Porter - Utenos Alus

aracauna

Georgia

3.58/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

This is definitely not one of the darker Baltic Porters. It pours a handsome mahogany brown body, with maybe a slight haze. The head builds easily, but is short-lived. The aroma is malty with a slight touch of prunes. The flavor has a bit of cocoa and a caramelized flour taste similar to the breading on fried chicken. The finish lingers with a slight dried pear sweetness and a bit of bitterness almost covered by the sweetness. The body is a little thin for my taste.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2005 22:11:57 | More by aracauna

chinchill

South Carolina

3.6/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

.5L bottle served in a snifter at a temperature of about 50-55F.

Appearance: Pours a clear garnet-brown color; a bit lighter than average although the tan head is not. Leaves some sticky lacing.

Smell: Figs and other dark fruits with dark bread and a hint of brandy: nicely appealing.

Taste: Sweet all the way thru, bordering on cloying. Good mix of figs and dates in the fruity flavor but a bit lacking in roasted malts.

Mouthfeel: Light-medium body and light but adequate carbonation.

O: The sweet flavor has some appeal but would be improved with a bit more dark malt in the mix, as well as a touch more bittering hops.

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2013 23:26:41 | More by chinchill

BamfBacon

Ohio

3.5/5  rDev -0.3%

04-11-2013 17:37:43 | More by BamfBacon

wattoclone

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +28.2%

04-04-2013 19:59:16 | More by wattoclone

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

3.18/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

0.5 liter bottle to mini-snifter. (Foreshadowing: label suggest that this matures with age)

Pours a cola color with translucency. Light for a porter, but I'm rolling with it. Bubbles formed off the pour and gravitated to the outer rim. Looks lightly-carbonated.

Light oxidation notes of cardboard and manila folder. Lithuania is a long ways away, right? Spanky malts are a bit roasty and rather caramelly. Hint of cherry here. Nose is proving to be a little off.

Huh... doesn't taste very oxidized. It's caramelly and interestingly fruity. Notes of apple and cherry and even the alcohol has a fruit essential oil ring to it. Toffee, mineral flavors, nutty yeast, dark fruits/raisin, and some medicinal notes. Taste is not dissimilar to that of a dubbel.

Low carbonation. Slightly syrupy body with only the greasiness of booze. I'm appreciating the warmth of a sub-7% beer.

Not what I expected. They call this a dubbel, I might rate it a tad higher.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2013 05:32:37 | More by thecheapies

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

3.93/5  rDev +12%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

The bottle inventory is finally dwindling and I will be glad when it disappears completely! I CAN't wait to get back to The CANQuest (TM).

From the bottle: "Premium Quality Dark Beer Brewed in Lithuania"; "Utenos Porter - this dark beer of rich subtly sweet delicious taste of caramel has a distinct feature - in time it gets more mature and its taste becomes richer. Caramel malt produced using a special method gives porter a pleasant aroma and a deep color."; "In 2001, Utenos Porter was recognized as the best in the dark beer category by the Chicago Beer Tasting Institute, USA."

I got a finger of dense, deep-tan head with good retention from my pour. Color was a deep brown with ruby highlights. Nose had a caramel/coconut/chocolatiness, very sweet with a touch of alcohol heat lurking underneath. Mouthfeel was medium and caramel was the prevalent flavor on the tongue, followed by banana and chocolate. Talk about truth in advertising! I did not transcribe the label until I was well into my review, but they really got it right. Finish was still quite sweet and left me wondering how much fermentable sugar remained at the end of the brewing process. I'll bet that this could have been made higher in alcohol. No matter. It was a pleasant find in my inventory and age certainly did not hurt it in any way.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2012 21:12:55 | More by woodychandler

JeltMaaj

Illinois

4/5  rDev +14%

12-24-2012 21:36:17 | More by JeltMaaj

UCLABrewN84

California

3.48/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a clear copper-brown with a foamy khaki head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Small dots of lace slowly drip into the remaining beer on the drink down. Smell is of malt, caramel, and some candied dark fruit aromas. Taste is much the same with an almost sickly sweet finish. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer but the sweetness is a bit too much in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2012 04:18:20 | More by UCLABrewN84

NuclearDolphin

Minnesota

4.18/5  rDev +19.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance - Dark yet clear brown with a brown soapy head. Reminds me a bit of a brown ale.

Smell - Chocolate, Caramel, burnt malts and yeast. It doesn't have a very overwhelming "Burn" smell that I see in most porters, but one can still tell it is very much a porter.

Taste - Chocolate, nutmeg, caramel, toffee, and bubblegum. Very unusual for a porter for it to be this sweet tasting, let alone with the bubblegum taste. You can tell it has a very solid malty backbone here.

Mouthfeel - Light bodied with some moderate carbonation that gives it a refreshing feel to it. Does lack the smooth feel that many porters usually have though.

Overall - I was pleasantly surprised by this beer. Having picked it up for $1.99, I was expecting it to be so-so at the most, but this actually ended up being a really good porter that does it's flavor just a bit differently.

Serving type: bottle

08-22-2012 14:05:21 | More by NuclearDolphin

illini4x4

2.75/5  rDev -21.7%

07-28-2012 22:48:51 | More by illini4x4

czellmer

5/5  rDev +42.5%

05-01-2012 23:02:34 | More by czellmer

WastingFreetime

Wisconsin

3.25/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Reviewed from notes.

A. Reddish brown in color with a receding foam collar for a head and minimal lacing on the glass. Not as black as I had expected.

S. Some sweet molasses and a faint whisper of soured cherries, a bit of mild earthiness as well.

T. Some mildly boozey raisins and burnt brown sugar with a sour aftertouch on the finish. Noticeably light on the roasted notes that I have come to expect from porters.

M. Crisp yet on the thinner side of medium body, feels kind of lighter than it ought to be.

Overall, this brew nails that touch of sharp acidity that Baltic Porters are known for, but it also stumbles badly at supplying the roasted malt character that Baltic Porters are also known for. A mixed bag to be sure. If it had some added complexity and a healthy dose of roasted-ness, it could have been a real contender.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2012 19:43:10 | More by WastingFreetime

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev +6.8%

04-02-2012 00:23:48 | More by TMoney2591

Zachtheporter

Wisconsin

3/5  rDev -14.5%

03-10-2012 08:03:56 | More by Zachtheporter

jfcaa193

Connecticut

4/5  rDev +14%

02-19-2012 01:00:34 | More by jfcaa193

Stoffel

Texas

3.5/5  rDev -0.3%

01-07-2012 04:27:24 | More by Stoffel

jmdrpi

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +14%

11-22-2011 04:48:13 | More by jmdrpi

Bung

North Carolina

3.23/5  rDev -8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

500ml. A very light for a porter mohoghany pour. A thin layer of white head. Looks like an English strong ale.

Smells like an English strong ale. Quite a bit of malty caramel. That lager yeast aroma is quite strong also.

Taste, more caramel, toasted malt, a lot of bread. Pretty much like an English Strong again. Finish with some nuttiness and herbal hops.

To the light side of medium bodied. Ample carbonation keeps it from coating too well for me. Drinks just fine.

Overall this is just fine, but it is no where near to the Baltic Porter style.

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2011 01:44:42 | More by Bung

hopsgirl35

Pennsylvania

4.22/5  rDev +20.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Has a dark pour with a reddish tint to it when you hold it up to the light, little to no head.

Aroma: Remindes me of a roasted coffee bean,caramel sweetness with maybe a hint of sweet dark chocolate.

Taste: Mostly roasted malts with a hint of bitter sweetness.

Mouthfeel: Heavybodied with a warm bitter finish.

Overall: A nice fall beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2011 15:04:42 | More by hopsgirl35

tone77

Pennsylvania

3.65/5  rDev +4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a brown 16.9 oz. bottle. Has a dark brown color with a 1/2 inch head. Smell is very mild, some malts are detected. Nothing mild about the taste, malts, caramel, some dark fruits, a touch of alcohol, good complexity. Feels medium bodied in the mouth and overall is an enjoyable beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2011 14:53:25 | More by tone77

falloutsnow

Illinois

2.5/5  rDev -28.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Pours a body of amber orange-red in color, which is really light for a Baltic porter, if this is really even intended to be of that style. Body is transparent, with visible carbonation throughout. Head is initially about 2cm, but falls fairly quickly to practically nothing remaining in the glass. No lacing. A bit disappointing.

Scent is of black cherries, syrupy sweetness, and spices, particularly cinnamon and fennel, come to mind. Where's the coffee? Where are the smoky and roasted malt notes? Where's the sourness?

Taste opens with syrup and caramel-like malt sweetness, then brings in some noticeable, but murky anise and fennel flavors; in the background there's some dark cherry flavor. Aftertaste is a bit bitter, primarily of the fennel/anise combination. I don't understand why this is called a porter, it's more of a dark ale, of which it would be acceptable, but nowhere near standout.

On the mouth, this feels alright, but still too thin for a stepped-up porter. Medium-bodied with a fitting level of carbonation that keeps the beer moving along the palate. Finish is a little sticky from the sweetness, and not particularly dry.

This is not a baltic porter, or a porter, regardless of what the bottle or BA indicates. As a dark beer, this is a passable example, though it's fairly bland even at that.

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2011 01:47:54 | More by falloutsnow

BlackHaddock

United Kingdom (England)

3.2/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

500ml Bottle picked up in London while visiting my son. This bottle had a best before date of 2 Dec 2011 and was reviewed over Easter 2011.

The beer pours a rustic reddy brown, not a true Porter black.

I found coffee and fennel in both the smell and taste, in equal quantities. Neither were over stated, but they were the over riding flavours throughout the tasting, allowing nothing else to get at my tastebuds.

The body reminded me of the better dark lagers produced in Germany more than a Baltic Porter, so rather thin body wise.

OK, but I'll not be rushing back to get a crate load.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2011 15:11:50 | More by BlackHaddock

chicagoabbot

Illinois

3.38/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

500ml bottle into a pint glass, shared with a friend. This bottle was nice and cheap so figured we'd give it a shot because we were talking about the Baltic Porter style. Ok appearance, the body is a bit lighter than I expected to see. Decent head, but retention isn't that amazing. The smell is not bad, it's got some lager notes to it as well as some porter . Not really a knockout, but pretty interesting. The taste is ok. Porter is not a favorite style of mine anyway, and Baltic Porter is not going to be either. Nothing objectionable here though. Pretty crisp mouthfeel and overall it is worth trying and it's not a bad value.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2011 20:09:40 | More by chicagoabbot

Hoagie1973

New York

2.63/5  rDev -25.1%
look: 1.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Pours very cloudy dark chestnut brown. Appearance is more like a darker Brown Ale than the expected black of a good Porter. 1 finger head reduces to a light froth pretty fast.

Smells like molasses and honey. Sweetness is heavy and asserts itself before even reaching your nose.

Tastes like sweet brown sugar, raisins, toasted malts and rum-like boozy alcohol. Alcohol seems higher than 6.8%.

Mouthfeel is light and a bit watery. Not very hearty.

Not terrible, but more of an over-sweet boozy Brown Ale than a robust Baltic Porter. I won't look for this one again.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2011 14:37:46 | More by Hoagie1973

theBubba

New York

3.95/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured a dark cherry wood color into my stem glass. Very nice initial head and good lacing to the end.

The smell was simply that of malt, toffee and clover honey. With a bit of earthiness behind it.

Taste was smooth, round, malty with barely a trace of hops. A bit on the sweet side, most likely because of the lack of hops.

Mouthfeel was very decent with just the right balance of carbonation, body and creaminess.

All in all, though nowhere near a true Porter, this very affordable import was a great discovery. And I would never have associated Lithuania with a beer of this style. If you can find it, try one. A nice evening beer for this time of year, though one will probably be enough.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2010 03:14:57 | More by theBubba