Bitter Chinook hops activate smoked nuttiness and prune souring of unconventional pitch-black porter. Oak-dried cherry pucker reinforces raspberry puree midst until tar-like acridity overwhelms parched cocoa chalkiness and baker’s chocolate wither to clean watered ice coffee finish.

Preferable mahogany-hued Baltic porter benefits from creamy lactic frontage contrasting leathery port-bourbon elegance. Soft hop-charred toasted oats vault brown-sugared coffee, espresso, and caramel latte nuances. Vanilla, molasses, and burnt caramel sweeten tertiary raisin-prune-plum illusions and latent anise-sarsaparilla tease. Aged two years, ’09 version gained wood-smoked hop roast and chocolate-cocoa intensity over thicker molasses sapping.

Roasted barley-mocha persistence and dry rye affluence inundate tongue as impending burgundy sweetness deepens truly splendid porter. Nutty raisin-prune follow-up enhances mellow port wine luster of perfect dessert beer.

Head brewer Giles Dennis celebrates 2004 Brewer of the Year award with superior mahogany dry-bodied Baltic-styled porter deceptively labeled an ‘ale.’ Mocha-chocolate waft enhances burnt caramel core, candied Scotch sweetness, vanilla-marshmallow resonation, and honeyed maple-molasses dab. Secondary smoked cedar, charred wood chip, cashew, and tar illusions softened by chewy chocolate cake finish. Yummy sherry-rum thicket fills deep bruised cherry-dried apricot recess.

Inefficient mahogany-hued Baltic-like porter with dry nutty mocha disposition stays astringent as cheap espresso, burnt coffee, and cocoa bean illusions belie earthen hop char. Black chocolate bittering, latent cola nut surge, and burnt wood sensation fail to variegate backend, though further sips reveal frothy lactose creaminess.

Packaged in 1-pint brown casket, moderate-bodied sienna-hued beige-headed Baltic porter seems closer to brown ale or watery barleywine. Overripe raisin, sugarplum, sour grape and cola nuttiness pleat sweet frontage. Musty cellar-like dankness consumes soy-sauced caramel-toffee malting.

Palatable sweet malt sugaring and sharp grain minerality decorate moderate pale porter. Disappointingly lacks body, richness and overall strength from first healthy swig forward.