I finally got the chance to get to Garrison's version of a Baltic Porter on the first warm night of the season. Looking back I should have opened something lighter and easier to drink, but 9% was the lowest ABV beer I had...not counting the several brews that are being conditioned.
The beer is dark brown, slightly red, not quite black and pours with very short tan head. The brew is bubblier than I thought and its aroma is much less potent than I expected. You still get strong notes of burnt toffee, roasted nuts, raisins and a bit of chocolate, but overall I was expecting something a bit stronger. The taste is also a bit weaker than expected, but not weak enough to show its high ABV. The body is light and watery and combined with the carbonation, you will think you are drinking a completely different kind of beer.
The flavour is mostly dark roasted/burnt malt, but toffee, chocolate, raisins, coffee and even some olive notes emerge at various times and linger for brief moments. There is also a sweet tone to the beer which politely tells you that if you have too much of it, you will be paying a high price. The finish is slightly dry, medium to long with more of the dark malt flavours, some sweetness and raisins. The high ABV is well hidden and as long as you don't chug this, you will not be able to taste the 9%.
Scores:
Cost - $6
Taste - 7/10
ABV - 9%
Overall - 7/10...decent high ABV beer, but you can get better Baltic Porters...perhaps not at the LCBO
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