Uncommon Brewers Baltic Porter

Uncommon Brewers Baltic Porter

Late in the 18th century Britain’s great brewing families were working hard to break into new markets. For the Baltic Sea ports they created an export version of the traditional British Porter. Styled like an IPA to preserve them for the voyage, those profound Baltic Porters served to ward off the chill winds of that northern sea.

That said, we weren’t satisfied with the Baltic Porter’s traditionally subtle hint of black licorice. This ale features a blend of whole licorice root and star anise to create an uncommon addition to that traditional export Porter’s hearty character.
3.6
294 reviews
Santa Cruz, United States

Community reviews

3.8 Can. Pours a pitch black hue with a small beige head. A big sweet malty chocolate nose. The flavor is tobacco, dark fruit, dark cherry especially, some ash and very milky. Solid. Drinkable.
3.6 Tap@Taphouse, Copenhagen - dark brown verging black coloured pour. Roasted malty aroma and taste, chocolate, caramel, some dark fruits. Decent.
3.4 Poured from a can. Inky black with an enormous tan head. Aroma of roasted malts and something sweet. Very creamy. Bitter coffee flavor. Pretty good. Would drink again.
3.6 Can. Pours a near black color with a moderate frothy light brown head on there. Nose is a mixture of dark fruits, roasting, and licorice. Taste is definitely roast and just a bit sour. OK, but not my favorite.
3.3 Can from the Grumpy Goat, Reading. Black with a tan head. Good strong chocolate aroma. The chocolate is less strong on tasting but still the main flavour. There’s some light roastiness, some sweet cola and- yes- a little liquorice (fortunately not too much). Generally sweetish with some dryness at the end. It’s fine, if a little underwhelming.
3.2 Sampled at an ESBLS tasting. It poured a dark brown color with a tan head. The aroma was of chocolate, coffee and roasted malts. The taste was of roasted malts, coffee, chocolate and some earthy. Nice.
4.4 Pours dark brown with a fizzy tan head that dissipates quickly. Aromas of chocolate and caramel with notes of plums, vanilla and a trace amount of licorice. There is barely any noticeable hops in either aroma or taste. Noticeably complex from the first sip. Light chocolate and caramel without the bitterness of roasted barley makes this distinguishable from a stout. Licorice, vanilla, and some slight alcohol noticed in the finish. The many flavors are not distinct, but combine into a great tasting, enjoyable porter with complexity and balance.
3.5 I was hesitant going in, about the anise and licorice additions but was pleasantly surprised by their relaxed presence. Definitely a complimentary flavor to the beer rather than the star. The beer itself is robust and meaty with a nice, roasty bitterness in the finish, a light and puffy texture and hints of not-too-much sweetness appearing throughout.
3.7 Sampled at ESBLS. Almost black with amber. Roasty but something else in the aroma. Flavor is chocolate and roasty but also has a lot of hops. West coast fruit. This is almost black IPA but with more rich malts. Good, actually.
4.2 Can from hop hideout, sheffield. pitch black small tan head. Aroma reeks of liquorice, also has treacle and tar. Taste is liquorice/treacle sweetness and roasty malts bitterness. Slight prickle and oily body. Excellent stuff. Think I’ll pick up more baltic from now on, although this does get a bit sickly after the first half.
3.5 Draught at BrewDog Camden on 13 Oct 2012. Poured black, with a dense tan head. Really nice aroma of dark chocolate, roasted malt and liquorice. Sadly the initial flavours were far too sweet for my liking; the chocolate became saccharine syrup, with sweet coffee and only a very small amount of bitterness coming through. Mouth feel was fairly full. Finish was far better, the burnt malt built up and balanced out the sweetness.
3.5 Can from the Fyne Ales brewery shop. Pours black with a tan head. The aroma is sweet with treacle and liquorice. The taste is sweet too with treacle, liquorice, a little vanilla. Remind me somewhat of dandilion and burdock. Strong flavours and interesting. Not one I’d want to drink a lot of though.
3.8 The beer has a dark ruby color with a nice head. Aroma has roasted malts and fruit. There is also some earthiness to it. Taste has some roasted plums, anise and vanilla. Nice beer.
3.7 Bottle. Black beer with a reasonable light brown head. The aroma is malty with mild roastedness, and the flavour is gently bitter with a fairly vinous hit and quite deep roastedness. Overall a nice vinous and roasted porter.
3.8 Can at home. Pours deep brown, nose is roasted malts, toffee, taste is caramel, chocolate.
3.8 "16 oz can...nice. pours black with cocoa head that immediately disappears, though the bar is anything but flat. the anise reminds me a little of stone RIS without the hops. licorice and chocolate (and alcohol) evident in the aroma and flavor. prickly feel that warms you nicely. a nice beer/change of pace."
3.5 Bottle from Beer Shop, St Albans. Dark, dark brown. Surprisingly little head. Smell of American milk chocolate, liquorice, hazelnut: nicer than it sounds if somewhat artificial. Sweet taste, the star anise really comes through. Slightly sickly. Nice creamy palette with lots of tickly carbonation. Interesting stuff, very well made but a bit too clever for its own good.
3.8 Color negro con reflejos rubí y espuma beige. Aromas de frutos, chocolate y regaliz. Cuerpo medio, inicio dulce y afrutado con final tostado, acafetado y seco. Muy rica.
3.4 Draught.Pitch black colour with medium beige head.Aroma of coffee and liquorice feels a bit salty and hoppy with good full body and smooth well balance mouth feels and oily mouth feels.
3.3 Draught. Pours black with a beige head. Aroma of roasted malt and coffee. Taste is of roasted malt, coffee, fruits and spices. Highly carbonated. Sweet and roasted but a bit watery finish.
3.7 Aroma is rich malts, vanilla, chocolate, mocha, and espresso. Some licorice aswell. Taste is again rich malts with caramel and some rich licorice. Light roasted malts transition nicely to a light bitterness that fades smoothly. Appearance is a thick black body with a thin beige head that retains fairly well.
3.2 Can, pours blac with a small tan head. Roasted malt, chocolate, liquorce in the noise, full bodied, sweet, oily, treacle like. A little too sweet for me.
3.4 Can consumed at Truck Festival, Steventon, Oxon, Saturday 19th July 2014 Pours like cola with a rapidly diminishing tan head, just a few stray bubbles remain. Quite chocolatey, liquoricey in fact very liquoricey. Coats the tongue and roof of mouth with a light chocolate sheen. Loz gets the star anise more than me. Hoppy beneath the roastiness and chocolate. Good. A6 A4 T7 P4 Ov13 3.4
3.4 Black pour, tan head, decent lace/retention. Aroma is chocolate, light roast, light licorice. Medium bodied, chocolate and licorice dominate.
3.9 pours basically black with a couple inches of noisy, bubbling, light brown head. Aroma of dark fruits, licorice, burnt toast, leather. Rich creamy mouthfeel starts with a rich fruity burst, before moving to a licorice/anise flavour, before moving to a drying coffee/cocoa finish. Quite enjoyable, but not one to drink quickly.
3.1 Can from Cornelius. Dark brown body with a thin beige head that fades almost instantly. No lacing. Aroma of paper, onion, fig and first aid kit. Flavour of apple, tangy plum, herbs, liquorice and Coca-Cola. Thin body with a watery, slightly oily texture. Soft fizz. Unusual, not the nicest...
3.6 Keg at The Hanging Bat. Pours dark brown with a thick tan head. Aromas are liquorice and dark chocolate. Taste brings more liquorice and roasted coffee bitterness. Rich mouthfeel, medium body, bitter finish. Good.
3.9 Keg at the bat. Pours black, decent tan head. Coffee dark roasted malt on the nose. Amazing first hit on the tongue, sweetish dark chocolate, liquorice and spice. Initial taste explosion fades somewhat but still pretty damn good.
3.9 Pours one finger of tan head on a black body. The aroma is a big roasted malt with some burnt wood in the background. Excellent. The taste is roasted malt and dark, mildly bitter, chocolate. The texture is smooth with low carbonation. Very enjoyable.
3.2 Draft recently and a can a year or two ago. Pours brown color with pretty light head. Notes of light roast, milk cocoa, grains, and some toasted hops. On the thinner side for the style. Just ok