Fair State A Dose of Thunder.Baltic Porter

 Fair State A Dose of Thunder.Baltic Porter.

8.8 % ABV, Fair State Brewing Cooperatives, Minneapolis, Minnesota. 

I had to try this one for several reasons. Let’s list them: 1. I haven’t had any Fair State in a while, because I don’t do the hazy IPAs. 2. I love Baltic Porter and will try any that I can find. 3. There appear to be several layers of Replacements references going on with the name and the label. You can figure it out. 

Dark brown, nearly black, thoroughly opaque, under a rich, cocoa tan head. 

In the nose: sweet and malty, cocoa and cream. Delightful.

In the mouth: exceptionally smooth on the palate, while being robust and full bodied Notes of cocoa and cream, deliciously dark and roasty. Touch of bittersweet. The bold alcohol level is holding it all together. Ridiculously drinkable, though the Thunder claps will ring in due time.

Can’t you feel it? Start to rumble? 

Experience the perfect storm of flavors with A Dose of Thunder, our first Baltic Porter made using German lager brewing techniques and English strong ale ingredients. Rich and robust with notes of coffee and crème brûlée, this lagered porter is roasty, crisp, full, and ideal for winter’s coldest days.  

Off Color Beer for Power Plays Baltic Porter

 Off Color Beer for Power Plays Baltic Porter. 

7.5 % ABV, Off Color Brewing, Chicago, Il. 

Dark brown color with ruby highlights, cocoa BBC toned head, utterly opaque. 

In the nose: malty, creamy, nutty. Highly likable.

In the mouth: dark, smooth, rich and surprisingly drinkable. Well, I’m not surprised, but I bet someone is…Slightly sweet, barely bitter, and a joy to quaff. Quite delightful.?

They don’t call this a Baltic Porter anywhere, but they should. “Baltic-style dark lager?” Give me a break! 

At a feisty 7.5% ABV, our Baltic Style Strong Dark Lager hits hard enough to put you in the penalty box for a five minute major.

MALTS: Pils, Munich, Extra Special, Dark Roasted

HOPS: Nugget, Saaz

SECRET INGREDIENTS: Ice Cold Lagering

Bauhaus BrewLabs Winterloper Baltic Porter

Bauhaus BrewLabs Winterloper Baltic Porter.

8 % ABV, 30 IBU, Bauhaus BrewLabs, Minneapolis, MN. 

So, this beer came out, and I wondered if I had had it before, and therefore looked it up here in this blog. It's not here. So, I checked it out on Untappd and found that I'd checked in on it six times. A can in 2017, a bomber eight months earlier, on tap at Acadia Cafe in the months prior, more bombers. So, why did I never review it here? Because it used to be called Jingle Fever before they deemed that problematic, for some reason, and changed the name. So, I never reviewed Winterloper, until now. Because if someone looks for my review here, they will never find it. Unless they search through Bauhaus and make that connection, which probably won't happen. So, here we go!

Thoroughly black, opaque, under a rich, tan head. 

In the nose: Creamy, cocoa, hints of coffee, dark fruit. 

In the mouth: dark, smooth, malty. Slightly bittersweet. Medium bodied, super smooth, and hearty. Rich and creamy. Warm and alcoholic. Brings it all home. 

I like a good baltic porter and this is surely one. 

Oliphant Nose Hozzle Baltic Porter

Oliphant Nose Hozzle Baltic Porter.

8% ABV, Oliphant Brewing, Somerset, WI. 

Here is a beer I was in search of for years, ever since my first visit to Oliphant, back in late 2014. I had tried a sampler portion of Gaer Bear, a Baltic Porter, but chose an IPA to take home in a growler, and review here, instead. These were the days before crowlers, and I wasn't going to purchase multiple glass growlers and grow my collection even larger. I never saw that beer again. The closest I came was a barrel-aged version, but not the original. And then, earlier this year, Oliphant announced that they were re-releasing Gaer Bear under a new name, Nose Hozzle, for some reason or another. I asked my boss, the beer buyer at the retail store where I currently work, to please order some when it became available. Perhaps he forgot to, maybe it was solicited on a week when he was going to skip that distributor, who knows, but it never happened, he never ordered it, the beer was never on the shelves at South Lyndale Liquor, and I wasn't in the habit of shopping elsewhere. 

Months went by, and I finally brought it up with Good Ol' Josh, when he came to the store to discuss a tasting event. Wouldn't you know it, they still had some at the brewery, and the next week Mr. Miller delivered and at last they were mine. And now I will open one, and tell you about it. Let's see if I like it as well as when I first had it, almost seven years ago. 

Dark hued, nearly black, opaque, with a slim, creamy tan head. 

In the nose: Roasted malts hit first, dry and bittersweet, Cocoa and coffee in the aroma, with moderate hops. Good stuff going on here. 

In the mouth: Comes on smooth, but hearty. Robust and flowing with flavor. Sweet malt cuts through the hops, leaves a load of cocoa and espresso on the palate. Dark fruit abounds as well, cherries, figs, berries. Dark and delicious. This is exactly what I want from a Baltic Porter, and I wish I could grab this one on the regular. Sometimes, on occasion, I do desire more than an IPA. 

So good. So very, very good. 

Baltika #6 Porter

Baltika #6 Porter.

7 % ABV.  16 IBU. Baltika Breweries, Russian Federation. 

Working in retail keeps one's head out of the beer geek bubble, the kind you can easily find yourself in if you only ever associate with the like-minded, in person, or especially online. Here's an example. The other day, someone asked what Russian beers we had, and I only had one, the beer I am about to drink. "Oh, only the numbair seex?" she said in my terrible imitation of her accent. "Not the whan or the nein?" "We had them before, I let her know, and they all sold through, except this porter, Baltika #6. Saddened, they left with no Russian beers to buy. Why on Earth didn't they want the far superior Baltic porter rather than those awful, awful lagers? 

You guys know how to read my sarcasm, right? Tell me you do.

This will be the first Russian beer to enter the Nib. But, over on BeerAdvocate.com, it seems that I reviewed 12 beers from the Russian Federation between 2003 and 2005. I should point out the selection of craft beers both national and local was abysmal during that time, in this place, and I bought everything I could find. I rated the Baltika #1 a 1.95, a whopping 37% below the average. I was not kind to European/Asian light lagers then. The #9 received a 1.74 from me, an astonishing 38.9% lower than the average score. And as for the Baltic Porter, #6, I granted it a grade of 4.35, an amazing 19.2 % higher than the norm. I just love those Baltic Porters. 

So, now I will revisit this Baltika #6 and later see what I thought of it when I reviewed it first back in February of 2003. 

Dark brown, fully opaque, large brownish head, soon to slip in size. 

In the nose: roasty, malty, slightly sweet, minor hops. Caramel notes, with a bit of cocoa. 

In the mouth: Smooth, rich, tasty. Medium-bodied, malt-forward, just the barest bitterness. A very passable porter, though it could use more body and depth. Perhaps it's only the 212th ranked Baltic Porter on BeerAdvocate for a reason. But for $3 a bottle, I find it easy-drinking and enjoyable. (Probably not worthy of a 4.35 rank, though.)

And here were my brief notes, from my early, less-wordy days: Color is dark as dark can be, beneath a big, bubbly, crackling tan head. Aroma is full of cocoa, nuts, and sweet candyish flavors. Medium body, light in texture, but really tasty, rich, satisfying. The ABV is 7%, but I didn't feel it in the least. Wait a minute...okay, now I do! Very tasty, and a welcome surprise, an excellent porter, an enjoyable beer!

Вкус «Балтики 6» — глубокий и гармоничный, с выраженной горечью, дополненный насыщенным тёмным цветом. Аромат «Балтики 6» — карамельный, с тонкой шоколадной ноткой. При производстве «Балтики 6» используются светлый, карамельный и жжёный солод, а также элитные сорта хмеля и специальные штаммы дрожжей.

This traditional dark beer is brewed according to old English recipes. The elite hops, special yeast, purest water and high skill of the brewers are a guarantee of the popularity of the Baltika Porter. Baltika Breweries makes this beer using the best kinds of dark and pale malt.

Lvivske Porter

Lvivske Porter. Ukraine. Brewed with Craftsmanship. 

8 % ABV. Lvivska Pivovarnya, Lviv, Ukraine. 

Ladies and gentlemen, I've made no secret of my love for Baltic Porters. And now I will drink a Baltic Porter that is new to me from the Lvivska Pivovarnya brewery of Lviv, Ukraine. There have been no Ukrainian beers yet in the Bitter Nib, but BeerAdvocate tells me that I logged 5 reviews of Ukrainian beers there between 2003 and 2005, those days when I would buy every weird thing on the shelves. (Where did all the Ukrainian beers go? Or did I stop searching for them, while I kept up with all the local beer action? Those early/mid 2000's were a dark time.) It also told me that I had two beers from this brewery, a lager called Mitzne and a German pilsner called Premium Lager. I did not like them. 

Will I like this? Let's find out. 

Clear, but nearly opaque, dark brown, but close to black, with a large, proud, creamy-toned head. 

In the nose: Sweet, malty, and slightly floral, at first. 

In the mouth: Starts off slightly sweet, at first, then finishes off the palate on the dry side. Mostly malty, with low hops/bitterness. Medium bodied, where I'd like it a little fuller. Well-balanced, for certain. Smooth and creamy. I said low bitterness, but there is some, keeping the sweet at bay. 

It's an enjoyable beverage, but, to be honest, a far cry from my favorite Baltic Porters, none of which I've seen in a long time. (Carnegie, Synebrichoff, Stepan Razin, Zywiec, Okocim, etc.)

I say this just before the high alcohol starts to ring in. A bit more body to ballast against the booze, please. 

Mankato Baltic Porter

Mankato Baltic Porter.

7.6 % ABV, 35 IBU. Mankato Brewing, Mankato, MN. 

Once more, we have the final can from a variety 12-pack. All the other beers in this package from Mankato Brewing have appeared here before. I bought the thing just to get to this one. And I'm glad for it. 

Deep and dark, full-on ebony, utterly opaque, with a rich brown ring of foam above. 

In the nose: Coffe and cocoa reign from above. Slight cinnamon and clove. Mostly malty. Very inviting, inherently promising. 

In the mouth: Smooth, sweet, and slightly bitter. Rich and malt-forward. Almost creamy. More coffee and chocolate, and a shimmer of dark fruit, to boot. Full-bodied, long, bittersweet finish. Absolutely delicious. 

More and more, I am happy and impressed by the breweries that don't chase the hype train, and continue to put out quality beers of a diverse range of styles. Sure, you've got sours and hazies, but where's your Baltic Porter, I ask? I'm glad I found this beer. 

Avast ya scurvy dogs, we'll swing ya from the yardarms if ye don't be wantin' a hardy porter for sailing through a dark winter. Baltic porters were brewed to withstand long voyages across the North Sea, and ye won't last a fortnight without this smoky, deep-layered malt brew and its pleasant acidic fruit flavor. Yo Ho!

ONE Ship of Fools Baltic Porter

ONE Ship of Fools Baltic Porter.
6.5 % ABV. Packaged 1/29.
One Fermentery and Taproom, Minneapolis, MN.

Dark brown, edging on black, completely opaque, slim brownish head.

In the nose: Coffee, cocoa, caramel, nuts. Slight sweetness, rich maltiness. Quite nice.

In the mouth: Slides smooth onto the palate, creamy and delightful. Some caramel, cocoa, a bit nougaty. Medium bodied, easy drinking. This one is lower in alcohol than I expect from a Baltic Porter. They're usually 7 % or higher, but I don't mind if it's a touch less than that, not when it's this nice. Sweetness is kept in check, held at bay by a modicum of hops.

I like this one and this ONE. I'll be back for more.

Dark chocolate and roasted malt with subtle hop spice

Junkyard Estonia 10/30 Smoked Baltic Porter

Junkyard Estonia 10/30 Smoked Baltic Porter.
10.5 % ABV. 80 IBU. Barrel Aged.
Junkyard Brewing, Moorhead, MN.

Here's a crowler I did not purchase locally and did not buy at the brewery (which I haven't returned to since 2016, alas, not for lack of desire). No, it was a little ol' inter-familial trade. Nephew Pat who lives in Fargo brought two crowlers to our family Thanksgiving dinner, and I brought an Oliphant crowler we didn't open. Why not swap? And so we did, and now I get to review this one. Away we go....

Deep and dark, just about black, with a tight brown ring of foam encircling above.

In the nose: Malt explosion. Incredible aromatics. Packed with smoke, chocolate, coffee, char, caramel, ...richness upon richness.

In the mouth: Thick, viscous, and damned delicious. Everything encountered in the nose is visited doubly upon the palate. Massive malt. Chocolate intertwines with smoke. More richness, more deliciousness. Increasing alcohol. Wonderfully warming. Luxurious and lovely.

Wow. This is so good. One of my favorite Junkyard brews of all time. Please make more, Junkyard crew!

Baltic Porter originate in the Baltic region when brewers started to combine aspects of British porters with those of Russian Imperial Stouts. Our version of this style is brewed with lager yeast and smoked malt for a lot of smoky complexity that helps to dry out the rich malty finish in this big beer. 

Inbound Barrel Aged Wild Rice Porter

Inbound Barrel Aged Wild Rice Porter. 8.2 % ABV. 30 IBU. Baltic Porter. Inbound BrewCo., Minneapolis, MN.

Full-on blackness, completely opaque, slim whitish head above.

In the nose: Whiskey first. Sweetness, malt, cherries, vanilla. Cocoa and coffee.

In the mouth:Whiskey, vanilla, sweet, malt, richness, yes. Cocoa, yes, and coffee, too. Malt aplenty. Sweetness, again, but balanced well. Distinct flavor. Well measured. Right on the money.

Our WRP aged in Buffalo Trace Bourbon barrels for 5 months. Rich, nutty, and slightly sweet. 

Minneapolis Breweries Day by Day #9: Clockwerks Brewing / Minnesota Breweries One by One #92 w/ Cyr Strong

I woke up bright and early this afternoon with clarity of vision and alertness of mind, one thought bursting forth to send me in a fruitful direction: I must adhere to that acronym of the engineers at Lockheed in the 1960's. Keep It Simple, Stupid.

You see, when I launched this project, I had a few untold rules. First, I must write them in order. Second, I have to finish the Minnesota Breweries One by One report if I hadn't done that already. There are 11 un-written-up brewery reports for the city of Minneapolis, out of the 32. I had to correct that before I put them into this project. So, I bumped them around in the order if I hadn't written them up. That changed when last week, once again, I hadn't given myself enough time and was on the way to The Freehouse, thinking of the seven block walk from Washington Avenue and how freaking cold it was, and it dawned on me: Clockwerks is only blocks from the light rail station, go there!

But, I haven't written them up! But, who cares! Combine them! But, but, but? I'd get things done a lot faster if I wasn't always fighting the voices in my head. (Which is something I stole from the draft of the report that I started last July. Good. Got that out of my system.)

Boho Rye Pilsner from Feb. 2017.

I will do it all. Maybe I will combine them. Even cut and paste. But I don't need to tell you that. Keep It Simple, Stupid. It was the third stop of four on Sunday, October 16, 2016. The place was in transition before a grand opening several weeks away. Elements of their "steampunk" theme seemed to be strewn about, and the beer wasn't bad, but wasn't particularly inspired, either. Tried the Alt and the ESB. The session beer angle is one that will excite very few, but everyone has to go with their passions in this business.

And I will skip entirely the bit about the tap handles. A year and some later, they're over that. Not worth noting now. I figured it was best to give this place time to find themselves before passing judgement.

Skip ahead to trying them out a few months later, February, 2017. The beers seemed to be in a better place. I had the Baltic Porter was quite keen on it. It turns out that the owners had hired a brewer, and that was my friend Dan Banks, who had previously helmed the brewing operations at Day Block. The Boho Rye Pilsner was quite nice, as well. I definitely needed to keep these guys in rotation and continue to monitor their progress.

At this point, I'll again adhere to the principles of KISS and share with you the notes on the growler of Cyr Strong Belgian Strong Golden Ale that Dan gave me at my birthday party last June, and complete omit the hand-wringing over publishing comments or criticisms, or lack thereof, when addressing a beer brewed by a friend. And given to you. For your birthday. Gonna skip that. Not waste your time. KISS.

9.2% ABV. Clear, dark amber coloring, solid ivory head slims down to a tight ring.

In the nose: The Belgian thing is going right off the bat: sweet, fruity, funky, yeast and malt characteristics at swim in this aroma. It's the oddness that I love in the Belgian-style beers. Wild, weird, and wonderful.

In the mouth: Rich malty sweetness grips the palate, meshed with an instant warmth. Pepper-y heat spices up the tongue a tad. Flavors grows and grows. Medium-bodied, light malty finish. It's a good one.

You can't get that one at the taproom now, that was from last summer. They'll bring it back, I'm sure.

(Looking at Untappd, it seems that I took the empty growler and filled it up with their Kolsch, but never took notes, just drank it down, which is quite unlike me. I normally write up every beer I have at home. Took a pic, though. Must have been a thirsty night.)

Another thing I'll cut out: the notes on the samples that salesmen dropped off and Dan filled for me.
I took notes on all of them. Alt. Oktoberfest. Boho Rye. I like them all, they tasted like they should taste. And that crisp, slightly spicy, bread-y Boho Rye found it's way on the tap lines at Acadia for a while, and will probably return.

And we can cut directly to Friday, January 5, stepping into Clockworks to check them off this list, and make it to work on time. Lonny's behind the bar and they have the 1st Anniversary Baltic Porter on tap. It's exactly what I want. 9.4% ABV. Cocoa and toffee, dark fruit, espresso, rich malt, and yet smooth and tasty. Just where I want a Baltic Porter to be, and so satisfying. Most definitely my

Baltic Porter 2018. 

favorite Clockwerks beer to date.

I felt that I had enough time for a second, so
I moved on to a Black Pearl. Foreign Export Stout, another favorite style. Smooth and substantial, that's how my notes read. 6.9% ABV, 44 IBU. Another nice one.

It's also one of their guest brews, a recipe provided by a home brewer. This is something they've done from the start, dedicating one of their taps to a home-brew recipe brought in by a friend, family member, home-brew enthusiast, what-have-you. Remember,  Broken Clock is the collective in NE without a taproom and Clockwerks is the steam-punk-theme downtown brewery with the home-brew recipe beer rotating on tap. That's how you tell the two "clock" breweries apart. Now, how you tell Inbound, Indeed, and Insight apart, that I can't help you with.

I like this place. It's a nice spot, you can play pool, games, there are events, DJs, art shows, charcuterie, cheese, Heggie's pizza, and some good beer. You don't have to go there with a monocle or gears in your top hat, but I bet they'd like it if you did. Go check them out.

As for me, it's 9 down, 22 to go.

There's Dan minding the bar.

Hop Blast Wonder. Hey, they do IPAs!

Baltic Porter 2017.

100% ClockWerks tap handles, accept no substitutes.

Oliphant Scare Bear Bourbon Barrel-aged Baltic Porter

I had to go way back through all of my previous Oliphant posts to see if I'd reviewed Gaer Bear Baltic Porter before. It appeared in the first post, from a glass at the taproom, nearly 3 years ago, although I voiced my approval, but went no further. I would love to review in depth again, but I have not been there again when it was on tap and I could take home a growler or a crowler. But, before that can happen, let's try the bourbon barrel-aged version, shall we. Indeed we shall.

Scare Bear, bourbon barrel-aged Gaer Bear Baltic Porter, 9% ABV, Oliphant Brewing, Somerset, WI.

Solid blackness, with a thin tanned ring of foam atop.

In the nose: whiskey, ash, char, vanilla, cherry, bourbon.

In the mouth: Rich, sweet, malty. Full-bodied, long malty finish. Abundant sweetness, over-run with bourbon barrel flavor. Not that I mind.
Absolute decadence. Utterly delicious.

This one made for a magnificent nightcap.

scare bear | breckenridge bourbon barrel-aged baltic porter | 9% abv it's spooooooky!

Pulpit Rock Malawi Pour-Over

It was on September 3 that Jason and I went to Decorah (not "Deborah", cut that out, auto-correct!), Iowa, visited their two breweries, and brought home beers. I didn't open up the final growler until the other night, and as I gazed on it sitting in wait in the fridge, I wondered. Why did I put it off for so long? Why did I leave it sit and choose other beers before it. There must be a reason, there must....but what?

Pulpit Rock Malawi Pour-Over. 6.8% ABV. 34 IBU. Pulpit Rock Brewery, Decorah, Iowa. Part of the series of coffee baltic porters done in collaboration with a local roaster.

Solid darkness, rich brown head of foam, perfectly impenetrable.

In the nose: earthy, rich, chocolate and coffee. Slightly on the sweet side. Quite nice.

In the mouth: Mmmm. Light fruit, cherries and berries. Creamy and full-bodied at once. Lush, dense, delicious. Smooth. Did I say "smooth"? Oh, so, very, good.

Epilogue: This was my second beer of the night, which I opened around midnight. The beer was so very tasty that I simply could not stop myself from emptying the contents of the growler into the glass, and all the way down the ol' gullet. I didn't get to bed until some time later, and woke up a mere four hours after, and was utterly unable to return to slumber. I had forgotten a lesson I learned many years ago when I finished off a Town Hall Coffee Stout late at night and neglected to consider the effects of so strong a dose of caffeine in my beverage. This, of course, is why I kept rejecting from inclusion in the nightly reviews. It's a lesson I forget at my own peril. Mornings, afternoon, early evenings, that's when you drink the coffee beers, Al, not after midnight, or
2, 3 am!

Town Hall Elves' Elixir 2016

Four years ago, I remarked here in this blog that I was unaware that the Elves' Elixir is a different beer every year. And then I ignored it in 2013, '14, and '15. Time to try it out again, and so I crack open our mini-growler to see what we shall we see.

Dark brown coloring, with ruby highlights, and a lush, cocoa-tinged head. Looking good.

In the nose: rich, caramel, cocoa, mostly cocoa. Sweet, yet dry. From the nose, I'm guessing the style for this year, and coming up with: Chocolate Porter? Maybe?

In the mouth: Bittersweet from the start. Roast-y. Dry. Full-bodied, with a long, malty finish. Deep and delicious. More rich chocolate flavors, with some cherry, some dried fruit, in there, too. This is a highly satisfying beer.

And despite what I wrote in 2012, I can find no evidence of this being a different style of brew each year, but under the same name. It seems to always be a baltic porter, but perhaps certain elements of the recipe change a bit? It's also always 8.something percent ABV, and I can use the warmth, now that the snow has covered the land and the temps are in the teens.

Well, so go ahead and sue me. I reviewed the same beer twice, after four years. No harm done. Good thing to revisit old favorites. One more thing I know is that I'll be going back for more. This is too good to let go.

Green Flash Cosmic Ristretto Baltic Porter with Espresso

Green Flash Cosmic Ristretto Baltic Porter with Espresso. Roast & Smooth. Stellar Brew. Roasted Malts, Espresso, Belgian Candi Sugar. 8.2% Alc. by Vol. 45 IBU.

Light opacity, dark stuff, with bright crimson highlights, slim brown head.

Aroma: big coffee, bitter and sweet meets chocolate, very nice. Gorgeous.

Taste: bitter, sweet, chocolate, earthy, cocoa. Mmmm. Medium-bodied. Long-lasting flavor, long bittersweet dark malt deliciousness. Mmmm. I think I like this, a lot. It's got everything going for it.

Town Hall Le Baltique Barrel-aged Baltic Porter

This year, Town Hall's Barrel-aged Week started on a Sunday, today, February 14. Not that you could drink any of them in the pub, no, the event that kicked it off was a bunch of dudes (maybe there could have been a chick in line, but, come on, it was all dudes) standing in line in 8 degree weather, with snow falling from the sky, waiting to buy tickets to get a growler of the barrel aged beers. I was actually waking  up around then, but there was no way I was going to go across town and stand outside for that purpose. For one thing, I do not have the available funds for such foolishness. I will, though, drink as many of them as I can on my nights off, if I can afford it. I'll get the flights, and will bring one growler home. There were some left when I got there later in the afternoon, even a few I haven't reviewed yet.

Meanwhile, I have a growler of a barrel-aged beer from last year's festivities, that was released about a month ago. Been sitting on it for just about long enough. They call it Le Baltique, and I stole this description from BeerAdvocate.com: This Barrel Aged Baltic style porter is a rich lager. It has very complex, multi-layered flavors including dark cacao, coffee, raisin or black currant, with hints of licorice/anise, and molasses. It was then entombed in a French Oak red wine barrel from CA. Many many moons later we have this splendid sipper.

Oddly, ratebeer. com says this: Our Baltic Porter is a dark, rich, lager-yeasted beer whose intense color is belied by its clean, approachable flavor. Complex, multi-layered flavors include dark cacao, coffee, raisin and molasses. The dark fruit found in the base beer is intensified by aging in a French oak red wine barrel from California, and the mellow tannins and oak play beautifully with the roasted malts. Alc. by Vol. 8.5%.

And I am now going to say this (writing these notes without having read the descriptions posted above):

Impenetrable darkness, with a swift brown head, gone in a blink.

Aromatics: getting the wine barrels notes first. A little twisted and funky, Slightly vinegar-y. Raisins, dates, port wine. I love it. You don't get this in a beer every day, now, do you.

In the mouth: Weird stuff coming down the pike. Just a little hot and boozy at first, then the oak, then the wine, along come the tannins, dark fruits, cocoa, molasses, ....So, Baltic Porter in a French oak red wine barrel. (I've since peeked up at the notes, to remind me of what I'm drinking here.) Increasingly tasty, and rapidly delicious. Just a little hot, but the right kind of tasty, boozy heat. It's a perfect nightcap, just what I need on a cold February night. Creeping sweetness, continually smooth, evolving complexity...rather rich and decidedly delicious.

Oliphant Mary Porter & "What's The Deal With That?" Rye Whiskey Barrel Aged Graer Bear Baltic Porter

I got this growler back in September, and have been sitting on it for nearly two months. Why not just drink it, already? I will. I don't remember this being the name on the chalkboard, but that's what it says on the label wrapped around the cap. Rye barrel aged baltic porter, here we come...

8.5% Alc. by Vol.

Rich brown coloring, dark and inviting, lush, creamy light brown head.

Aroma is caramel, toffee and whiskey. Cocoa and vanilla. Sweet, hot, deep and fiery. Nice.

Mmmm. The whiskey is dripping all over the place. Smacks the palate up, slips in and takes it over. Richly malty, with flavors of vanilla, cherry, cocoa, toffee, and more. Delicious. Damned delicious. Nice and thick and rich and rewarding.

Here's the thing, though. Good as this is, I like the original better. And I've never brought it home in a growler and written about it. Just enjoyed it at the taproom, but choosing other beers to bring to Minnesota with me. I have got to fix that, haven't I?

Barrel-aging is great, and all, but sometimes the extra additives cover up what's really golden beneath. I drink this enjoying the whiskey barrel effects, but keep wanting the tastes that are hidden.

Surly Mole Smoke

Surly Mole Smoke, Smoke Lager (Baltic Porter) aged on cocoa nibs and puya chili peppers.

This is one that usually appears only at festivals, special events, or the taproom. When I saw there were kegs available, I jumped at the chance to tap it at Acadia Cafe, and am writing notes now before it's gone.

Utter blackness, with a slim, tight tan ring.

Pepper heat hits the nose first, with cocoa right after it, with smoke swiftly smothering them both.

In the mouth, pepper hits hard again, coating the cavern, setting fire to the senses. Chocolate sits right behind it, but always plays second to the pepper's flame. Hangs long and hard on the palate. Heat returns hard and blazes the back of the throat with each new sip.

The base beer is strong enough to keep the blaze in check. What would be an inferno in other beers is a fiery tickle here, with the smoke and the cocoa and the rich dark malts adding to the richness and complexity. As has been seen before, pepper beers and I don't always mix. This, though, is one I've been going back to again and again.

Bauhaus Brewlabs Jingle Fever Baltic Porter

It's that time of year, when store shelves are stocking to brimming with beer labels adorned with  all manner of holiday references. And we're doing it locally, too, evidenced by the latest release from Bauhaus, their first bottling.

Bauhaus Brewlabs Jingle Fever. 8% Alcohol by Volume. 35 IBU. 22 fluid ounces. Baltic Porter. Limited Release. Bomber for $7.50 at Lake Wine & Spirits. So glad to find a bomber for under $10.

Appearance: dark brown, with bright shining crimson highlights peeking through, slim brown head.

Aroma: Earthy, malty, lightly spicy.

Taste: Got to tell ya, parts one and two didn't thrill me. Part three, once it's in the mouth, it's a wonderful thing. Delicious. Sweet, sweet dark malt. Caramel and toffee. Gingerbread. Toasty and tasty. Medium-bodied, long, sweetish finish. Low bitterness, just enough for balance.

I wonder what the label can tell us? Got to get the glasses out…"Smooth & silky." "A toast to all that's good in life!" "Gemutlichkeit!" "When the fluffy white stuff starts falling, this Baltic Porter is all you need to get into the holiday spirit. Jingle Fever has a rich, complex blend of malt flavors expressing caramel and dried fruit with an oh-so-smooth roasty finish. One sip will have you coming back for more."

Great to see another Baltic Porter being locally brewed. I hate to disappoint them, but this brew won't achieve it's goal of giving me "jingle fever." That's never been my style. It is a hearty remedy for wintry maladies, though.

Olvalde Farm Spiced Ode to a Russian Shipwright

Full Disclosure Department: Last night, I didn't get home from work until about 4 A.M. Just one of those nights. I normally don't start my drinking with a reviewing beer, so I have something I don't intend to take notes on as my first "get relaxing" brew that early in the A.M., when most people are asleep. Then, I started on my first reviewing beer, the Mikkeller Funky E, the last one I posted. After that I was ready to tackle a big bottle, so I went for the Olvalde Farms Spiced Ode, a spiced version of Ode to A Russian Shipwright. If things were right with the world, this brewery would get a whole lot more recognition and respect. Currently, the beer world is going ga-ga over a handful of tiny breweries in Vermont, of all places. And I'm sure to many Minnesota is one of those "of all places", but if ever a tiny one-man operation deserved wider recognition, I think it is Joe Pond and Olvalde Farms. They've only made three basic beers, with a few variations, but I feel that those are so excellent that they should receive much more fame than they do.

Anyway, I was deep into this bottle well after 5 A.M., and sometimes I just let it go. For me, profanity is something you hold onto when you need it most. I detest hearing it in everyday situations, casually dropped out as if it were nothing. But, you may notice, I still censored myself, a little. So, here are the early morning ramblings on the topic of Spiced Ode, from Olvalde Farms:


Spiced Ode. Olvalde Farms . Ale brewed with spruce tips with spices added, lightly hopped, unfiltered, refermented in the bottle. Olvalde Farm and Brewing Company, Rollingstone, Minnesota.

Dark brown body, intense carbonation, slimmed head, dark toned.

Aroma: spruce and pine hit first, followed by pine needle and lemon, …mmm, sprucey. Brisk carbonation. Sweetness turns to dry on the quick. Medium body, not to full, not too flush, just right, easy drinking, despite the ABV. Spicy stuff, herbal stuff, leafy, all that goodness. Doesn't contain enough deep, dark maltiness. The spruce is taking it all over.

I like this, though it's creeping into the territory of a bit too much. A unique creation. Delicious.