From Imperial to Baltic
The popularity of this relatively exotic brew spurred the brewers that rimmed the Baltic Sea to produce their own. Though pale lagers were the rage of the day, strong and dark cold-conditioned beers had been brewed for some time. Breweries were set up to produce lagers, especially the forerunners of today’s ubiquitous Continental European beers, so that the manufacture of any was possible, including the original Baltic porters. It could be said that this undertaking shifted the strong porters from Imperial to Baltic.
The imperial stouts preferred by Russians retained the deep roasted character, while imperial porters underwent something of a transformation. Generally speaking, Scandinavian and Dutch porters resemble the London originals much more than do those from Estonia, Lithuania and Poland, whose Baltic porters are similar to doppelbocks with an extra measure of dark malt character. Poland especially boasts an assortment of superb porters, like Okocim, Zywiec, Kozlak and Dojlidy.
Though English breweries make very few, if any, imperial porters, American brewers have more than made up for this dearth in recent years. It is important to note that they are often made with ale yeasts in the U.S., but nonetheless an effort is often made to present the beer with the restrained roastiness of the true Baltic versions. In this respect, they are much like those emanating from Scandinavia: very dark, but smooth and velvety, and somewhat true to the original English Imperial porters. Sinebrychoff of Finland and a newcomer, Ølfabrikken of Denmark, are two highly-prized versions that fit that description.
Baltic Bliss
The beer that emerges from this curious mixture of Olde English tradition, imperial intentions and bottom-fermented metamorphosis, is a robust but soft, formidable brew, with profound depth. In other words, a little of each chapter of its history is represented, symbolic of the transformation that has marked even the simplest of porters. Baltics are just another branch on the family tree.
Foremost, they are, to varying degrees, malty up front, exhibiting the best of the bock beers of Germany. Munich-style malts are commonly used as part or all of the base grist to achieve the sweet, rich, full-bodied character that is the signature of the style. A taste will reveal the caramelized nature of the brew, reminiscent of raisins, toffee, prunes, molasses and licorice. This is not unlike an Old Ale, and may be a derivative of either added caramel malt or prolonged kettle time, a process that offers unmatched complexity.
As Baltic porters can range from deep ruby to bordering on black, a small measure of roasted or chocolate malt might be added to the grist, generally in a restrained fashion to avoid the harshness or burnt quality that regular porter might have. There might be a hint of dark fruit, also owing to the dark malts. Lager yeasts are the norm, but the odd ale yeast employed under cool conditions (like a Scotch ale, not surprisingly given the climate), followed by traditional cold-conditioning provide the roundness that is the most appealing feature of the style. Hops provide balance, but nothing more, as the main event in these brews is the malt complexity and soft drinkability. Strength ranges from 7.0% to 9.5%.
Outside of the classics from Europe, it is becoming easier to find them on the menu of American breweries, some available widely in bottles. The Great American Beer Festival added the Baltic porter category two years ago. The entry numbers should continue to grow as American brewers look for that underrepresented style. The winning pro-am entry of 2006 (and silver medalist in 2007) was a Baltic porter from Foothills Brewing in Winston-Salem, NC. It is brewed with a Czech lager yeast and nine malts to 9.0% ABV. This sensational brew will be offered as a seasonal in the near future.
Perhaps it is because of their proletarian origin, or because of the consumer gravitation towards the more glamorous stouts, but porters always seem to be overlooked. Baltic porter is expanding its horizons both stylistically and commercially, some being drier and roasty like the English originals and others soft, brownish and malty like Baltic adaptations. More than worthy of exploration, with one in hand, winter will seem just a little bit warmer.
