My first stab at a Baltic porter. Let’s see how it is with Alaskan. A discovery at a nearby craft beer establishment, I am happy to try this bomber. Going into my .47 liter New Belgium globe glass, it arrives a dark, dark amber with a prodigious medium tan top. I smell it from the pour but take a closer pull on it, malt, baked bread, something berry. The money shot, a drink. Hmm, different than I expected, better actually. Cherry maybe, a woodiness, chocolate, whole grain bread, red licorice, completed by a strong bitterness. Pretty good all in all.

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: Poured a dark thick oil sludge black with a thin light brown head. Aroma is thick dark fruits and malts, already smooth feeling without tasting. Taste is a nice dark fruit with sweet roasted malts, subtle coffee bean. Robust but smooth.

Bottle received in trade. Thank you adnielsen! Pours very dark reddish brown, almost black, with a rather thin chocolate brown head that quickly dissipates without leaving much trace on the glass. Smell is sweet, tiny salty, malty and fruity with roasted malts, dark cherries in brandy, high quality dark chocolate, prunes, leather, sweet liquorice candy, vanilla fudge, alcohol, bilberry jam, marzipan, sweetened dark roast coffee, blueberries, resinous wood and hints of bourbon. Taste is sweet, bitter, tiny salty and malty with roasted malts, high quality dark chocolate, dark bread, dark roast coffee, vanilla fudge, resinous wood, moist soil, prunes, raisins, lemon zest, alcohol, sweet liquorice candy, caraway, smoke, brandy, dark cherries, leather, lemon zest, almond paste, blueberry jam and hints of smoke. Mouthfeel is soft, silky, round, tiny boozy and medium bodied. Finish is sweet, bitter, malty and fruity with sweet dark bread, dark cherries in brandy, blueberry jam, vanilla fudge, sweet liquorice candy, vanilla fudge, dark chocolate, sweetened dark roast coffee, prunes, raisins and lemon zest. Great stuff!

Imported from my RateBeer account as Alaskan Pilot Series: Baltic Porter (by Alaskan Brewing Company):
Aroma: 8/10, Appearance: 4/5, Taste: 9/10, Palate: 5/5, Overall: 17/20, MyTotalScore: 4.3/5

4/XI/12 - 1Pt. 6Fl. Oz. bottle from Healthy Spirits (San Francisco, USA) @ home - BB: VIII/14 (2012-1245) Huge thanks to Akke for fetching me this beer!

Dark ruby red shine in a purple dark brown beer, creamy beige irregular head, pretty stable, non adhesive. Aroma: sweet and sugary, caramel, dried fruits, red lace candy, red forest fruits, alcohol, hint of vanilla. MF: good carbon, full body. Taste: sweet, caramel, some milk chocolate, fudge, fruity, raisins, molasses. Aftertaste: lots of chocolate, mocha, coffee even, hint of dried fruits, and caramel, hoppy bitter ending. Really good stuff!