Grand Imperial Porter - Browar Amber

GeoJ

Virginia

3.95/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Picked up a bottle as part of a "Make-Your-Own" 6-pack, poured into a pint glass.

Nice, dark color typical of a porter, 1-finger head that dissipates quickly. Aroma is pretty strong on the alcohol, dark chocolate, blackberry (currants?) ... really interesting.

Taste pretty much follows the aroma, a lot sweeter than I expected. Almost wine-like. To my palate, it is a VERY complex brew - There is a LOT going on here. Mouthfeel was thinner than I like from a porter, but by no means bad. Paired very nicely with some Russian and Lithuanian cheese, along with some freshly baked rye bread. Didn't want to pair it with a garlicky Russian sausage I had lined up - that wouldn't work, at all.

The back of the bottle label states "Perfect with gourmet desserts, and especially dark chocolate" - That's for sure.

Glad I tried it - Will get some more to spring on my unsuspecting, porter-loving friends!

Serving type: bottle

11-15-2011 00:10:12 | More by GeoJ

leprechaunandfatman

Illinois

4/5  rDev +9.6%

05-02-2013 00:58:32 | More by leprechaunandfatman

rayj212

Wisconsin

3.75/5  rDev +2.7%

04-15-2013 01:26:42 | More by rayj212

magpieken

Australia

3.75/5  rDev +2.7%

04-08-2013 16:05:23 | More by magpieken

Gluteus_Maximus

Wisconsin

3.75/5  rDev +2.7%

04-05-2013 00:42:24 | More by Gluteus_Maximus

steve8robin

Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev +23.3%

03-28-2013 04:12:45 | More by steve8robin

raythealeman

Connecticut

3.5/5  rDev -4.1%

03-10-2013 23:40:40 | More by raythealeman

JeltMaaj

Illinois

4/5  rDev +9.6%

12-24-2012 21:34:40 | More by JeltMaaj

muchloveforhops3

Oregon

4.25/5  rDev +16.4%

12-12-2012 02:06:21 | More by muchloveforhops3

woosterbill

Connecticut

3.58/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

500ml bottle into a Duvel tulip. Dated, to my surprise, 02/06. Is this really a six-year-old bottle that I picked up on a whim last week?

A: Black body, brown highlights; two fingers of frothy tan head. Good retention, light lace. Pretty good.

S: Yup, that smells ancient - but in a pretty good way. Sweet molasses, musty sherry oxidation, and an interesting, distinctive hint of gingerbread.

T: Sweet. Brown sugar, molasses, chocolate, and sherry. Really tasty up front, but the finish is cloying and musty - not a great combination.

M: Sticky but not thick, with a moderate amount of tingly carbonation. A little strange.

O: Interesting and enjoyable, but I do wish it came in a 12oz bottle instead of a half liter. A worthwhile experiment for $1.99.

Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2012 23:29:40 | More by woosterbill

TheSixthRing

California

3.45/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Appearance - Pours jet black with cola brown edging. The head is a light cocoa powder brown, 2 finger thick and shows decent retention. Lacing is thin, but silky and with fair stick... then nothing after about 20 minutes.

Smell - Raisin and burnt, caramelized sugars make up the the front of the aroma. Earthy, grassy and with subtle hints of chocolate below.

Taste - Lots of sugar at the forefront. Caramel and toffee at first, then raisin finds it's niche. A touch of earthy coffee comes through faintly mid-taste, and lingers in the finish. Finishes with raisin sweetness and subtle heat.

Mouthfeel - Full-bodied with low carbonation. A touch syrupy; sticky. Finishes a bit flat.

Overall - I'd say this is a run-of-the-mill Baltic here. It's drinkable, does nothing to misrepresent the style, but there's nothing special or exciting about it. Highly doubtful I'd buy it again. Maybe a bit more sweet than it should be.

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2012 07:35:39 | More by TheSixthRing

GeckoPunk

Connecticut

3/5  rDev -17.8%

11-19-2012 23:22:20 | More by GeckoPunk

LiquidAmber

Washington

3.8/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a Dogfish Head pint glass. Pours a cloudy, but semi translucent dark red brown. Half finger light tan head fizzed intensely and immediately disappeared leaving a tiny ring around the glass. Unusual carbonation behavior. Aroma of toasted malt, chocolate, vanilla and an unusual earthy fruit component. Flavor follows aroma, dark toasted malt, chocolate, vanilla with a hint of coffee. Odd fruit flavor in the finish like an herbal infusion of sour cherry. Light hops in the finish. Light to medium bodied. An unusual porter, with less opacity and body than most Baltic porters, but the toasiness and cherry flavors are good for a Baltic porter. The earthy fruit flavor in the finish does not fit as well. An interesting take on the style that I'm glad I had the opportunity to taste, but somewhat off balanced.

Serving type: bottle

11-02-2012 02:41:33 | More by LiquidAmber

Goobastic

New York

3.75/5  rDev +2.7%

10-14-2012 17:55:48 | More by Goobastic

AgentMunky

Alabama

4.05/5  rDev +11%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a half litre bottle into a brandy snifter. Stamped P.O. 1229.

A: Nice off-white head with decent retention. Ruby-black with merest hints of red in direct light. Scattered lacing.

S: Big, malty-fruity (figs, dates) alcoholic sweetness. A welcome hint of breadiness, molasses, and over-ripe banana. (Banana-bread maybe?)

T: Big, rich, and fruity. Like the other Polish 'Baltic Porter' I tried (Black Boss) this tastes much more like a BSDA than a Porter. Loads of malt, fruit, and very distant roasted malt. The endtaste is thick, spicy, and sweet.

M: Smooth, spicy, and fruity.

O: Great beer! Recommended; would have again. Not very porterish (at all) but still pretty nice. Perhaps the best Polish ale I've tasted.

Serving type: bottle

09-26-2012 07:17:07 | More by AgentMunky

Drufus

Connecticut

1.3/5  rDev -64.4%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 1

I am a fan of imperial porters and saw this one for $1.99 and couldn't pass it up. I wish I did. This beer was incredibly sweet and bitter causing me to make strange faces. It was so sweet and yet bitter at the same time, I thought I was drinking cough syrup. I probably drank 4 ounces before this beer became my first ever drain pour. Did I get a bad bottle????

Serving type: bottle

09-16-2012 16:58:42 | More by Drufus

scottfrie

California

3.8/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

500ml bottle into snifter.

A: Pours like black coffee with a huge but soft looking dark brown head. Head quickly faded into a wispy film and collar. Patchy lace.
S: Very sweet and roasted smelling. I get notes of roasted malts, char, caramel, honey, sugar and a hint of coffee. There’s something strange in there as well, kinda citrusy, earthy and vegetabley.
T: Better than the nose. Sweet and roasted again, with honey, candied sugar, caramel syrup, roasted malts, chocolate, charred wood and coffee melding together. The finish is sweet and sticky and the aftertaste is burnt but still sweet.
M: Fuller body, airy but smooth carbonation with a sticky and viscous mouthfeel.
O: I’m still not loving the nose but this tastes pretty good actually. Nothing earth shattering but a great drinking imperial porter.

Serving type: bottle

08-08-2012 21:24:10 | More by scottfrie

womencantsail

California

3.68/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The beer is almost black with a creamy tan head. Very nice sweetness with some mild roast, dark fruit, cola, and a bit of grain. The sweetness is excellent almost doppelbock-like. A bit of cola, some dark fruit, and like cocoa powder. Just a hint of bitterness to go with bread and toffee.

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2012 18:24:03 | More by womencantsail

BlurryVisi0n

New York

3.8/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Appearance: Looks real nice right off the bat, black, extremely opaque unless you put it to the light you will see maybe a little tint. Light tan head maybe 2/3" off the body.

Smell: Smells like molasses and chocolate. Good but not flattering.

Taste; In reality drinking this beer it is all over the place, it is good especially with those that like a wine feel to their beer. It is sweet like a ruby (wine),

Mouth: This beer fails in its after-taste, feels like a shot of molasses or sugar hitting the back of your mouth that is just a little too much.

Overall: Good beer especially when you factor in the it costs next to nothing. It definitely is better even than some triple it price and on that note... Salud!

Serving type: bottle

07-22-2012 19:09:41 | More by BlurryVisi0n

kurgan3

Poland

4.75/5  rDev +30.1%

06-29-2012 16:30:58 | More by kurgan3

Fatehunter

Oregon

4.2/5  rDev +15.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a pint glass. About a finger of tan head formed on a dark brown, almost black body. The head held solidly.

Smells of roasted malt, tinge of burnt barley, black licorice, and dry barn hay.

Milky taste, toasted barley, strong black licorice and dark chocolate. Alcohol in the breath at the end.

Texture is creamy and smooth. Low carbonation.

Extremely well made and balanced. A dark profile without left up. The licorice might be too much for some.

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2012 02:08:41 | More by Fatehunter

caverog

California

3.25/5  rDev -11%

06-25-2012 05:24:32 | More by caverog

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +16.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Not a bad deal picked this one up for 3 bucks for the 16.9oz bottle.

A - Very pretty looking porter. It was thick and creamy with a dark complexity and a 1/2 inch of mocha colored head that has some equally nice lacing.

S - Smells of mild espresso, a touch of bakers chocolate (which I never seem to get in many porters) and mild roast and smoke. Hopping is in their but this porter is definitely on the malty side.

T - First thing I noticed is that it was sweet rather than chalky the yeast are. This gave it more of a stout like quality giving way to waves of sweet dark chocolates and espresso beans. The finish does have a twang of citrus hops and a touch of drying making this one great porter.

M - Medium and chewy. ABV is perfectly blended.

Overall man these guys in Poland got the porter thing down. If I see this again I will be sure to pick up another. Quite possibly the best porter for your dollar.

Serving type: bottle

06-22-2012 16:32:44 | More by DrDemento456

joefc

Oregon

3/5  rDev -17.8%

06-16-2012 21:02:44 | More by joefc

RS3Sport

3.25/5  rDev -11%

06-13-2012 03:13:57 | More by RS3Sport