Offset Bier Drawn To the Dark: BBA Baltic Porter

“Assertive roasted coffee front and center in the aroma and flavor. Smells like fresh-ground coffee. Tastes like a just-brewed cup, with balancing bitterness and a smooth delivery of chocolate.”

“Moderate caramel, ripe plum, prune, rich dark chocolate, roast coffee, and light smoke aroma with black raisin chiming in quickly. Strong roast notes make it a style outlier, but the flavor is complex with caramel, toasty, and toffee malt notes, slight black licorice, hints of bacon smoke, moderate sweet chocolate, and lots of dark fruit—prunes, black raisins, plums, and black cherries. Extensively layered; the light maple notes push the mental association with sweetness, but it’s well balanced with a stern bitterness and substantial but clean alcohol. Dark fruits and toffee linger in the semisweet finish, yet it conveys a crisp lager fermentation character.”

Aroma: “Moderate fruit (cherry and plum). Mild chai spices underneath, with a touch of roast. Light tart undertone. Spicing is restrained and lets the roast malt and bright herbal character through.” Flavor: “There’s a nice underlying chocolate malt with a rich a complex spice character from the chai. Great finish—the roast chocolate flavors pair nicely with the spice additions, and while it’s a bit dry and puckering, it doesn’t cross into harsh and astringent territory.” Overall: “This beer makes you think, at least for the first half before the alcohol kicks in. There are distinct chai flavors, but also notes of fruit, mint, cinnamon, anise, and vanilla. Overall, truly unique.”