Koff Porter

Brewed by Sinebrychoff (Carlsberg)
Style: Baltic Porter
Kerava, Finland

sugared alcohol. toffee. slight dairy element, chocolate milk-like. Upon warming, maybe a touch of dark cherries. Very nice and subtle. Dark black pour with a very tan thick head that clings to the side of the glass. Taste is strong in magnitude up front, a mix of the many aromas fading into a decidedly bitter chocolate. Good, but I think if it had a slightly more mellow fruit sweetness to the end, it would be superb. Palate is rich.

On tap at Max’s in Baltimore. Poured a deep deep brown with a nice tan head. Aroma is malt and roast, a bit of coffee and some chocolate. Flavor is heavy on the roast. Almost a burnt sour flavor, but strangely appealing. Maybe you have to be in the right mood for this beer, but not bad. A touch metallic.

Bottle - 2000. Pours a motor oil black with little head. Dark chocolate (as compared to milk chocolate) and burnt coffee aroma. The body isn’t as thick as expected. Cocoa, slightly sour, roasted molasses, There’s a burnt coffee taste at the end. A mild bit of oxidation but very tasty.

Dark brown with ruby highlights, chunky almond coloured head. Aroma is cocoa, char, and clay. Lovely creamy palate of coffee and pruney dark stewed fruits. Medium bitter finish of good length. A fantastic porter!

THOUGHTS: Bought it for the nice label and the fact that it’s a porter. Didn’t realize it was a baltic porter. A nice surprise. Also I didn’t realize it was Finnish, so it was a really nice surprise, because it’s my first finnish beer. TECHNICAL: Bottle. Poured a dark brown that was completely opaque black in the glass with a large, rocky and foamy, dark tan head that kept a fair sheet and left excellent lacing. The aroma was mostly hot cocoa mix, light roasted and burnt malts, light to moderate hops, light yeast and sour fruits. The flavor started out slightly sweet and sour, and finished sour and bitter with an average to long duration. There was light burnt and roasted malt, cocoa powder, sour fruit and bitter earthy, metallic hops. The medium body was oily then dry with tingly carbonation and a slightly metallic, slightly chalky and lightly astringent finish.

2008 Bottle - Pours a watery dk dk brown with a dissipating tan head, aroma is coffee and chocolate malt...aroma is similar with some soy and light hop bitters, certainly not sweet...finishes with a char bitter finish...pretty dry, nice...

bottled. pitch black with small brown head. tastes very burned. best when ice cold. when warm, metallic.

Aroma is strong and smoky with a salty undertone, like fine coffee mixed with miso. It pours black as motor oil with a thick dark ecru head that is fine-bubbled but doesn’t stick around. Flavor is like smoky coffee with nutty and unsweetened chocolate hints, and just a touch of sweetness and a bit of hop bitterness. Texture is smooth and tingly, and just a bit on the watery side. Not too shabby.