Jul 25, 2012
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Reviewed by flagmantho from Washington

3.75/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5
Poured from a 22oz bomber into a tulip.

Appearance: deep, rich, dark hue which appears black but lets some dark ruby highlights through when held up to the light. Head is a finger of frothy tan foam with a moderate dissipation. Good.

Smell: roast barley aroma of coffee and burnt grain hits me right away. Following this, a rich, chocolatey character with subtle but noticeable fruity highlights builds upon the harsh roast. Dynamic and enjoyable.

Taste: rich, roasty coffee and chocolate come in first. Following that is a nice fruitiness, perhaps attributable to the alcoholic content. Following that is a harsher flavor of burnt bitterness and vegetal hops. This ending kind of kills it for me, but the beginning is delightful.

Mouthfeel: big body with a silky smoothness. A well-integrated carbonation combines with the body to build a nice creaminess; along with the smooth character, this is a delightful beer to drink.

Overall: the harshness at the end of the flavor gets to me. Other than that, this is a nicely tasty Baltic porter. I think if they held back on the hops a tad, or maybe switched to a different variety, this one could be pretty spectacular.
Jun 09, 2012
 
Rated: 4.25 by rogerthegill from Oregon

Apr 23, 2012
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Reviewed by Docer from Washington

3.97/5  rDev -1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Appearance: (3.5)

- This porter is solid black. I can't really see any color in the edged of the glass while holding it up to the light. Finger of light gray/tan head quickly settles to a medium ring of foam around the glass, and a thin island staying put. I just get the feeling that this is a sleeper.

Smell: (4.0)

- Big grain, light cocoa, and sweet porter goodness. Light grassy and earthy hop bitterness shows. Husky grains, bready yeast, and overall a solid aroma.

Taste: (4.0)

- Nice esters and tart lager-like flare to a porter. Chocolate, light licorice as described, and a clean tart flare to balance and add character. Light coffee notes are present as well. I like the husky grain presence, and the grassy hops which play a big role in this beers bitterness.

Mouth Feel: (4.0)

- This is a nice medium to heavy bodied brew. Super smooth and creamy, lightly drying, and cloying. It's a chewy number for sure. No pun intended. It finishes quite dry, which is nice, and doesn't leave a big chalky feel which is awesome. High marks on the feel. Only slight downside might be the rather foamy carbonation which can cause a filling quality.

Overall: (4.0)

- This is a solid porter. Great taste, no off flavors, a nice spicy licorice touch, and just the right mouth feel to make this beer superb all around. I must say though that I like the monster mash a little better which was stated as really being the Ale version of this porter. Though I am sure some other small things differentiate them as well.
Apr 10, 2012
 
Rated: 3.75 by edwardkersh from Oregon

Apr 06, 2012
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Reviewed by loren01 from Washington

4.18/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
A: Pours a nice pitch black color, good sized tan head with nice lace down the glass
S: Smells of dark roasty malt, slight smokey flavor as well as strong coffee and chocolate
T: Much the same as the smell, roasted malt, coffee and chocolate. Smoke flavor in in there just a bit too
M: Medium bodied beer, carbonation seems to be right on
O: This is a very tasty beer, very well done. I would buy this one again any day.
Mar 16, 2012
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Reviewed by djeucalyptus from Oregon

4.27/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
pours a near-black with almost pink-ish highlights at the edges. a solid toffee colored head of a finger fades to a thin cap with a solid collar. lacing is minimal, unfortunately.

aroma is the essence of baltic porter. dark malt, caramel, cocoa, hints of molasses, dark fruit, leather and tobacco. hints of smoke, almost peaty. a touch of salinity in the aroma? Digging it like whoah.

taste follows beautifully, with more fruit, caramel, and depth than the aroma. the cocoa and molasses and roasted malt are still there, but there's more smoke, more raisin and fig, hints of port, and peat smoke. a touch of hops in the finish. alcohol barely present as a touch of scotch... beautiful.

Mouth is medium body with fair carbonation... a touch slick with a definite lingering bitterness. wish it had a touch more body... but certainly not bad, and fairly in line with the style.

Wow. I haven't had a Lompoc beer that I've been thrilled with. Until now. I love baltics, and this one blows most of 'em out of the water. I'm seriously contemplating how I can get a case of this one before it's gone (which I'm hoping it's not). Definitely a surprise, and definitely worth seeking out!
May 03, 2011
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Reviewed by gford217 from Georgia

3.97/5  rDev -1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
22oz bomber courtesy of Luke.

Pours fairly light for a Baltic porter, settling in as a dark chocolate brown with a decent beige head that recedes to a patch of foam in the middle. Not much lacing.

Aroma is dominated by roasted chocolate malts and coffee with some sweet dark fruits and a hint of smoke. There is a sweet molasses presence as it warms a bit.

The taste is a slightly smokier version of the nose. It's still dominated by dark chocolate and roasted coffee, but the smoke seems to be a bit more pronounced and there is more sweet nutty character than in the nose.

Mouthfeel is velvety smooth with strong carbonation. it might be a tad light bodied for a Baltic porter but it's still decent.

This is a very tasty beer though it tastes like a cross between a Baltic porter and a schwarzbier. Surprisingly good and the smoke kinda caught me off guard.
Mar 21, 2011
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Reviewed by chumba526 from Oregon

4.1/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4
Appears black with a small light brown head.

It smells of roasted coffee. It smells nutty, a bit chocolate a slight fruity smell as well.

It tastes better then the last time I 69ed (I couldn't resist). The taste is comprised of a nice coffee flavor, there is a bit of a dark chocolate flavor. A pleasant alcohol taste is also apparent. I get sweetness as well. There is a nice bitterness that rounds up the flavors.

The carbonation is moderate high. I think it is a bit high for the style but the carbonation does not take anything away from the beer.

For being a heavy beer the drinkability is pretty good. I could drink a few pints of this easy. The flavor of the beer is really good.

Overall a great porter though I could not expect less from NOL. If you see it: get it.
Oct 10, 2010
Batch 69 Baltic Porter from The New Old Lompoc
Beer rating: 89 out of 100 with 25 ratings