Dominion Baltic Porter - Old Dominion Brewing Company

Dave1999

Virginia

3.95/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours pitch black with a small white head.

The smell is dark malts, sweet and roasty.

The taste is much the same malty and quite sweet, finishing with some roasted flavours.

The mouthfeel is medium bodied and sticky with low to medium carbonation.

I didn't have high expectations for this but it was actually pretty good.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2013 23:08:54 | More by Dave1999

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

4.26/5  rDev +13.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Another from the big box o' beer as dropped off by local, in-person trader, tone77.

From the bottle: "Dominion Baltic Porter is a bottom-fermented lager brewed to meet your need for warmth on a cold winter's night. Hints of licorice, toffee & chocolate mingle with German Pilsner, Crystal, Dark Specialty Malts & a touch of Rye giving our Porter a full-bodied taste. Raise your glass to those who were bold enough to brave the Baltic!"; "Winter Brew".

Today might be the first day of Spring according to the calendar, but it is still plenty chilly enough to warrant drinking this beer. My aggro pour raised a finger of dense, deep-tan head with reasonable retention. Color was a deep, dark-brown allowing only a modicum of light to penetrate except around the edges, revealing cola highlights. Nose was rich with notes of dark chocolate, anise, and toffee. Mouthfeel was full and creamy with a very chocolaty/licorice taste on the tongue. Finish was semi-dry and the rye gave it a spicy kick. The lacing that it left behind really covered the glass. While it was not really my choice of style, it was stylistically quite good.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2013 20:26:19 | More by woodychandler

superspak

Michigan

3.8/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12 ounce bottle into tulip glass, bottled on 10/26/2012. Pours fairly pitch black color with a 1-2 finger fairly dense khaki head with good retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Spotty foamy lacing clings on the glass. Aromas of chocolate, roasted malt, raisin, cocoa, toast, dark bread, light coffee, clove, and floral earthiness. Nice and pleasant aromas with good balance and complexity; a bit muted though. Taste of chocolate, roasted malt, caramel, raisin, cocoa, toast, dark bread, light coffee, clove, and floral earthiness. No bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of chocolate, roasted malt, caramel, toast, raisin, dark bread, light coffee, clove, and floral earthiness on the finish for a bit. Very nice balance and robustness of flavors, with good complexity; great balance of malt and yeast esters; and zero cloying flavors present after the finish. Medium carbonation and body; with a creamy and lightly slick mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is very well hidden with only a slight warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is a very good baltic porter style. Very nice balance, robustness, and complexity of flavors; and very smooth to sip on. A very enjoyable offering.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2013 06:45:12 | More by superspak

Mitchster

Michigan

3.69/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.75

$10.99/6 pack in Brighton, Mi. Brewed with German Pilsner, Crystal & Dark Specialty malts including Rye. 6.8% Alc/vol.

Pours out to a very clear near black, with a little bit of light squeaking through the edges of the glass, forming a tall cappuccino foam light tan head with superior retention and lacing. Moderate firm carbonation, ~3 carbs or so. The subdued aroma has a definite lager yeast character with a little touch of sulfur sitting on top of some roasted malts, some distant dates and a wisp of smoke. No DMS, perceptible alcohol or diacetyl. The taste definitely has a touch of smoked malt. Flavors of figs and carob with a mild herbal bitterness. Aftertaste of cola, smoke and carob. Mouthfeel is a little flimsy for a baltic porter. With an ABV of 6.8%, I would prefer a more substantial mouthfeel, akin to other baltic porters like Okocim or Sinebrychoff. I wonder if they choose a lower mash temp for some reason and that's what I'm getting.

A good beer, but it doesn't compare to the other well known baltic porters, and for the price, I'd stick with Okocim.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2013 00:21:33 | More by Mitchster

Justin23060

Virginia

3.15/5  rDev -16.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A- Very dark brown w/ chestnut highlights. Beige 1.5 finger head diminished but coated edges

S- Chocolate and caramel. Would have like a little more roast.

T- Same as smell. Starts about in the middle and ends on the dry side making the linger a little short for my taste. No smoke or roast.

M- A little on the thin side. Carb was pretty soft.

O- Lacks the boldness I was looking forward to. Because of that, it makes an ok porter but not my favorite Baltic. One and done IMO.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2013 04:17:25 | More by Justin23060

tone77

Pennsylvania

3.53/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a brwon12 oz. bottle. Has a black color with a 1/2 inch head. Smell is of licorice, some malts. Taste is roasted malts, chocolate, licorice, good flavor, well balanced. Feels medium bodied in the mouth and overall this is a pretty good beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2012 02:33:07 | More by tone77

FickleBeast

New Jersey

3.75/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle poured into a pint glass.

Pours mostly black with two huge fingers of mocha foam that fill the glass. Aroma is mostly of roast malt bitterness; toffee; plum.

First sip is substantially roasty up front, fading into a bitter middle, and surprisingly dry finish. Not a ton of sweetness here, the roasted malt flavors are the dominant profile, and this is decently hopped.

This is a pretty decent baltic porter. Good amount of ABV that is pretty well hidden. That said, it is kind of one dimensional and really doesn't excite my taste buds. It's good - but nothing that I'll really crave.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2012 01:44:18 | More by FickleBeast

mikeg67

New Jersey

3.48/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle. Pours brown with an off-white, long lasting foamy head. Nose is bready, toasted malt, hints of dark fruit and piney hops. Body is medium and smooth. Taste is of bready, toasted malt, brown sugar, spicy hops and hints of dark fruit. Finish is long, semi-dry. Well made, balanced brew.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2012 15:42:43 | More by mikeg67

onix1agr

Pennsylvania

3.78/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A bottle into a Dark Horse Brewing pint glass

A- Old Dominion Baltic Porter boasts a silky dark brown coming out of the bottle. Has a slick look to it. Once condensed in the glass it has a black look to it from afar but close up it is the darkest brown possible. A 1/2 inch beige head stood atop leaving a coating of lace.

S- A sweet smelling porter. Underneath I get the basic porter scents of roasted malt, chocolate, char/smoke and some hops. On top of that is a big fruity scent which I was not expecting. With warming some creamy milk type scents. No alcohol.

T- On first sips I got some dark fruit and some brown sugars. I let it warm up a bit and the porter tones came up more with a nice amount of roasted malts and chocolate. Not as much coffee as some other porters. Not much hops in fact barely any at all. Some vanilla and milk in small doses.

M- Medium bodied and silky with a clean feel. A bit thinner than expected with baltic in the title but the mouth is fine. Creamy and not bitter at all. Not sure of the date on the bottle but the hops have faded and pose no bitterness in the feel. Not so much carbonation in this which works for me.

D- Not sure this needs to be called a Baltic Porter as there are many 7.5% porters with lesser titles. The feel is a little thin but the taste is great. Right now at less than 2 bucks a bottle this is a great price and will do. This is a great night time porter to relax to.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2012 02:10:30 | More by onix1agr

jjboesen

Maryland

3.63/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Of course, we all know the history of Baltic Porter: English porter .... Catherine the Great ---- long sea voyage to Russia .... yadda yadda. This version opens in a moderate head of splotchy foam that is eager to subside. The body is tar black. What little lacing there is seems to slink into a filmy overlay.

There is a strange nose that portends a freakish union of molasses and orange (oranglasses?) Stir it a little for a swift whiff of cream. Whuuuut? An ambitious palate can detect some wispy caramel before it fades into a speedy shot of oat and malt. There she goes; she's gone. The mouthfeel is well balanced wih a few creamy riffs going on before laying on a blanket of semi-sweetness at the fade.

I love the style; however, this version was adequate, but drinkable. In any case, it does NOT exemply a Baltic Porter as it has become to be known and loved - and quaffed. Oh Catherine, stop f--- that horse and pour me another Baltic Porter.

Serving type: on-tap

11-19-2012 22:52:41 | More by jjboesen

AdamBear

Pennsylvania

2.88/5  rDev -23.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

A-black with a thin tan head

S-extremely faint scent of cinnamon and licorice. So faint. Almost nothing there.

T-comes in with an extremely faint taste of cinnamon, licorice, and maybe chocolate. It just a really faint flavor with a small kick of Belgian spices. Not much going on here. Not much of an after-taste.

M-dry low carbonation with a watery Finish

O-a very boring Baltic porter. The flavors are almost muted. Sometimes with this styles, the basic ingredients are supposed to speak for themselves. If not, sometimes the added ingredients help a lot. This just has nothing going for it at all. I don't recommend it at all.

Serving type: on-tap

11-17-2012 18:54:37 | More by AdamBear

Gambrinus1184

Connecticut

3.93/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Served from a 12-ounce, twist-off bottle into a plain, tumbler pint glass.

A: Near black color with a ruby highlight when shown through the light. A thin, tan head of carbonation builds as quickly as it vanishes, leaving a slightly creamy slick of foam.

S: Sweet and roasty with hints of cocoa, charcoal and some nutty, herbal hops.

T: Creamy and bittersweet malts rush over the front of the palate, coating it with a slick, coal-like flavor. The dark chocolate and mild berry notes wear into an herbal and almost anisette-like hop bitterness that adds some boozy heat to the otherwise silky finish.

M: Full-bodied and smooth porter with a little gripping hop and alcohol heat. Velvety finish is numbed slightly by a burnt, grainy malt offsetting.

O: A rich, sweet and relatively balanced porter with plenty of malt character to back up the near 7% ABV. A little grainy and slick, so its still rough around the edges, but it's as welcome of a brew on a cool spring night as a late fall one.

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2012 00:50:57 | More by Gambrinus1184

garuda

Pennsylvania

3.85/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - Deep ruby, nearly black, that has a white head with good retention and lacing.

S/T - A little grainy on the nose, with smoke, chocolate, roast, and a touch of pine hops in the finish.

M - Medium body and carbonation, a touch astringent, but remains mostly smooth and slightly oily across the palate.

O - Nice porter. Depths of malt flavor are tasty and keep me wanting more.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2012 12:39:03 | More by garuda

Bierguy5

Ohio

3.65/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Very dark brown, nearing black. Poured with no head.

Roasty, clean nose with some licorice and darker fruits. Hint of berries.

Roasty and fairly dry. Black licorice, star anise. Dark fruits and berries. A bit of cocoa on the finish. Drying at the finish.

Medium body, lower carbonation. Slight warmth in the chest. Interesting beer, not bad.

Serving type: on-tap

02-21-2012 01:01:40 | More by Bierguy5

littlelorib

Virginia

3.05/5  rDev -18.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Dark brew with creamy colored head that is quite persistent. On the other hand, not much going on in the smell, just a little hint of roasty malts. My first impression of the taste was of sweet malt, followed by charred wood and a balancing amount of bitter, so that initial sweetness doesn't linger. A rather light mouthfeel for what should be a big beer.

Overall, this beer doesn't impress me. I was expecting something more. I would not go out of my way for this rather average beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2012 00:17:55 | More by littlelorib

stckhndlr

Virginia

4.03/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A- Dark brown almost black with faint ruby highlights. 2 finger tan head stays for quite a bit.

S- Roasted malt and hops. There's some chocolate and licorice in there. Maybe a hint of caramel as well.

T- Roasted hops with some flavors that resemble a coca-cola caramel flavor. A unique blend of coffee and soda. Interesting.

M- Well balanced and smooth. Easy to drink.

O- This is a good beer. It has a solid flavor and feel while not being too simple. Good all around beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2012 20:39:46 | More by stckhndlr

SolipsismalCat

Pennsylvania

3.45/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a pint glass.

A: Dark brown/black with three-finger, fizzy, tan head that lasted several minutes. Okay lacing.

S: Sort of a funky smell. Roasted notes too.

T: Moderate sweetness and light bitterness. Nutty and coffee-like flavor. Really not much hops to balance anything.

M: Medium bodied with fizzy carbonation. Really smooth.

O: A bit of an odd smell and taste. Head was way too fizzy. Slightly above average Baltic porter here.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2012 01:10:35 | More by SolipsismalCat

JoeAmerican77

Colorado

3.48/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Beautiful dark dark tar color, a nice tan head... Smells of pit fruit cocoa and raisins. Heavy chocolate and roasted malts on the tongue, also a hint of anise. Nice heavy body and a medium amount of the tiniest bubble carbonation imaginable.

Overall I like it a lot, mostly because I've put 14 hours of hard work day in at MCB Quantico.

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2012 03:01:12 | More by JoeAmerican77

thekevlarkid

Maryland

3.98/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Out of a bottle this beer was a dark, copper color with one finger of khaki colored head. It retained as a collar and lefts streaks of lacing. The aroma was of roasted malt, caramel malt and chocolate. The flavors were full of chocolate notes with some light nuts, figs, prunes and caramel along with some alcohol heat that appeared as it warmed up. The mouthfeel was smooth and full, the body full and the carbonation light. Despite being full of chocolate it wasn’t overly sweet and I found it highly enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2012 14:41:25 | More by thekevlarkid

chilly460

Virginia

3.73/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Poured a clear dark brown color with ruby red highlights when held up to a light. Nice fluffy tan head with good retention. Thin lacing down the entire glass.

S - Mild smelling roast malts, with some vanilla as well.

T - Nice malty backbone here, with a toffee kick. - Poured a clear but very dark brown color with ruby red highlights when held up to a bright light. Nice fluffy tan head with good retention. Wispy lacing was left down the inside of the glass.

S - Not the most aromatic brew, what I did get from the nose was a malt base with hints of buttery toffee and maybe an ever so slight hint of vanilla. Seems like I could smell a bit of alcohol in the nose as well.

T - Nice roast malt backbone, with some coffee tones as well. Mild bitter chocolate, and toffee is some sips.

M - The mouthfeel seemed a little light, a touch watery.

O - Solid brew, unremarkable in any one measure.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2011 22:57:39 | More by chilly460

sweethome

Illinois

3.95/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Very dark - almost opaque. Slight tan head.

Roast malts, hint of smoke, cherries on nose.

Roasty entry, lager mouthfeel is smooth. Anice with rich roast malts. Thick and creamy, yet yet smooth. Alcohol fire on finish.

Fits style - enjoyable fireside brew.

Serving type: on-tap

12-11-2011 16:17:13 | More by sweethome

lackenhauser

Maryland

3.78/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Deep, rich brown color with a nice sized head going on. Malty, somewhat sulfur like aroma. Pleasant mix of cocoa, toffee and caramel. Has a distinct nuttiness. Faint hop presence in both bitterness and flavor. Good mouthfeel-thought it was thin at first but warmed into a nice, soft maltiness. Nice beer-not quite sure of it being a Baltic porter.

FYI label says 6.8%abv.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2011 01:51:08 | More by lackenhauser

micromaniac129

Pennsylvania

3.88/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours quite a deep brown color. It has a smallish head but who's body is quite dense.
There is a deep roasted malt aroma but thats about it. A rich tasting hardy brew with tons of complex malt taste but mostly a rich roasted malt bill.
Drinks heavy on the palette smooth and a semi dry. has a roasted aftertaste.
Baltic porters aren't one of my favorite even though I am a big porter liker.
This drinks nice, it has a smooth softness about itself and making it a nice easy drinking ale.
Worthy

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2011 14:22:56 | More by micromaniac129

Guden

Maryland

2.98/5  rDev -20.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A- Deep black with just a thin line of tan foam on top. Not too inspiring.

S- Not much here, just a hint of coffee and licorice.

T- Decent flavor of coffee and chocolate with just a little bit of a burnt caramel flavor. Again not overly strong and I can't find the licorice character that came through in the nose.

M- A bit thin and medium in carbonation but it goes down easy.

D- Not bad just nothing very exciting here just a pretty bland porter.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2011 21:42:34 | More by Guden

MONKandTUCK

Pennsylvania

2.85/5  rDev -24.2%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

A - Deep dark brown, not quite the abyss-like dark that most Stouts and many porters carry. Still, it's on the dark end of Baltic Porter which I like. Color can be very misleading, but darker Baltic Porters tend to suggest more dept of flavor, particularly dark fruit and roast.

A - nothing there. Not that aroma is this style's strong point, but I was hoping for some bready munich and toast, if not a little chocolate and roast.

T - very bland. There's some coffee, caramel and sour twang. Spice shows up intermittently. But this isn't a fun beer to drink. It really lacks depth. Bocks and Brown Porters inspired this beer. Sure, it's not a Russian Imp Stout, but it's a blend of two character-rich styles. Even if it's not Zywiec, still give me something to savor.

M - Watery. Too thin, especially for a beer so strong, and meant to be malt-forward.

O - No wonder it's from Delaware... these guys must be Eagles fans, affected by Reed's dismal Eagles. I'm Philly-proud, but the heralded dream-team shit the bed. I'm gonna try Old Dominion's other products in the future, and pass this one up. Maybe I had a bad bottle, or maybe the other reviewers just haven't had Zywiec and Okocim? I dunno, but I know those are hallmarks of great brewing, anything failing to come close isn't worth your time.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2011 02:40:20 | More by MONKandTUCK