Pontoon Brewing Company Battle of the Baltics

Shy nose, hint of caramel latte, quiet suggestions of chocolate, dried fruit. Rich, malty flavor with more caramel, toffee, hints of raisin and nut, a delicate wisp of licorice and molasses. Somewhat full, silky mouthfeel, accentuating sweetness. Lacking depth of malt and body, but drinkable.

Barrista-borne aroma—roast malt with nice nuances of coffee, toffee, browned toast, brown sugar. Flavor tones it down—sweet coffee and nutty character enhance the bitter/sweet interaction. Lacks the richer malt spectrum; body is a bit mild. Assertive but pleasant hop-bitterness. Smooth warmth.

“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.”