Zywiec Porter

Brewed by Bracki Browar Zamkowy (Zywiec Group/Heineken)
Style: Baltic Porter
Cieszyn, Poland

Serve in English pint, Shaker, Snifter

Yes, yes, and more yes. This is one of my favorite brews. On the nose is some downright delicious chocolate notes with some nice roasted coffee hints. This beer pours an almost pitch black. The faintest light shines through. Has a beautiful light tan foam that lasts throughout and leaves a nice lacing. Upfront there is a sweet chocolate flavor followed by cloves, anise, mollasses and some soy sauce notes. This beer coats the tongue with a nice slight syrupy body. There is a nice warmth that comes from this beer, and at 9.5% it is dangerously drinkable! Overall this beer is amazing, especially when you consider that it only costs 2 dollars for a 500ml bottle! This beer is a kick in the face to all the breweries pumping out mediocre 8-15 dollar beers. Get your act together! Price =/= Quality.

I poured a 500ml bottle into a snifter.

Appearance: Pitch black all around. Forms a large, dark off-white/light brown frothy head which retains and laces extremely well.

Smell: You wouldn’t know this is such a strong beer from the aroma as it smells like any other pub-style porter. Sweet malts, a slight medicine quality and slight sour grape.

Taste: I’ve never had an "imperial" porter before (if such a thing exists), but Zywiec Porter at 9.5% ABV would certainly seem to fit that description. I’m not usually a big fan of regular porters since they tend to taste like weaker stouts (the stout style originated by brewing stronger porters). But by golly, this beer tastes more or less the same as all the other porters out there, only with more density.

Up front it’s quite sweet with a burnt toffee and caramel-like flavor, it transitions to toasted/roasted malts which imparts some bitterness but not to the extent of an imperial stout. There’s some subtle alcohol presence all along combined with a sour red grape taste but not nearly to the extent you’d find in a Russian Imperial Stout. The finish is even more sweet and a linger, slightly bitter aftertaste - like peanut brittle and burnt toast. An impressive and tasty combination of flavors to be sure. Not quite mind-blowing, but definitely better than your average pub porter.

Mouthfeel: Slightly thick, full-bodied; soft, gentle, tepid with a mildly dry aftertaste sensation.

Drinkability: Where Zywiec Porter stands out from the crowd is the fact it’s such a "big" beer at 9.5% ABV and yet it drinks like a sessionable pub porter. It’s so comfortable in the mouth and the palate does a fantastic job of working with the alcohol. It hits the tongue with a thud, but the alcohol is never distracting. I paired this with a medium-rare steak and it stood up to it wonderfully. The smooth finish is the icing on the cake (speaking of which, this would pair just as well with cake and ice cream or as a dessert itself).

Overall, Zywiec Porter is a very good beer and definitely one of the best porters I’ve ever had. At only $2.50 a bottle it’s probably one of the best values on the craft beer market today considering how potent and how tasty and drinkable it is.

I am skeptical of any beer above six percent alcohol that comes from anywhere in Europe east of Belgium, esp. those that are owned by enormous international brewing concerns. This is better than most but still leaves a little something to be desired. The deep brown is a nice color but upon it sits little head. There is a hint of chocolate and roast as well as some caramel sweetness. Texture is medium bodied but not really creamy or rich. There is a bit of alcohol burn in the finish and maybe a slight metallic not but nothing bad enough to be a deal breaker. Not bad for a strong beer of its pedigree but probably nothing I’ll be seeking out either.

Pours a super dark brown with a thick light brown head. Aroma of chocolate and burnt coffee. Taste initially is of chocolate with slight molasses which ends abruptly into a dry and bitter finish with metallic undertones. This takes what woul have been a much higher rated beer and significantly lowers my rating.

Poured dark smelled of toasted malts and chocolate. Had slighting metallic taste went away as warmed good beer

Bottle. Nice super dark and thick brown pour with a thick cream head. Nose of milk chocolate and molasses. Smooth palate. Rich dark chocolate flavor with some roasted malts. Really good stuff!

Deep dark brown body with a creamy lightly brown head. Nice appearance. Aroma of strong mamlts, quite nice, ok balance.Moderately sweet, moderately bitter flavour. Quite nice beer, just a little bit out of balance.

Bottled, for $1.99 from the Supermarket here in Greenpoint, heart of Polish NYC. Holy crap, a revelation. Very dark brownish-blackish pour with a large brown head. Strong coffee and malty aroma, dark chocolate bitters to finish. Good stuff.