7.8

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8

16 ounce prowler into pint glass, filled on 2/10/2019. Pours fairly hazy very dark ruby red/brown color with a 1 finger dense and rocky khaki head with great retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Nice spotty soapy lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, brown sugar, roasted nuts, toasted biscuit, and dark/brown bread/crust; with lighter notes of dark fruit, smoke, herbal, floral, wood, grass, pepper, and yeast/roast/toasted earthiness. A bit too fruity/yeasty aromas, but not overwhelming. Nice and pleasant aromas with good balance and complexity of dark/roast/bready malts, and light-moderate earthy hop/fruity yeast notes; with solid strength. Taste of big dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, brown sugar, roasted nuts, toasted biscuit, and dark/brown bread/crust; with lighter notes of dark fruit, smoke, herbal, floral, wood, grass, pepper, and yeast/roast/toasted earthiness. Light-moderate herbal, floral, woody, grassy, peppery hops; and roast/charred bitterness on the finish. Lingering notes of dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, brown sugar, roasted nuts, toasted biscuit, dark/brown bread/crust, smoke, char, herbal, floral, wood, grass, pepper, and yeast/roast/toasted earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Great complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/bready malts, and light-moderate earthy hops, and light fruity yeast flavors; with a great roast/hop bitter/sweet balance, and no acrid/astringent flavors after the finish. Very clean on lager flavors, minimal fruity/yeasty notes. Light-moderate increasing dryness from lingering hop/char bitterness. Medium carbonation and light-medium body; with a very smooth, moderately creamy/bready/grainy, and fairly sticky/chalky mouthfeel that is great. Zero warming alcohol as expected of 4%. Overall this is a very nice session Baltic porter style. All around nice complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/bready malts, and light-moderate earthy hops, and light fruity yeast flavors; very smooth and refreshing to drink with the mellowly bitter/drying finish. Very flavorful and not watery for the ABV. Very clean and nicely rich malt complexity for the ABV; with balancing earthy hops. A very enjoyable offering, and impressive style example for a session version.