Alaskan Pilot Series: Baltic Porter
Alaskan Baltic Porter is a deep, dense beer with an intricate array of aromas and flavors derived from substantial amounts of specialty malts, dark black cherries and whole gourmet vanilla beans. In order for the British to export their dark ales to the northern ports of the Baltic Sea, they were brewed stronger than normal to endure the long voyage. The extra warmth was welcomed in these countries with harsh winters and a taste for the robust, attributes that also fare well in Alaska.
3.9
363 reviews
Juneau, United States
Community reviews
Bottle from Albertsons. Pitch black pour, small, tight head. Heady roasty aroma, dark chocolate, smoky. Taste is deep and rich, feel is thick and smooth. Burnt toast bitterness, sticks around for a while. Just enjoyable all the way through.
Pours a jet black with a thin tan head. Aroma is vanilla, bitter chocolate, roast, dark roast, booze, and bourbon. Flavor is raisin, vanilla, chocolate, and bourbon. Smooth, with a full body. Nice, complex brew.
Bottle, 2017 re-release. Black thick beer, dense walnut colored head. Aroma is cherry cola, chocolate, vanilla, toast. Taste is cherry chocolate, brown sugar, anise, oak, vanilla, coffee. Palate is smooth enough, but actually a bit thin for the abv., carbonation moderate. Finish manages to be dry. In fact the balance on this is quite good. An old favorite from way back, glad to see it hasn’t lost anything after so many beers in between.
Fresh bomber from Winco (best by year 2025). Apparently it's not retired anymore. Poured into a snifter. Jet black. Frothy tan head. Rich earthy spice aroma of chocolate, coffee, prunes and cherry. Big and chewy with lots of flavor. Well-balanced sweetness. Some brown sugar and vanilla. Quite excellent.
Bottle from 2008. Pours dark brown with a small brownish head. Notes of dark dusty malts, dark fruits, roasty ashy notes, light chocolate.
Dark brown brew with night highlites... 1" tan head leaves descent lace and a good cap...
Nose is pretty complex.. lite chocolate is complimented and slightly amplified by the vanilla (maybe too much for my tastes).. dried cherries for sure, but it seems like there are some fruity esters in there adding to the myriad of goodness. oaky without the unneeded tannic elements.
Alot of stuff going on as soon as the first sips meet my palate.. cocoa and very background coffee.. again tons of vanilla.. followed closely by some cherries ... Bing? oakey with some maple wood notes.. a smidge of alcohol and all the mash-up of flavors remind me of bourbon... more rich than I remember.
2012 Bomber decided to break out for pre Christmas! Pours black. Aroma is Chocolate, Vanilla, Cherries and Oak. Taste is Cherry, Vanilla and Oak up front with a sweet chocolate oak finish. I really like this and sad that it was my last bomber of it.
I didn't take any extra notes when I tried this beer for the first time but I'm gonna try it again and update my comments.
22oz bomber (2012) thanks to poisoneddwarf form FBW 2015. Pours black with a finger of small foamy tan head. Aroma is nice despite the age. Milk chocolate, roasted malt, vanilla, and earth. Taste of black malts, chocolate, earthy nut shell, vanilla, and hints of plastic. This was actually pretty good for a 2012 bottle.
From a tasting. 2012 bottle.
My portion was poured into a tulip.
The appearance was a nice looking mostly dark brown color with a thin layer of white foaminess gracing the top of the beer. Lacing was few and far between.
The smell started off with a big dark fruity mix leading to a slight chocolate and then after I gave it a good warming, light black licorice comes out and allows a decent vanilla.
The taste follows the nose for the most part. Big sticky dark fruity aftertaste leading to the same sort of finish.
On the palate, this one sat about a medium on the body with a fairly decent sipping quality about it. The carbonation seemed really smoothed out as the beer just seemed to roll right on off my tongue appropriately.
Overall, I say this was a nicely aged Baltic Porter. So glad to have tried it before I left Alaska.
may be a different recipe from earlier releases...9.8%, aged on oak chips with cherries, vanilla beans, and brown sugar...and you can taste it all. the aroma was pretty subdued til the beer reached close to 60, then the vanilla and oak were huge. the body was a little thin, surprisingly so for a nearly 10% beer, but smooth. the flavor was frikkin awesome! one of the better desert type beers i’ve had. big vanilla oak, and a huge chocolate vinous wine-like quality that fit the beer quite well. I will be seraching this out again."
Bomber thanks to respertftw. Mahogany/garnet with a beige head. Vanilla and bourbon. Brown sugar, mild cherries in the background and just great. Sweet and dry.
Bomber, 2012 vintage. Sweet chocolate malt aroma with notes of vanilla and cherries. Pours a very dark brown with one finger of light brown head with good retention and excellent lacing. Velvety smooth mouthfeel with a rich dark chocolate malt and subtle vanilla flavors. Finishes with the same smoothness with a slight tartness from the cherries. Complex and flavorful, nice porter.
Alaskan brewing with another goody. Reminds me of Cherry Garcia ice cream. Dark cherries and chocolate are the dominant flavors with some vanilla. A lot of sweetness on the finish. Nice.
Ruby brown/black with virtually no head. Aroma is vanilla, chocolate, dark fruits, hint of soy sauce and booze. Medium-full bodied, slightly sticky on the palate, sweetish on the palate. Taste is chocolate, soy sauce, dark fruits, vanilla, molasses, fig. Fantastic.
Bottle share. Thanks Lynn & Kelly. 2008. Dark brown & ruby, minimal cap. Aroma of cherry, chocolate, molasses, wood, salt. Taste is bitter and salty. A punch of sweetness. Tangy. Low carbonation. Dry finish.
Damn! This is the best Baltic porter I’ve ever had, courtesy Secret Santa. Much thanks! The very first one I had in my beginnings blew my mind away and I’ve been searching for that first high ever since. Aroma was perfect. Deep dark roasted malt, vanilla and black licorice. Very thick and powerful. Pour was a nice deep dark brown/near black with a tan ring for a head. Taste was outstanding. Strong vanilla and roasted malt. Very thick and viscous. Nice dark chocolate flavors came out as it warmed and the bitterness played perfectly to the sweet vanilla. The black cherries come out in the finish which is the only downside to this beer. I’m sure this is a departure from tradition, but it does work and is delicious. I was drinking this staring out at the woods watching a big snow storm. Perfect beer for this setting and a moment I will remember all year. Awesome!
Vintage 2012. Pours dark brown with a thin head. Smells of chocolate. Nice creamy mouthfeel. Taste of chocolate, cherries, then a slight alcohol burn at the end. Awesome beer.
bottle, lots of charries on this one, a little sweet, vanilla was also pretty noticeable, I liked it
Poured from bottle into tulip: pours dark brown with a thin head. Aroma of chocolate, vanilla, cherries, and roasted malt. Taste is cherry heavy with lots of roasted goodness. Slightly sticky finish, a little sweet, nice beer.
Vintage 2008, consumed 11AUG11
A: Pours a deep, dark brown ale with a single finger of burnt cream head which falls to a solid sheet of the same. Spotty lacing. Cherried mahogany hues shine through a beer with excellent clarity where permitted.
S: Cherries vanilla and molasses are sweet and playful. The aromatics are pretty strong here, nice cocoa biscuit malts round out the back end.
T: Differs from the ’09 in profile, dunno if it’s a different recipe, but more dry malts on this one. Coffee grounds, cocoa dust, light molasses. Still has hints of alcohol heat.
M: Velvety with light carb and a semi dry finish. Good feel.
O: Good beer, wish I had more of the ’09, preferred of the two I’ve had.
Vintage 2009, consumed 24FEB11
Poured to NB globe.
A: dark brown ale with ruby hues around the edges. Quite pleasant looking. Little head, but consistent blanket over the surface of light caramel foam.
S: Cherries, licorice, molasses, caramel, vanilla. Goddam fragrant and beautiful. I find myself leaning in to smell the beer, over, and over. Can’t be a bad sign.
T: Not as good as the smell, but still very good. The cherry stands out so much more than I had ever anticipated. The oak shines here more than in the nose. A bit boozy - surprising given the age of the beer. Malty.
M: Full bodied, lower carbonation. I can swish in the mouth only to get more experience with the flavors without being overwhelmed with foam. Good job.
D: Very nice beer. Not the best of the style, but definitely worth a try, maybe two.
Serving type: bottle
08-11-2011 1
2012
Pours dark ruby, minimal head.
Smell fruity barleywine
Taste fruity honey, dark fruit,
Sweet light to mid body
Very well done
2012 bottle thanks to crajun. Pours black with a very small that fades to a very small ring. Really interesting aroma. Chocolate, cherries, toffee, vanilla, figs, and light roast. Taste is very chocolaty at first but the other aromas come through nicely and balance out well. Cherries and toffee become very noticeable by the finish. The slightly booziness in the finish reminds me a little of cherry cough syrup. Moderately sweet, almost no bitterness. Medium to thick body, mouthfeel is awesome. Lots to love about this beer but I just wish it didn’t have that slight cough syrup feel.
22 ounce bottle into tulip glass, 2012 vintage. Pours pitch black color with a 1 finger dense tan head with good retention, that reduces to a thin cap that lingers. Light spotty lacing clings on the glass. Aromas of big dark chocolate, cocoa, roasted malt, dark bread, brown sugar, toast, cherry, raisin, vanilla, toffee, oak, clove, and roasted earthiness. Damn nice aromas with good balance and complexity of dark/roasted malt notes with the cherry/brown sugar/vanilla additions and oak; with good strength. Taste of big dark chocolate, cocoa, toast, dark bread, roasted malt, light coffee, cherry, raisin, vanilla, toffee, brown sugar, oak, clove, and roasted earthiness. Light roasted bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of dark chocolate, cocoa, dark bread, toast, roasted malt, light coffee, raisin, cherry, toffee, vanilla, brown sugar, oak, clove, and roasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Fantastic balance and complexity of dark/roasted malt flavors with the flavor and oak additions; with huge robustness and zero cloying sweetness after the finish. Light-medium carbonation and fairly full bodied; with a very creamy, slick, and moderately silky mouthfeel that is great. Alcohol is very well hidden with only a small warming present after the finish. Overall this is an incredible Baltic porter style! All around awesome balance and complexity of dark/roasted malt with flavor additions and oak; and very smooth to sip on for the big ABV. A highly enjoyable offering.
Bottle. Black pour with tan head, some dark and light alcoholic tones. Flavor is roasted with some light fruit, vanilla and malty tones.
Thanks for picking this up Jenny. The beer pours to a dark cola colored body with a rapidly dissipating whitish head. The aroma is chocolate brownie and a light cherry juice. The flavor is cocoa powder and chocolate brownie with a lot of cherry. The palate is medium full bodied but relatively clean. Letting this sit out open over night made this beer marvelous.
It tastes just like the name would suggest, as if I was drinking from the Baltic Sea after I had washed my docks in it.-- rated via 'Find A Beer' for Blackberry 10
Bottle at a tasting.
Aroma: Molasses, roasted malt, chocolate, and some nice nuttiness.
Appearance: Handsome, handsome beer. Opaque dark brown with a large dark brown, frothy head.
Taste: Delicious toffee. A little boozy. Tasty chocolate and roasted malts. Great stuff!
Palate: Full, thick body. Creamy. Long finish.
Overall: Great, great beer. Fantastic.
Bottle. Pours a near black color with a small tan head on it. Nose is very dark and slightly sour, with some dark fruit and black licorice notes to it with some roasting underneath. Taste is somewhat roasty with just a hint of that sourness to it. Rather smooth and drinkable, though thick.
This is the best beer I have ever had. I wish it were available year round. You should you it.