Alaskan Baltic Porter (Pilot Series) - Alaskan Brewing Co.

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

3.71/5  rDev -10.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Alaskan Baltic Porter, 9.8% ABV.

Solid blackness under a roasty tan head, starts solid, slims down.

Aroma: rich roasted dark barley malt is the dominant factor of course, with notes of smoke and char on top, with hint of cocoa and coffee below.

Taste: Big in the mouth, with sweet dark malt overtaking the senses. Molasses and brown sugar take charge now, with sweetness being fully in charge of the flavor. It ceases with the initial sip and swallow, and ends dry and cool. But not mellow. I almost wrote mellow. It's strength is very evident and threatens to become part of the flavor.

That said, halfway in it is starting to feel a bit more balanced, and easy on the tongue. Darnkess and deliciousness, all in one. Glad to have tried it.

Serving type: on-tap

02-07-2013 00:52:20 | More by feloniousmonk

trevorjn06

Washington

3.88/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a dark brown with garnet highlights. Almost no head, slight ring around glass. No lacing.

Aroma is vanilla up front, some chocolate, the cherry comes through a bit but vanilla dominates... a bit too much for me.

Taste follows the nose a bit, lots of dark vanilla beans, dark cherries, light chocolate. Overall too much sweet vanilla for me. Some alcoholic heat on the finish.

This beer is OK but just doesn't do it for me overall. less vanilla and a bit more robust roast malt would improve it.

Serving type: on-tap

10-24-2012 19:59:20 | More by trevorjn06

July2Nov

Hawaii

4.35/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

2009 edition served @ Denver Rare Beer Tasting 2011.

Appearance: Dark with a frothy off-white head, just the way I like my porters.

Smell: Has a coffee like scent of roasted beans. A hint of vanilla comes out too.

Taste & Mouthfeel: This one is hefty but with a smooth taste. The Vanilla is upfront, with the cherries delving into the background a bit. The abv is hidden very well with just a slight bit of sting coming in after the first gulp. Very well balanced with the malts and the Pacific Northwest hop varieties.

Overall: A well-rounded porter that lives up to it's reputation.

Serving type: on-tap

01-07-2012 03:44:16 | More by July2Nov

jdense

Oregon

4/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Uncle Sam's Saloon, Kennewick, WA. 3.20.2010, poured into unchilled pint glass (thanks for remembering!) $4.25.

One finger tan head, medium dissipation with some lacing present. Dark brown opaque body, hard to decipher any visible carbonation. Nose is smoky, probably from roasted and/or smoked malt, some caramel sweetness with floral hops. Taste doesn't have as much smokiness as the nose, a bit less chocolate than I expected, not sure of cleanliness of line, I detect a bit of butterscotch or diacytel, ugh. Mouthfeel is full and smooth. Need to be careful of this high ABV, but certainly a nice representative of this difficult to nail style. Curious how cellaring will effect this beer. Recommended.

Serving type: on-tap

05-21-2010 15:00:14 | More by jdense

htomsirveaux

Texas

4.5/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Tried 14 Sep 2009 at the Taphouse Grill in Seattle.

Poured in a 13 oz tulip. Small light brown head. Dark brown with a reddish hue. Aromas of coffee, chocolate, leather, licorice, some alcohol. Starts quite sweet and chocolatey, almost like an iced mocha. Smooth milky mouthfeel. Dark sweet cherries in the middle. Also black licorice and anise. Dry roasty finish. Finish is warming but does not feel like almost 10pct. Dry cocoa aftertaste.

Like dessert in a glass.

Serving type: on-tap

09-15-2009 04:51:48 | More by htomsirveaux

irishevans

Alaska

3.08/5  rDev -26%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4

a solid black affair with an off white/tan head. the nose isn't very roasty, a smooth malt aroma is more present. the background is a bit copperish, kind of sour on the finish, and to my dismay a bit watery for a porter of any kind. the mouth-feel is extremely thin and not much in the way of carbonation. as far as drinkability is concerned it is an easy downer, but as a porter it is a downer.

Serving type: on-tap

01-01-2008 03:40:56 | More by irishevans

Atricapilla

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

I had tried a sample of this before dinner, but decided to drink a glass after dinner. This brew is to beer what port is to wine. It had an intriguing color, a dark copper with a bit of reddish purple in it and a fairly substantial and slightly creamy head. The appearance kind of surprised me for a porter, but was still very pleasant. The taste was a bit sweet but not overly malty, a lot of caramel and vanilla with some slight oakiness to it. I could taste the extra alcohol in it, but it seemed to add to the nice complex character instead of being dominating.

Serving type: on-tap

07-10-2007 01:48:48 | More by Atricapilla

magictacosinus

California

4/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Included in the first monthly "Beermageddon Night" with several people. Review is from my notes. A thousand thanks to Erik for sharing this with us. Poured into a teku glass from a 22oz bomber.

Pours a darkened, black color with brownish streaks throughout the rims of the glass. Having just had the 2011 Abyss vintage beforehand, it was nice to see another great imperial stout follow it up with a similar tint and generous 2 finger of head. Color is an off-khaki at the top, with several streaks of bubbles gliding upwards. Lacing is decent, although not too prevalent. Has a viscous nature that was very similar to their Smoked Porter I had a while back. Looks very hearty and inviting.

The aroma is filled with a surprising sugar sweetness and roasted character, almost to the point of being between milk and dark chocolate, yet not much of either. There's a tinge of coffee here, as well as some vanilla and sugar, but it's really the semi-dark chocolate sensation that shines here. It's not super sweet, however, and luckily there's a bready, cracked barley flavor that backs it up, as well as a light floral hop character that's pretty masked underneath. Either the malts are really the one providing the extra bittered touch, or the hops may be a little old at this point. Booziness is pretty present, even with the extra sugar on top, but isn't too distracting or anything. Given the fact that this was the final beer we had this night, it's only fitting that this would be treated as our dessert. Satisfying overall.

The flavor continues more of the same, but really goes even more out of its way to emphasize the chocolate-y goodness within. As a fan of chocolate decadence of all kinds, yet not the largest porter drinker, this really ends up being more enjoyable to me by focusing less on a smokey, coffee character, and far more on a caramelized, cocoa nib centered flavor. In one sense, this is a lot like eating a milk-chocolate fudge brownie filled with vanilla. Plums and figs abound. It's really the extra alcohol doing its job here beyond the large malt chunks, and as a result, allows it to be more silky and smoothened out than I would have expected. It's actually never sweet enough, and therefore pretty easy to drink. However, I wouldn't be able to say if I could have a whole bottle on my own.

I gotta say, Alaskans really know how to make big yet very comforting beers when they want too! This is definitely a sweet, sugar filled porter, but I've never really had too many Baltic Porters in the past and this definitely peaked my interest. The are a good alternative to the heavy character of various imperial stouts, but definitely I'd like to find more with extra balance going on. This is still very recommended from me, and a must for porter and chocolate fans.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2013 21:20:05 | More by magictacosinus

davey101

Connecticut

4.41/5  rDev +6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

2012 vintage, 22 oz bomber into a teku glass. Long time want here!

A - Pours a dark, dark brown body. Two fingers of khaki foam dissipates into a thin edging. Some solid lacing, pretty typical looking porter.

S - Lots of roast up front followed by some dark fruits and ripe cherries. On the end is smooth oak and vanilla and some dark brown sugar. Touch of alcohol. Each ingredient is present but not gimmicky and just accents the base beer. This is a thing of beauty! Those cherries though, so subtle and just perfect with the right balance of sweet and spice.

T - Bitter roasted malts and some ash and char. The cherries are bit more "dark fruit" than the nose here. Light oak and vanilla. Not as sweet as the nose as it returns to char and ash on the finish. Somewhat syrupy but a creamy carbonation helps to cut through that.

O - Absolutely loved the aroma on this. Maybe its due to the few months it has on it but the taste was not as impressive. Still, an extremely solid beer that lived up to my personal hype. The ingredients are just perfect here. This and their Smoked Porter are just wildly impressive beers to me.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2013 03:14:04 | More by davey101

Strix

Wisconsin

3.88/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Very dark reddish brown, good initial head but fades completely with no lacing.

Sweet malty smell, some cherry and vanilla.

Sweet malt, vanilla, oak, cherry, sugar, smoke. Nice flavors, but the sweetness runs away with it eventually.

Mouthfeel thick, somewhat syrupy.

Nice, but a bit cloying towards the end. Sort of a like 3/4 doppelbock and 1/4 cherry coke.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2013 01:18:32 | More by Strix

zipper8650

New York

4.46/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Abbreviated review tonight:
Snifter, pours nice and dark with little to no head, really like the nose on it, very cherry forward. The vanilla and oak come through nice as well. Mouthfeel is nice for a porter, not as thin as I expected. Initially I get a nice balance with the vanilla and oak, finished well with the cherry. I was on a brief Baltic porter kick and this is exceptionally good, well balanced really good beer.
Skol

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2013 01:07:21 | More by zipper8650

ncketchum

Wisconsin

4.39/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

2012 vintage, served in an imperial pint

A - pours a deep brown with a chocolate brown head, leaves a nice thin layer of head

S - smells malty, a bit spicy, some sweet fruits, actually I get a whiff of french toast in the end

T - chocolate, malt, the sweet of the brown sugar and the tart of the cherries give a ton of complexity to this one

M - smooth, thick, not a whole lot of carbonation, not much alcohol

O - This is probably my favorite beer from Alaskan to date. Very complex, drinkable. I'm certainly going to try and pick up a couple more bottles of this one

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2013 00:26:27 | More by ncketchum

jlindros

Massachusetts

3.7/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Shared at at the Tree House bottle share back in December. Reviewed from my notes. 2009 vintage.

Light fizzy head, touch lacing, dark brown color.

Nose dark malts, chewy oats, light roast, acrid, hint choc, faint smoke, some cherry cough syrup.

Taste creamy choc, light roast, hint cherry that turns to cherry cough syrup eventually, lactose like, lots of milk choc on the end, cola syrup, sticky sweet, light acrid burnt roast and little wift of smoke.

Mouth is med bod, syrupy, little carb.

Overall meh, nothing special but decent beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2013 15:45:10 | More by jlindros

rudzud

Massachusetts

3.23/5  rDev -22.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Enjoyed this at a little bottle share at Tree House Brewery. Reviewed from notes. This is a 2009 vintage.

A - Poured into a Tree House glass a thin brownish hue, looks slightly watery, with a thin mocha head that leaves faint wisps. Not a bad start...

S - Ugh! I know this has cherries in it, but all I'm getting is cherry cough syrup aromas. Really disappointed here. Not getting much chocolate or malts just overwhelming cherry syrup.

T - Unfortunately it is like the nose with big, almost sickeningly sweet cherry cough syrup as well as cola syrup with heavy malty sweetness and molasses. Way, way too sweet for my tastes.

M - Mouthfeel was super, super thin here. Lighter carbonation just feels watery.

O - Overall I was looking forward to this beer but it really fell short. Not sure if it is just an off bottle or what but this vintage did not hold up.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2013 06:27:45 | More by rudzud

beerandcycling88

Washington

3.94/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

From notes

Poured from a bomber into a snifter

A Dark brown body that borders on black with an off white head that dissipates quickly.

S Lots of dark fruit espcially cherries with a hint of brown sugar.

T Again lots of cherries with some brown sugar. In addition there is a lot of oak and a bit of vanilla. Very sweet.

M Thick and almost syrup like with a slight burn.

Overall I went into this one not knowing what to expect due to a lack of familiarity with the style. A little surprised to not get any traditional porter qualities here but it was still an excellent beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2013 21:50:57 | More by beerandcycling88

Rutager

British Columbia (Canada)

4.01/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Appearance. Pours a deep dark brown with barely any light coming through, topped with a half finger of pale brown head.

Smell. Dark malts and dark fruits with a little vanilla and dark chocolate ...dark!!! Anyways, smells pretty good.

Taste. Dark fruits again with sweet chocolate syrup, and vanilla with some dark malts and a bit of marzipan.

Mouthfeel. Thick and a bit syrupy with low+ carbonation.

Overall. Nice stuff. A sipper that's being sipped a little too quickly.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2013 03:30:50 | More by Rutager

kawilliams81

Illinois

3.79/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Poured from a 22 oz bottle into a Half Acre snifter.

A- pours black with a half finger dark tan head. Minimal lacing.

S- roasted malts, chocolate, cherries, faint vanilla

T- roasted malts, some chocolate, cherries, bitter molasses

M- medium body and carbonation. Would never know this is almost 10%

O- good beer and very good Baltic porter. Molasses slightly dominates in flavor, and wish vanilla and cherries came through more.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2013 06:26:51 | More by kawilliams81

DaveAnderson

Minnesota

4.33/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Pours very dark, and produces a creamy, tan head, like a root beer float.

The dominant smells are of caramel and toffee, which presumably reflect the use of brown sugar. A little cherry is present, and some vanilla.

It's richer than expected on the tongue. It's roasty and sweet, with some stone fruit, chocolate, and leather.

Mouthfeel is slightly on the thin side, but otherwise, this is a very satisfying drink. It's really top-notch.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2013 03:24:33 | More by DaveAnderson

angrybabboon

Rhode Island

3.53/5  rDev -15.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Cheers to Goblinmunkey7 for sharing this beer

Appearance: Dark brown, pours with a light tan head, fades to no head, with a ring of carbonation, leaves some spots of lacing

Smell: Chocolate and coffee, with molasses - dark chocolate and cocoa - caramel, toffee, and some sweetness overall - cooked malts, and some dark fruits - cherry and black licorice

Taste: Follows the aroma, with lots of coffee and chocolate - dark chocolate and cocoa, with fruit, it kind of tastes like a chocolate-covered fruit - cherries, and a ton of black licorice - lightly roasty - sweet caramel - sweet... ultimately too sweet

Mouthfeel: On the heavy side of medium, a bit oily, sticky, could use more carbonation

Overall: Good, but not as good as Alaskan Smoked Porter...

Perhaps I am slightly disappointed only because Alaskan Smoked Porter was so good. This has some nice chocolate, coffee, and licorice flavors, but it's not ideal. Too much sweetness, too many cooks spoil the soup, etc.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2013 04:36:52 | More by angrybabboon

Goblinmunkey7

Massachusetts

3.41/5  rDev -18%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

Split with angrybabboon.

Appearance: Dark brown almost black. Minimal tan head. Drops to a small, tiny, collar in short order. No visible carbonation to speak of.

Smell: Ripe cherry. Red licorice. Small touches of vanilla and caramel. Some oak. Leather, chocolate and some acetic notes. Cocoa nibs. Some minor roasted malts. Lots of cherry. Hints of plum and honey. Cocoa and milk chocolate. Some black licorice. Dark fruit with some floral notes.

Taste: Dark cherry and licorice. Black and red. Small hints of vanilla coupled with a touch of oak in the back. Some slight toasted malts. Cocoa and milk chocolate. Marshmallow. Like a s'more minus the graham cracker. Roasted. Touches of smoke in the back. Crazy cherry licorice. Cherry skin and even more licorice. Warming makes this a red licorice bonanza.

Mouthfeel: Moderate to full body. Minimal carbonation. A bit juicy.

Overall: Roll it ad smoke it.

If they took Smoked Porter and added the things they did, this would be intense. As it is, it's a red licorice bomb. Good, but loses something as it warms..

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2013 04:22:37 | More by Goblinmunkey7

phishsihq

Colorado

4.49/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Baltic Porter is a very high alcohol, sweet, robust porter that originated in the Baltic states.

Alaskan Baltic Porter is another entry into their Pilot Draft series, and we believe it is another home run. The beer pours a deep and dark, nearly black but brown around the edges. A thin ring of tan head provides tons of lace throughout enjoyment. The deep and dark theme continues through the nose with notes of cherries, dark fruit, molasses, oak, and black licorice. All of the flavors found in the nose add to an amazingly complex brew that also features hints of candied sugars and vanilla. Medium in both body and carbonation, Baltic Porter weighs in at a hefty 9.8% ABV. It is time to come over to the dark side....

Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2013 01:30:45 | More by phishsihq

TheSevenDuffs

Ontario (Canada)

3.76/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75

Bottle dated A2012. Poured in to tulip.

A - Poured black with a thin layer of light brown head.

S - Roast and brown sugar aromas contribute to a big overall sweetness. A very faint tart cherry aroma in the background.

T - A really prominent brown sugar flavour mixes with vanilla bean up front. Roast enters mid-palate and the finish is more sweet brown sugar with a slight tartness. Very slight woody/oak presence in the background. No cherry flavour is detectable, just the slight tartness.

M - Medium body with a good chew. Light carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2013 01:49:39 | More by TheSevenDuffs

Hawksfan79

Washington

4.76/5  rDev +14.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Glass used: porter/stout glass

Appearance is a motor oil black with a thin fizzy white head.

Strong cherry aroma with a slight hint of wood chips.

A strong cinnamon flavor that morphs into caramel and vanilla and finishes with an alcohol warming.

This beer has a full body mouth feel with slight carbonation.

A fantastic beer I've always been a huge fan of Alaskan's smoked porter and thought it was IMHO the best porter around until I had this.

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2013 21:05:21 | More by Hawksfan79

yamar68

Minnesota

2.6/5  rDev -37.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

2012 vintage:

Dark nut brown body topped with a finger or so of tan khaki head with some yellow hues... good amount of lacing.

Molasses, brown sugar, I'm struggling to pull any cherry out of this... or much oak for that matter, just smells sweet with a bit of alcohol at the tail end of the sniff. The cherry characteristic shows itself after a few degrees of warmth.

This is not my bag... metallic brown ale type flavors... pennies and tin foil, laden with cooked brown sugar, some maple syrup flavors only add to the predicament...

Ditch the brown sugar, ditch the vanilla beans. But first ditch the brown sugar.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2013 04:47:45 | More by yamar68

draheim

Washington

4.2/5  rDev +1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz (2012) into a tulip. Pours a dark brown w/ garnet edges and a minimal tan head that settles to a thin collar.

Aroma is dark fruit, molasses, licorice, vanilla. Smells sweet and sugary.

Taste is sweet and fruity as well. Black cherries, molasses, vanilla. Complex and flavorful.

Mouthfeel is sticky, smooth, coating.

Overall a tasty, interesting porter. Might stock up on a few more to age before they're gone.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2013 06:08:06 | More by draheim