2/6/08 - Baltic Porter - I gotta say that it's been a while since I've been this excited about the upcoming release of a new beer. This is our first attempt at a Baltic Porter and it's been tasting great out of the fermenter. Huge body with lots of fruit notes balanced by dark roasty goodness. We've even been getting hints of licorice which I find intriguing.
Our decision to add this beer to our Big Beer Series was based on having a beautiful label that had already been designed by Miss Teen USA, Joanne Francis. Years ago we released a Winter Porter with a great image of Father Time on the label. That beer eventually evolved into our Robust Porter. The label sat dormant, sadly biding its time (get it?) waiting for another shot in the show. Since I'm always happy to add styles to the Big Beer Series I figured it'd be fairly easy to change Winter to Baltic and we'd get a new beer to brew.
The biggest decision in terms of what we wanted this beer to be was whether to brew an ale or lager. There always seem to be conversations about this in the beer world. We decided to take the lager route and I'm glad we did. It adds a nice twist to the big chewy dark beer. Considering that our Imperial Stout is the next release this will be an interesting comparison to taste the two side by side. I hope ya'll enjoy drinking this beer as much as we liked making it.
Malt:
Pilsner
Munich
CaraHell
Dark Crystal 120
Carastan 35
Chocolate Malt
Black Malt
OG - 22.3° p
TG - 6.6° p
ABV - 8.7%
Hops:
IBU 40
Bittering - Magnum
Flavoring & Aroma - Liberty
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Baltic Porter - First Edition
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3 comments:
I absolutely loved this beer. You guys did a great job and its an excellent addition to the BIG BEER series. I wrote a review of it at www.ilovemainebeer.com if you are interested. Can't wait for the Big A! Only one more month...
Peter, I am the guy from Maine that invaded your brewery with 20 or so people that Saturday a few months back. We'll be back soon I hope!
I couldn't agree more with rhp, the '08 Baltic Porter is probably the best beer I've ever tasted. Had the Imperial Stout last night (had to ask the guy at Gary's as it was still in the back) and that was equally as impressive. Do you have the stats for the Imperial Stout like you posted for the Baltic Porter?
Keep up the good work!
Just a note that this beer is amazing - one of those rare beers that transcends its component parts to become something truly special. I remember it was originally scheduled for Nov. 15, 2007, but it didn't appear for months after that, and I always wondered what caused the delay. Whatever it was, it certainly was worth it. I don't think there are many beers of any kind that are as good as this one, even though I really like your other beers, too, and frequently recommend Smuttynose to friends and acquaintances interested in drinking good beer.
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