Destihl Baltic Porter

Brewed by Destihl Restaurant and Brew Works
Style: Baltic Porter
Normal, Illinois USA

Serve in English pint, Shaker, Snifter

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On tap at DeStihl. Red black. This really tastes sour and infected. Its not paritcularly bad though, I like a sour Porter sometimes. Loses points for stylistic failure though, but gains them back for being reminiscent of the NG Old World Porter. Oily, sour residue in the finish. Odd, not so impressive.

Sampled on tap at the brewpub (Normal, IL). Pours a roasty blackish brown hue showing healthy glow on the bottom and edges, brownish with a frothy tannish head that dies to a film, laces ok. Aromas are roasty and anise, touches of dark fruit, toast, and some caramel. Mellow cocoa, the anise stands out for me, but nothing overpowering. Initial is medium bodied offering decent toast and roast, dryness, some black licorice and anise elements move into the fold. Some more cocoa, mellow, touches of carmelized malts, caramel, toffee, biscuits. Lingering black licorice, dryness, and roast into the finish. Interesting, perhaps a touch underbodied. Offering some dry and licorice, roast and toast, mellow cocoa and dark fruit in the way of some cherry. Some elements I like, but I’m just not a fan of anise. The beer is solid, if not a bit thin. The flavors aren’t necessarily my cup of tea though.

draft... medium brown, watery, not much of a head... this beer was just not very good, could have been infected, weird sourness that doesn’t belong

Draft at Destihl. Pours quite pale for what one would think a porter should, but BP tends to come out on the paler end. Nose is strange, I get some tart notes, cherries and butter. The fruity notes dominate the nose. On taste, more of the caramel comes through and a big diacetyl creaminess coats the tongue. Nice roast notes and not an inherently flawed beer. The problem is that they have got, most likely, a pedio infection in the lines. Not the first time I’ve had diacetyl in a weird place here. A shame really.

Poured a thin tawny brown with little/ no head. I double checked with the bartender that this was the baltic porter and not a different beer. Nose is yeast with a roasted coffee component. Very hop assertive in the mouth with a slight metallic taste and a firm taste of alcohol. There is a distinctive lack of a malt component in both taste and aroma that is very detrimental to this beer. Quite thin too boot, I did not care to finish the taster. This beer was quite far from style, and made have faired better being called a brown.