Victory Brewing - Baltic Thunder

I am not happy with the weather today.  It rolled in with waves of black clouds...brought that eery pseudo-darkness that seems completely unnatural in the middle of the afternoon.  Then came the downpour, combined with a strong wind that completely de-leaved all the trees around my house.  So, now I have a yard full of leaves that I will have the pleasure of raking this weekend.  Mother Nature can be a real bitch sometimes.

Tonight I'll be drinking a Baltic Thunder porter from Victory Brewing in Downington, PA.  This is an imperial porter with lots of EU influence - brewed with german lager yeast, European whole flower hops, and a German malt base.  There is plenty of thunder behind it with 8.5% alcohol.  Puns are fun.

This brew comes in a 22oz bottle with a label that includes a picture of the Baltic god of thunder, which looks more like the cowardly lion from the Wizard of Oz.  Seriously, look at that photo and tell me that isn't the cowardly lion!  The beer is a dark, ruby-black hue that lets just a bit of light through it.  In fact, when you hold it up to the light, that's when the ruby-red really comes through.  The aroma is rich and sweet, with green apples and sweet grapes.  Also bitter coffee beans, toffee and sweet molasses come through.  The taste starts off with loads of sweet malts - semi-sweet chocolate seems to be the primary player within that big malt backbone.  Also some burnt wood, charcoal, with some gritty roasted coffee making its way through towards the finish.  Maybe a hint of raisin in there but I really have to search for it.  The finish is gritty, with an almost-powdery chocolate finish.  The alcohol is noticeable, but pleasant, it adds a nice warmth to the beer.

Overall Rating:  This was a great porter!  More chocolate than I expected, but it worked well with the other flavors of the beer.  As far as 'dessert' beers go, this beer will go near the top of my favorites.  A-

Flying Dog - Gonzo Imperial Porter

Tonight I'm going to drink a beer that Hunter Thompson would be proud of - the Gonzo Imperial Porter from Flying Dog Brewery in Frederick, MD.  This beer is part of their Canis Major Series, which features high-gravity limited releases of which the Double Pale Ale is also a part.  The Gonzo boasts 9.2% alcohol, it's no slouch.  The label features a really cool drawing of a skeleton version of Hunter S Thompson (see picture below).  On the bottom, it states "Good people drink good beer", apparently a Hunter Thompson quote and also a theme on Flying Dog's website. 

The color is black-brown with a billowing layer of tan head that resulted from my terrible, distracted pour...almost lost some in the overflow!  The aroma is rich and hearty, with roasty chocolate malts, bold dark fruits (plums and raisins), and some burnt brown sugar.  The alcohol is very present in there also.  The flavor starts off with smooth but heavy loads of roasty, gritty charcoal grains.  Sugary, sweet prunes come next along with a syrupy toffee-molasses combo.  The alcohol warms things up starting about halfway through, and increasing towards the end.  The second half brings a touch of tobacco and some hop bitterness tries to come through, barely makes it, leaving a dry finish.

Overall Rating:  Bold, complex porter from Flying Dog.  The 9.2% alcohol is very well-hidden.  Great beer, give it a try!  A-