Framinghammer Baltic Porter - Jack's Abby Brewing

jlindros

Massachusetts

3.84/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Tap at Westender

Light fizzy head, dark molasses brown beer with hints of molasses light coming through.

Nose is porter like, hint of cocoa, dark caramel, hint of earthy grassy hops, cocoa dust.

Taste brings more dark malts but not crazy dark, some caramel and molasses like syrupy sweetness, a faint bready biscuit malt, light powdered cocoa, lighter feeling with a crisp lager still somehow coming through. Light earthy grassy hops I'm there too. It also brings faint touches of a metallic flavor and a bit of yeasty bready flavor. Finish is a but more bitter with earthy hops, little sticky but crisp lager profile, faint cocoa and caramel.

Mouth is med to lighter bodied, plenty of nice fluffy carb.

Overall nice but doesn't seem as high quality as most of the Jack's Abby beers, esp since I had the barrel aged version of this and it was phenomenal. Maybe this is a bad batch, or my taste buds are off. Malts are nice but a bit syrupy, nice crisp lager coming through, decent hops to balance, but a couple slight flaws I think.

Serving type: on-tap

04-12-2013 13:17:14 | More by jlindros

Jwale73

Rhode Island

4.03/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Served in a tulip nonic. Pours a dark brown, almost black, with ruby highlights around the base when backlit. Head is a 1/2 in thickness, dense, creamy and tan-colored and embedded with tiny pinpricks. Head eventually dissipates into a soapy slick with some swaths of lacing present during the tasting. Nose expresses roasted malts, lager yeast and dark, slightly vinous fruits and cocoa. Taste follows nose; however, the fruit profile is not overly assertive and melds with the roasted malts and cocoa. There is also an earthy hops bittering and a bit of ethanol (more flavor than heat) at the back that leaves a slightly acrid aftertaste between quaffs. Mouthfeel is medium-light, with an even carbonation and some mild acidity attributable to the alcohol. Overall, a solid baltic porter with both complexity and balance. That said, I continue to be impressed by this young brewery's innovation and quality.

Serving type: growler

03-11-2013 15:41:45 | More by Jwale73

rudzud

Massachusetts

4.13/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Enjoyed on tap at the Armsby Abbey. Reviewed from notes.

A - Poured into a standard snifter an oily black hue with half a finger of mocha head that fades to leave nice sticky side lacing.

S - This is a largered porter?! Get out of here. Lots of good, rich roasted malts and thick creamy chocolate.

T - Taste is really big with lots of roasted malts and more of those deep dark chocolate. Very impressive albeit one dimensional.

M - Mouthfeel uhh..ABV, where the hell is it?! Incredibly hidden ABV, drinks like its 5-6%. Creamy, rich, and delicious.

O - Overal this is a very, very tasty baltic porter. Jacks Abby continues to impress.

Serving type: on-tap

04-12-2012 20:38:25 | More by rudzud

VelvetExtract

Massachusetts

4.1/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A-Pours a dark hue. Nearly black. Head is mild. Very little light penetration. Body doesn't seem to be overly viscous.

S-Nose is aromatic but still light for such a big beer. Light boozy whiffs. Chocolatey, roasty and bitter. The nose even has some notes of dried dark fruits.

T-Flavors are overall very nice. The booze whacks you right in the middle of the sip. Bitter dark chocolate segways into some coarse alcohol right befor the roast sets in. The overall flavor is quite attractive however. I enjoyed this beer's flavor components.

M-Maintains a rather light body despite the ABV. This one has the feel of a big Porter rather that a Porter/Stout hybrid. Mellow carbonation with a dry finish.

O/D-I love big Porters. This one is pretty tasty. Jack's Abby makes some awesome brews and this is just another that should be tried when available.

Serving type: on-tap

05-12-2012 14:52:07 | More by VelvetExtract

taez555

Massachusetts

4.18/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I’m glad they decided not to name this one “Harry Porter and the Dark Malts” and went with Framinghammer instead. :-)

This beer pours a pitch black body with a solid off-white/tan head.

Nose is actually pretty subtle with a dark malt and fresh grain smell, but it’s not overly assertive.

Taste is full bodied and what catches me off-guard the most at first is that it doesn’t hint one bit that it’s 10% ABV%. Rich and very smooth. Lots of fresh dark malts, very mild dark fruit flavors, but just lots of fresh thick not overly burnt malts. I’d say it has a coffee taste, but it’s so smooth it’s like that perfectly brewed cup of coffee with cream that’s not overly bitter or overly burnt, but… just right. Other flavors include licorice, figs, raisins and some touches of chocolate. The big ABV really starts to take over as it warms, and you can really tell this isn’t just a normal porter or dark lager. Hops are really in the background in this beer with only a nice earthy touch to give it some balance. Same with the bitterness, it has a backbone and you can taste the hop bitterness, but the malts really shine through and it’s just perfectly in balance. Ends with a very mild licorice sort of earthy bitterness and malt, but really what hits you in the finish is the alcohol that slowly creeps up.

At first it almost reminds me of a less smoky version of their other dark beer, the smoke and dagger. But after a few sips the ABV really starts to sneak up on you. This is such a well-balanced Baltic Porter. It’s not in your face with malt, or hops. According to the brewery, much like all other JA’s beers, the beer is actually a lager and not an ale like most Porters. That definitely accounts for the very smooth and easy drinking of this beer. Almost reminds me, at least in the sipping sort of way, an English Barleywine vs American Barleywine in that it’s not over the top in any area, but just right in a good malty sort of way. Just another stellar beer from Jack’s Abby.

Serving type: growler

01-28-2012 19:37:05 | More by taez555

Hopdaemon39

Massachusetts

4.18/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Had on tap at the otherside- pours a thick black with a one finger cappuccino head. Decent retention and nice creamy lacing.

Smell is unimpressive- a little chocolatey dark malt, a little booze and a little lager yeast.

Taste is big- pretty sweet, a little roasty, nice round and full malt profile, and a little bit of yeast.

Mouthfeel is nice as well- medium to full bodied with a little carbonation. Definitely a nice Baltic porter- get it if you see it and live darker beer.

Serving type: on-tap

04-11-2012 01:38:53 | More by Hopdaemon39

brureview

Massachusetts

4.75/5  rDev +14.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I drank this last night at BBC in Framingham at the 1st birthday celebration for Jack's Abby.

This is a great beer. It was poured with little or no head. The color was a dark coffee color and the smell was a light coffee-molasses.

The beer has little carbonation.

The highlight of this beer is its finish: a very smooth coffee-molasses with a light sweet taste.

The serving temp at the BBC was just right.

I am looking forward to the winter when I can purchase this beer in a bottle.

Serving type: on-tap

07-20-2012 15:05:24 | More by brureview

nmarsceill

Massachusetts

4.9/5  rDev +17.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5

This is my favorite beer from Jack's Abby. Being a local brewery I have probably had more beer from them than any other craft brewery. In fact I have 3 growlers and 2 bottle in my fridge right now and sadly none of them are this beer - but if they were I'd be drinking them instead - its that good.

I am a big fan of the malt flavor in beer, not an overwhelming amount but a nice strong sweet sense, especially when the beer brings a balanced bitter component with it. This beer hits the sweet spot in my taste buds for this balance. Even at 10% ABV I could drink this beer all night, I just might have to do it home.

I find the flavor to ring of mostly molasses with a bit of spice to it - I really can't tell you if that's a cinnamon or a clove or anything else but I think of this beer flavor as having hints of that fall spice motif but with a much stronger smokiness. It causes the sides of the back of my tongue to twinge a little, but the way a good hot sauce causes your mouth to burn just a little - you notice it but it does not dissuade your next sip.

Serving type: growler

02-28-2013 03:40:15 | More by nmarsceill