Baltic Thunder - Victory Brewing Company

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I'm going to try a different kind of review for this beer and just do it stream of conscious: Forgetting the history, nice label. Resolution could be better. Bill should have seen that. 7:04 pm. This one will put me to sleep. Imperial pint glass. Thinnish brown caramel as seen through the stream of beer at the pour. Yeah, somewhat light in color in the glass as well. Nice creamy tan head. Excellent retention. Smells like an average dark-roasty stout. Kind of smokey in the flavor. Lots of fruit upfront. Brown sugar across the middle. Alcohol. Background notes of thin black coffee. Somewhat similar to Perkuno's but not nearly as rich. Smooth, but also a touch raspy with alcohol. Bitterness is as I remember Tom's. Balanced. I'd like more malt though. Surprising medium body. Perhaps a bit too much zest on the tongue as well - but the carb's OK, I guess it's just lacking body. Dark fruits... is it that burnt currant I'm looking for? Yes, a little. Also bitter, sticky prune skin. Again, smokey or deeply ashen-roast in the finish. It seems something's lacking across the middle. Head retention is average - it's high alcohol so that's expected. Nice rings of thin lace at the outset. Decent spots and splashes. A ring of orange and ruby can be seen peeking through the foam at the surface along the glass. Hmmm, a kind of a burnt chestnut in the aftertaste... like that acrid note that you smell on the streets of Manhattan in late November and December. I'm not feeling like I want to finish this first glass. There's not enough malt to balance the alcohol. The fruit note is nice though. Lacks body, malt balance, complexity.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2008 00:23:15 | More by NeroFiddled

TMoney2591

Illinois

4/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served in a Dogfish Head shaped pint glass.

Pours a very dark ruby brown with about a finger of tan foamy head that dissipates fairly quickly. No real lacing is produced. The nose is dark malts, coffee, smoke, molasses, and chocolate. The taste somewhat follows, with notes of molasses, dark malts, brown sugar, light coffee, maple syrup, and some pine. The body is a heavy medium, with healthy carbonation and a thick, smooth feel, leading to a rather high drinkability.

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2010 04:11:49 | More by TMoney2591

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

4.15/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Victory Baltic Thunder. Baltic Porters are one of my favorite styles, and I was glad to see the very capable Victory Brewing Company bringing out an interpretation.

Utterly black, nicely roasted head.

Aroma, bittersweet, roasty-toasty, dark fruit, nicely burnished...gets more sweet and less bitter, but always keeps the balance.

tons of flavor boards the palate...we get the figs and date, some raisin, a bit of chocolate, some licorice, too, a little maple syrup...dark rum...mmm, a perfect combination.

Hearty, full-bodied, rich, and delicious. Mmmm. Bitter meets malty and smooth, roasty meets sweet, ...it does represent the Baltic Porter style admirably. "tempered with a touch of turmoil", eh...someone likes alliteration with their hyperbole. In this case, it works. Damned good.

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2010 05:22:00 | More by feloniousmonk

WesWes

New York

4.38/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

The beer pours a dark brown/black color with a thick frothy tan head that slowly fades to lacing. The aroma is good. It has a robust black and roasted malt scent that's dry, but with some sweetness. The taste is great. It has a silky smooth flavor that goes down easy and finishes a bit on the sweet side. It hides the 8.5%abv well and provides a complex array of malts. It's complex and quite rich. There are hints of roasted malt as well as chocolate and crystal malts. Damn, this is one smooth drinker. The mouthfeel is awesome. It is a full bodied beer with adequate carbonation. I've been waiting for the release of this beer for some time now. It definately lives up to the hype.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2008 01:19:31 | More by WesWes

Mora2000

Texas

4/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to 5000 for sending me this bottle.

The beer pours a dark brown color with a tan head. The aroma if full of coffee and roasted malt with some dark fruit mixed in. There is also a little bit of alcohol in the aroma. The flavor is more of the same. I get a lot of coffee and chocolate up front, with some roasted malt and dark cherries and prunes in the background. There is also some nice mint characteristics in the flavor which I really enjoy. The alcohol is present but doesn't hinder the drinkability. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation. A very nice Baltic porter.

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2011 02:38:04 | More by Mora2000

metter98

New York

3.85/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: The beer poured very dark amber (near black) in color with a finger high tan head that quickly faded leaving a ring of bubbles around the edge of the glass. A light to moderate amount of carbonation is visible from the rising bubbles.
S: The aroma is rather sweet and has notes of toasted malts. There are also some hints of dark fruits in the nose.
T: The taste is very similar to the smell and also has notes of brown sugar, caramel malts, coffee beans and toffee.
M: It feels medium-bodied and very creamy and smooth on the palate. There is a moderate amount of carbonation.
D: The beer is very drinkable for the style; the alcohol is well hidden from both the aroma and taste.

Serving type: bottle

08-04-2010 00:40:18 | More by metter98

Gueuzedude

Arizona

3.58/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Enjoy by Date January 2009; Sampled August 2008
A vigorous pour yields a three-finger thick, lightly browned, full tan colored head in my 25cl tulip glass. The beer is almost black and when held up to the light shows a brilliantly clear, dark ruby hue. Rich notes of blackened toffee, molasses, some tamari, broiled raisins, at times some notes of candied cherries and candied figs are lightly offset by toasty notes of toasted grain, a medium roast coffee and a slight vegetal note that I sometimes get from roast grain. I definitely like the mix of concentrated, dark fruit and dark sugars that is found here in the aroma.

Rich and creamy up front with a touch of carbonation that lightens things up a bit in the middle. This is actually somewhat light feeling, as it does not have a huge body, but does have enough of one to feel a bit viscous and to allow it to stick to the palate a bit. Lightly sweet tasting, but not overly so, this accents rich fruit flavors, some touches of chocolate, a spike of molasses and a rich, dark, almost burnt, but not quite, caramel note. Fruit flavors are not as accentuated as in the aroma (due to the reduced perception of sweetness in the flavor compared to the nose), but still play a significant role in the flavor with notes of toasted figs, caramelized raisins, some prune notes and something a bit like chalky blueberries. Other flavors of chocolate beans, dusty light roast coffee, cocoa and some concentrated malt notes that lean towards an umami richness that is a bit like tamari or a hint of soy.

This beer is actually quite quaffable, which can be a little dangerous in a beer of this strength. A tasty beer, but it perhaps doesn't quite live up to the original; perhaps it is that extra 1/2% of attenuation, as this seems like it could have used just a touch more body and malt richness.

Serving type: bottle

08-08-2008 04:03:23 | More by Gueuzedude

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

3.9/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 22oz bottle into a mug glass.

A: The beer is a deep dark brown color, with a short off-white head that fades very slowly and leaves a thick on the glass.

S: The aroma contains coffee, honey, dark fruit, roasted malts and a faint touch of hops.

T: The taste starts out sweet with flavors of honey, dark fruit and milk chocolate followed by a hearty roasted malt character. There are background flavors of black coffee and some smokiness. The hops presence is mild but complementary and brings a good balance. The after-taste is slightly sweet.

M: Crisp and smooth, medium body, medium carbonation, finish is slightly sticky.

D: Tasty, goes down easily, not too filling, good kick, good representation of style, although there are better beers in the style, this is still a solid porter worth drinking for a long time.

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2010 05:13:30 | More by TheManiacalOne

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This porter chugged it's way out of the bottle as a dark brown color with some red hues along the edges. The head was pretty thick looking for a little while until is settled down and left just a thin brown coating over top of the beer. The lacing wasn't too bad here, kind of sporatic. The smell of the beer has some old wood aromas, some earthy and smokey aromas as well. There's even a touch of sweetness on the nose too. The taste is pretty good, mostly of brown sugar and some roasted malts. The mouthfeel was on the thicker side and had a light carbonation, just enough to keep it interesting. Overall it's not a terrible Baltic Porter, but not the best I've had either.

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2011 20:10:59 | More by Knapp85

russpowell

Oklahoma

4.1/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Cheers to Ding for this one!

Pours a brownish chestnut with ebony tinges & 1+ finger of tan head. No head retention & minimal lacing

S: Roasted malt & chocolate

T: Loads of roasty malt, dryness & a bit of coffee up front. Roasty malt dominates as this warms, along with brown sugar & dryness. Finishes with chcolatey sweetness, some fruityness (figs & raisins). A strong finisher with some hints of boozey warmth

MF: Light/medium body with low carbonation, plus a bit of stickyness & some great warmth

Drinks fairly easy, a fairly good Baltic porter. The 8.5% ABV is well concealed

Serving type: bottle

02-29-2008 04:45:32 | More by russpowell

Halcyondays

California

4.15/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

22 oz. bomber,

A: Pours a very dark brown, with a 1.5 finger off-white head. Nice colour.

S: Roasted coffee, chocolate, typical porter smell, strong.

T: Roasted coffee again, charcoal, though not overly burnt. There's certainly a sweetness underlying this brew. Hint of soy sauce and molasses as well. The lager yeast fermentation is clearly evident, straight-up, direct flavours.

M: Smooth and full-bodied, robust, moderate viscosity.

D: This is a dangerously drinkable and tasty dark lager. I'm glad they finally brought it out here, I've been wanting to taste this legendary brew for a while, it didn't disappoint.

Serving type: bottle

09-26-2009 17:46:21 | More by Halcyondays

Gavage

New Jersey

3.95/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: pours a black color with a 1/2" light tan colored head. Some mild lacing sticks to the glass during the session.

Smell: light roasted malts and soft chocolate tones are pleasant.

Taste: roasted malts, mild chocolate flavors, prunes, a hint of old coffee, and some warming alcohol make up an enjoyable beer.

Mouthfeel: medium bodied but a bit thinner than expected. Lightly crisp at the start, smooth and a bit dry at the finish. Short roasted malt and chocolate filled aftertaste.

Drinkability: a nice version that is easy to quaff despite the alcohol levels. Defintely worth picking some of this up.

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2008 12:11:43 | More by Gavage

jwc215

New Jersey

3.85/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Best by Dec. 31, '08:

Pours dark brown with ruby highlights. A thin tan head gently settles, leaving some trailing lace sliding down the glass.

The smell is of lightly roasted dark maltiness (some smoky notes) with an earthy background.

The taste is of chocolate and a hint of coffee with smoky notes and a subtle dark fruit backing. Sweet with some astringency in the finish.

Light to begin with, it reaches medium as it progresses. Quite a bit of carbonation for the style, but it mellows as it progresses.

It's nice overall, but not quite as full as I was hoping. The touch of carbonation and astringency slow it down more than the alcohol, which is pretty well covered for the abv level.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2008 14:37:56 | More by jwc215

tempest

Pennsylvania

3.18/5  rDev -17.8%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

On-tap at Bocktown Beer and Grill

A nice beer, but I can't say I'm impressed. Maybe the hype just raised the expectations too high, but I rather think this beer just doesn't quite match the other baltics I've had.

At first I got a big, juicy sweet cherry flavor, followed by chocolate (chocolate covered cherries maybe). Then there was a little bit of toffee grains and a bit of alcohol. I also pulled some vegetal DMS aroma out of here and didn't get much of an aftertaste. Overall, I was disappointed, but this found it to be an agreeable beer.

Serving type: on-tap

03-20-2008 14:42:04 | More by tempest

akorsak

Pennsylvania

4.05/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A 650 mL bomber.

A: The porter is dark, a ruddy brown cherry cola color. The red shades that are sprinkled throughout are deep ruby. Three fingers of tan head arose on pour but did not lace.

S: The aroma is very dry and starchy, thanks in part to the beans used in the brew. Sweet rounded cocoa and dark fruits follow the dryness.

T: The porter is darkm full of roasted grains and molasses. Starchy beans, evident in the nose, emerge here as well. They add a dry, full flavor to the ale. Chocolate powder, cocoa and coffee follow the beans. Raisins and figs also appear, adding a dark fruity sweetness. Cocoa is the lasting finish.

M: The mouth is full and quite active. With so many flavors running throughout the beer, its nice to just sit and sip, enjoying what bubbles up.

D: The abv is high but there is no evident of the boozy heat. I could have had another bottle of this.

Serving type: bottle

08-13-2008 13:04:34 | More by akorsak

WVbeergeek

Ohio

3.23/5  rDev -16.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

This is a great example of why hyping up a beer can be a bad thing. The amount of beergeeks excited to try this was insane due to the brewing press release, big news to see Tom Baker teaming up with Victory. Then the wait with all the legal bullshit, and what follows is a blend of trying to get this one right before the big release. Well, they didn't get much right in my eyes and I'm going to try it again. Had it thrice on tap and I will be investing in a bomber, but I'm weary. No many gripes with appeaance except for head retention, poured pitch black in body much like I recall the Hammer forming a thin tan head leaving thin scant speckled lacing. I remember the Perkuno's to have texture all day with lacing throughout each pint. I think the change of the beans altered the protein count therefore affecting head. Aromatics I'm getting sweet dried fruits with some tart acidic mild offensive tones going on, chocolate roasts play nice with figs and plum fruitiness. Some mild booziness with lingering herbal hop notes comes late. Flavors insert ripe or dried concentrated fruit flavor whether it comes off plum, fig, or raisin I'd definitely call it some what vinous. Dark dry roasted malt lacking the complex mix of flavors the Hammer always provided but my point is that fruit and dark chocolate with a mildy cloying dark chocolate syrup comes off one dimensional in the flavor. Mouthfeel is full bodied assertive carbonation a bit unnatural with words like thin and blah entering my brain. Drinkability, no doubt any brew from Victory is going to be a solid player, good dark beer but never try to relive a classic craft brew like Perkuno's Imperial Hammer if you're not going to truly bring it to the table. Definitely not our beloved Hammer but Baltic Thunder I'm sure will be getting better with some age, right now it really lacks complexity.

Serving type: on-tap

03-17-2008 19:08:27 | More by WVbeergeek

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

4.18/5  rDev +8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours pitch black with a tan head. Thick malty nose with tones of coffee. Just loads of malts in there. Flavor is thick. Very full body. Easily noticed malt presence that keeps a firm control over things. Minor coffee tones. Thicker earthy edge. Mild tar going on. Very smooth on the liquid. Very easy to drink. It's definitely good, but I have had a chance to sample a lot of the eastern European baltic porters and there are several others that shine a bit brighter than this one. Still a damn tasty beer though.

Serving type: on-tap

01-31-2008 12:04:16 | More by RblWthACoz

smcolw

Massachusetts

4.22/5  rDev +9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Dark brown color where light shines through...barely. Solid two-finger finger that dissipates slowly and leaves nearly no lace

Mild aroma of soft semi-sweet chocolate; reminds me of fudgesickle.

Smooth, nearly perfect body. The carbonation is spot on and the brew is creamy. The flavor has all of the classic porter flavors--coffee, cream, dark chocolate. Great aftertaste of unsweetened espresso. Despite the abv, this has no alcohol warmth in the taste. That might give you an idea of the level of flavoring.

This is another great offering from Victory.

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2008 21:33:08 | More by smcolw

Wasatch

Utah

4/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks goes out to davide169 for this brew.

Pours a nice dark brown/black color, nice carbonation, little fizzy off-white head, minimal sticky lacing follows. The nose is malty, nice little touch of toffee/chocolate/caramel. The taste is sweet on the lips, malty, slight bitterness, with the nice tones of toffee/chocolate/caramel. Medium body. The alcohol is hidden very well with this one. Drinkable, this is a pretty tasty brew, recommended.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2008 23:55:31 | More by Wasatch

jdhilt

New Hampshire

4/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a one finger light tan head that fades quickly and leaves a little lace. Deep amber almost mahogany color. Strong carbonation and medium bodied. Malty nose. Flavor is almost burnt, sweet coffee, slight bitter finish. Decent Baltic porter. $6.20 for a 22oz bottle from Colonial Spirits Acton, Ma.

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2008 22:15:48 | More by jdhilt

rhoadsrage

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +16.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

(Served in a snifter)

A-This beer pours a jet black body with a lot of little tiny bubbles stuck to the sides of the glass. There is a rocky tan head that fades to a thin film that slides back into the beer with each sip.

S- The smell of dark roasted quality is smooth with a rye bread note and dark toffee hints get stronger as it warms. There is a faint dark chocolate quality that adds to the richness of the aroma.

T- This beer has a soft dark chocolate malt flavor blended with some dark roasted black malt notes and a bit of cream. The finish has a nice red wine tannin quality with roasted dryness finishing each sip.

M- This beer has a medium mouthfeel with a slippery texture and no alcohol heat noticed.

D- This beer has a very smooth fresh flavor with great dark malt flavors but still keeping it to the porter flavors with not that char of a impy stout.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2009 15:48:43 | More by rhoadsrage

Billolick

New York

4/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

22 ounce bomber, "enjoy by Jan. 2 '09" (almost 2 years away) dating on the label. Pours very dark, near black, under a dark tan head, showing retentive powers and leaving thick ringed sheeting and respectable lacing. Nose of sweet malt, powdered sugar and a hint of cocoa. Smooth and tasty on the tongue, with notes of dark grains, mild coffee, chocolate and hints of vanilla. Very easy drinking and enjoyable porter, the label calls it a lager (?) hmmm. Well worth getting a few bottles and enjoying.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2008 00:26:47 | More by Billolick

ppoitras

Massachusetts

3.53/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

22oz bottle obtained via Growling at the Moon from EGledhill. Thanks for the opportunity... Bext by Jan 02, 09.

Poured into an imperial pint glass, formed a 2 1/2" light brown head over the clear burgundy brown brew. Dense head gradually transitions from foam to liquid, with sticky lacing. Aroma is moderately of dark grains and fruitiness. Taste is dark maltiness upfront, intensifying in the middle coupled with some light fruitiness, and goes bitter for the close. Mouthfeel is alright, but seems a bit thin, and drinkability is pretty good. Not as hearty as I'd expect for the style, but not a bad brew by any stretch.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2008 22:42:59 | More by ppoitras

weeare138

Pennsylvania

3.88/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I had this bottle after a bottle of Baltika 6, and HW Perkuno's Hammer...
Appears a near black, dark brown with mahogany tones on the outskirts of the beer when held to the light. A small beige head of fluff slowly fades into a mild cap. Scattered spots of lacing are left around the glass.
Smell is of obvious cocoa, caramel, nuts, gentle smoke, with a hint of coffee...some green grass in there too with a touch of white grapes.
Taste is of the mentioned aromas with some sweet chocolate milk coming to the forefront followed by some roasted espresso beans, cream, and grassy, florally hops that seem to be in the way of that chewy Baltic goodness that was there for the Baltika 6, and the Perkuno's.
Mouthfeel is medium-full bodied, creamy, softly carbonated, with a somewhat odd, herbal, semi-dry finish.
IMHO, just a close relative of Perkuno that isn't as attractive and doesn't have the charm, or personality. I've heard that this particular bottling was a bit of a mix-match of a few different batches that the brew house ran. Perhaps future bottles will be more to my liking...not that this is that bad but when lined up side by side with the other aforementioned Baltic Porters, this one fell short of the mark.

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2008 18:34:13 | More by weeare138

Zorro

California

3.85/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Sampled through ClockworkOrange and CA - PA BIF.

Clear deep brown colored beer with lovely ruby color when held up to the light. Medium sized light brown head forms but doesn't last.

Smell is sweet and malty with licorice, grape, fig and chocolate scents. The spicy sensation is from the ethanol but it isn't really peppered to the nose in this case.

The taste starts out sweet and chocolate with a good malt roast after taste, it is quite different from the smell. Malty yet light on the tongue there is a faint mint taste here. Definite Italian Coffee soda flavors here.

Mouthfeel is good.

Quite easy to drink, if it has one flaw the taste could be a bit more complex. Still this is a good beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2008 03:21:30 | More by Zorro