 kramer (1864), sunbury, Pennsylvania, USA
Nov 8, 2006
Rating #900
250ml bottle, via rickgordon. Pours an extremely forbiddingly dark black colored body under a creamy tight bubbled dark brown head. Reminiscent of a freshly brewed cup of espresso in every way. Nice amount of yeast sediment in bottle. Aroma is robust and hearty. Thick roasted and burnt malts, coffee, bitter chocolate, licorice, chalk, caramel, tar, and alcohol. Really just writes the book for a Baltic Porter. A slight hint of acetone is the only detractor. Flavor is very roasty first off with a good dose of caramel. No overly burnt flavors or astringency. Finished with lots of espresso and a lightly chalky dryness. The alcohol is nowhere to be found, amazing for a 9.6% ABV beer. The mouthfeel is just about everything you could ask for. Walking the line between creamy and oily in texture, there’s a soft fullness that enrobes the tongue. Beautiful soft carbonation that can only come from being properly bottle conditioned. Was this the best beer I’ve ever had? Maybe not, but it’s up there. What I can say is that it’s by far the best Baltic Porter I’ve ever had to date. So much going on in the flavor that it’s hard to characterize it all. Thanks heavens that they didn’t filter the crap out of this too, as that would have severely cut down on the mouthfeel. Big thanks to rickgordon for the chance to try this one!
Retorp (2154), Tampa, Florida, USA
Jul 18, 2008 Courtesy of a nice couple. Fusels, dark fruits, baker’s chocolate and perfumey hot alcohol notes blend with the scent of milk duds to comprise the aroma. The body is full on black and holds a lasting, but thin, mocha head. Soy, beef bullion, smo0ked jerky, charred wood and malt flavors. Mild chocolate on the finish growing to sweeter milk chocolate in the aftertatse. Nice mouthfeel.
MIBRomeo (1883), Wisconsin, USA
Jul 14, 2008 Shared at Struisse farms. A dark black pour w/ a thick dk tan head and fantastic lacing. Aroma is rich malts light roasted coffees some bitter sweet coccoa powder, a hint of raisen. Huge thick well coated palate. Delicious tastes, more bittersweet chocolate than i expected a hint of plum and raisen I thought grahm cracker in the aftertaste but was rebuked by others... some fine coffee notes and num num.
Bananamaniac (35), Kristinehamn, Sweden
Jun 25, 2008 Great beer! Not exactly as good as the "Närke Kaggen Stormaktsporter" but it’s really close. Pretty much the same flavours except that this one isn’t oak-aged (at least it doesn’t taste so).
Wonderful palate, the same as Kaggen.
Beer_2000 (1164), Kristiansand, Norway
Jun 5, 2008 On tap@SBC 2008. Totally black body with a small brown head. Aroma is sweet roasted malt, roasted coffee, black chocolate, dry fruit and some alcohol. Flavor lives up to its expectation from the aroma. Incredible sweet, but well balanced with bitterness. Lots of roasted malt and coffee, chocolate and some nice and warming alcohol. Thick oily body and long finish, extremely nice beer. Coffee, liqueur and dessert at the same time.
Crosling (1628), Loveland, Colorado, USA
May 20, 2008 Bottle. 2004. Akkurat, Stockholm, Sweden. Deep inky black brew with a dark brown layer of foam. Aroma is unfortunately, a bit disappointing, but it does show a touch of fudge and dark fruit platter. Flavor has a depth and a finish that just goes on and on and on. Dessert-like, truffles, espresso and cake flavors only begin to describe this incredibly balanced and tasteful beer. Amazingly complex with dark fruits and dark malt. Finesse and expression like no other beer. 30 second + finish that lasts and lasts. Tasted alongside Kaggen and although this was not as aromatic, the flavor of this beer was like no other, and topped Kaggen. And the mouth feel was so full. The flavor was just amazing in this beer.
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