Try?
So there I was, perusing the aisles at one of my local Total Wine when I saw a bottle of Great Divide Smoked Baltic Porter sitting on the shelf. That caught my attention. I had enjoyed smoked porters in the past, and Baltic porters too, but never a smoked Baltic porter. I immediately grabbed the bottle (it happened to be the last one), and stuck it into my shopping cart right between the Lagunitas Little Sumpin' Wild and Pike Kilt Lifter.
My 22-ounce bomber bottle of Great Divide Smoked Baltic Porter set me back about seven bucks. It was bottled on August 8, 2010; I’m drinking it four months shy of its first birthday. The beer is a lager, which is as it should be. Baltic porters are supposed to be lagers, though a lot of beers calling themselves such are ales these days. Smoked Bamberg malt from Germany adds the smoky flavor.
Troublesome, however, is the alcohol content: at 6.2% it’s lower than I want in a Baltic porter. Lest you think I’m a lush, the reason that’s a concern is it’s generally an indicator of the overall body of the beer.
Great Divide Smoked
Baltic Porter pours to a deep ebony color with a thick creamy tan head
formation and a smoky cocoa nose. The palate is a tad creamy but smooth and
clean, devoid of esters but with plenty of roasted bitter chocolate notes, a
hint of espresso, and a delightful hickory-like smokiness. That smokiness is the
best part here, and it permeates the brew. It’s ever so slightly phenolic, and
that in the nose as well as the palate. The finish is once again roasty with a
gentle hint of grassy hops, but I find the smoke as the last component of the
palate lingering on the tongue. All that said, Great Divide Smoked Baltic Porter
left me wanting more of all those things.
This beer is nowhere near as smoky or dark malty as, say, Alaskan Smoked Porter. If you want a dark smoked porter that will really beat you over the head, try that one instead. To be quite honest, I was a bit disappointed in this one. Not that it’s a bad beer, but it is a bit thinner in body than I expected from a Baltic Porter. A bit more body, dark malty goodness and even smoke would be welcome. Instead, I’m reminded of Yuengling Porter with some smoked malt tossed in. Nothing wrong with that beer of course, I love it, but though it is bottom fermented it does not call itself a Baltic porter.
Worth a try, but not as good as I had expected.
And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.
*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.
(B)=Bottled
(D)=Draft
(G)=Growler
