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Victory Baltic Thunder

Percentile
92
overall

bottled
common

on tap
available

Broad Distribution
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RatingsAverageScoreABVStyle PctlServe in
4873.6/5.03.59/5.08.5%75.9English pint, Shaker, Snifter
Commercial Description:
While Heavyweight Brewing deserves credit for introducing the Baltic porter style to many craft beer fans, this beer from Victory represents an all new recipe fashioned on the experience of Tom's original intense brew. One noteworthy difference is the higher alcohol by volume of Baltic Thunder, 8.5% compared to Heavyweight's, which weighed in at 8%.

An additional distinction is Victory's use of black eyed peas in lieu of Roman beans. Despite these changes, this dark lager still features a reminiscent roasted character that embodies the fullness of toffee, along with subtle fruit flavors derived from its higher temperature fermentation. Long, cold aging tempers this complex beer into a well-rounded delight that warms with its significant alcohol strength. The final packaged product will be released in 25.4 fluid ounce bottles.

"The first brew of Baltic Thunder was magical. Tom and his original co-conspirator on the beer, Lew Bryson, even came here to Victory to assist. Then, while sharing a pint of Baltic Thunder off of the lagering tank a few weeks later with Tom, I swear the spirit of his departed Perkuno was smiling upon our accomplishment," continued Covaleski.
 Most Recent Top Raters Highest Ratings Who's Rated This?  
 crazyvin (1248), New York, USA
3.8 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/58/103/515/20
Jul 19, 2008  
Poured a rich looking black hue with a thick tan head which faded to a small coating. A nice rich coffee like aroma. Flavor seemed to be heavily roasted with some sweetness to it. Finish was dry. Mediocre palate was the only thing keeping this beer down.


 NYHarvey (2154), New York, New York, USA
3.2 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
6/103/56/104/513/20
Jul 18, 2008  
The aroma is dark fruit, alcohol, dust, dirt/earth and roasted grains. The body is deep black and holds a wispy tan head. The fore is dark chocolate, dry roasted malt and sweet cream. It then goes earthy/dusty/dirty before offering a bit of dark fruit sweetness. It doesn’t remind me a lot of the Perkunos Hammer. It’s dryer than I remember the Hammer being and while I get some dark fruit sweetness this is much more dry and earthy tasting.


 CamdenD (606), Madrid, Spain
3.3 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/103/56/103/513/20
Jul 17, 2008  
Slightly disappointing! Too bad given the outright whoring of Perkuno done on the label and description. Heavyweight’s porter was sublime, this one, well, not as much. It is heavy, but bludgeoning when some finesse would do better. Overwhelming caramel toast aftertaste eliminates the nice bittering alcoholic elements that were suggested in the tempting nose.


 Sparky27 (1585), Phoenix, Arizona, USA
3.3 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
6/104/56/103/514/20
Jul 14, 2008  
Bomber courtesy of hellbilly. Pours a deep, clear reddish brown with 3 finger beige head and decent lacing. Nose is light coffee grounds, mild chocolate and roasty/smoky grains. Taste is mellow coffee, some dark fruits, mild cocoa and molasses with a bit of salty smoky hops in the finish that fades to a slightly sour coffee ground lingering aftertaste. Lighter mouth feel than I expected. An ok porter but it’s lacking in a few areas compared to better examples I’ve had. Thanks Joshua!


 SpringsLicker (2042), Tennessee, USA
3.4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/56/103/514/20
Jul 10, 2008  
Pours with a long-lasting tan head over a clear, dark brown body. Rich malt aroma. Light chocolate flavor, but it needs more. Thin. Easy drinking, but I was looking for more from this one.


 jasonp (1509), Sterling/Dulles, Virginia, USA
3.3 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/103/57/103/513/20
Jul 4, 2008  
Dark brown/bronze - clear, filtered-looking with an off-white head. Pleasant roasty mocha/caramel nose with a tinge of mustiness. Bold flavor; chocolatey, mocha, roast, earthy hops and lost of caramel malty sweetness. Medium bodied, smooth texture with lively carbonation. Solid beer but I would have preferred less sweetness.


 Oakes (8080), gone rambling, Vietnam
3.2 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/103/56/103/513/20
Jul 3, 2008  
Dark burgundy-brown. Chocolatey, fudgey nose with molasses undertones, along with burnt dark fruit accents. Some richness, though not as thick as expected. The palate has a chewy, burnt fruit, almost tar-like character, some background roast and toffee notes. Burnt sugar finish.


 lemasney (398), Trenton, New Jersey, USA
3.5 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
6/104/56/104/515/20
Jul 2, 2008  
ABV: 8.5% RateBeer rating: 89 Calories: estimated at 375 C Volume: 22 fl oz. Glass: stem glass, tulip, English pint Purchased at: Laurenti’s Shop RIte, Hamilton, NJ Price: $4.99 Consumed at: home First Impression: Seems like many other brown ales and porters. Looking forward to the hit of the 8.5%. Respectable head, good deep ruby color. Aroma is faint and quiet, plums perhaps. Visuals are a deep ruby with a relatively persistent head. Taste is in a word, plain. Not watery - good hops, nice dark finish, but kind of flat in terms of layered flavor. Palate is crisp, carbonated, roasted, with a medium finish. Second Impression: Not bad at all, but victory has a lot better choices on offer. I’d take it over many other brands, because it has a nice depth, color, and hoppy finish, but only because of Victory’s lineup. Having just had Mikkeller’s Beer Geek Breakfast for the first time the other night didn’t help this brew’s standing with me, either. See Hop Wallop or V12 for what Victory does great things with. Aroma: 6 out of 10 Visuals: 4 out of 5 Taste: 6 out of 10 Palate: 4 out of 5 Overall: 15 out of 20



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