Beer – #439 – Garage Project – Baltic Porter

A Porter. Seems like I’ve moved to a darker side in the last few beers. This is not different – Garage Project Baltic Porter.

Brewed by the prolific Garage Project of course in the style that is of Baltic Porter ad they are in Wellington, New Zealand

Familiar 650ml bottle (22Fl Oz) , which calculates out to be 243 calories a serve from an 8.1%ABV beer, and that makes 4.1 standard drink units in NZ.

A beer needs to be dressed in the best. Poor Baltic Porter, favourite tipple of the Czars and one of our most popular dark beers, never had a stitch to wear. But now the face of Baltic is bear not bare, naked no longer thanks to the irreverent creative mischief of local gone global art collective & clothing brand ALC. With new threads and a quirky take on the traditional, Baltic is stepping out in fine style. Huge ups to ALC.

It is chilly outside, this might be what I need to get me to the home made pizza-o-clock date I have in a couple of hours.

The Garage Project beers can be a bit hit and miss, and their off-the-wall beers are either just weird, or excellent, and there standards are sometimes a bit ‘meh’ I’m hoping the middle – excellent from this.

Wow that’s a rich aroma, deep chocolate mostly.

Naturally I can’t pour a beer like this with a head, and it settles to look like a dark caramel carbonated drink, aroma does not bloom to match the opening choc burst.

This is a noisy beer! what head there was was “sizzled” away in bubbles dancing to the top. Listen to your beer people!

The flavours are not as pronounced and strong as I’ve somehow got ready to experience. This is a well carbonated beer, and for me the over carbonation detracts from the flavour.

But the taste is – nice – without being unkind. This is a nicely well rounded drink, with a huge base of fruit aromas, it’s pleasingly bitter and is somewhat easy drinking I’ve noticed from the amount missing in the glass.

What’s missing is the body in this. Even as it warms it doesn’t change so much that it changes character. I ended up with a smile on my face, either because I’m a bit spiffy having had not much lunch on an exercise tummy, or because it’s east drinking (and it is) and higher ABV. The bitterness is muted and not noticeable, the alcohol hidden and ready to pounce.

Not the best Garage Project beer by a long way, but not the worst either.

The pdubyah-o-meter rates this as 8 a of its things from the thing and it feels sorry about doing so as I wanted this to be so much more and so much bigger and better.

The double dip review

Am I enjoying it? Yes Would I have another? Yes, I’m sure that this is better on tap than in bottles. Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights? Yes no problems with sharing this, moaning about the lack of head and forgetting that a couple later you’re telling stories about being famous in some way

Musically you could go a lot worse than Cat Power – this the track “Lived in Bars” featuring members of the Memphis Rhythm Band. This song is on her album called ‘The Greatest’. Also in the British film “About Time” which is worth a look as it’s a romantic comedy about time travel and has some interesting things and a great sound track.

BALTIC PORTER

The historical remnants of the 19th c. Baltic trade in imperial stouts, Baltic Porters are typically strong, sweet and bottom-fermented. They lack the powerful roast of an imperial stout, but have an intense malt character. Alcohol ranges from 7-9.5% abv. Though they are typically lagers, there are a handful of top-fermented examples.

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