Baltika Porter
Baltika Brewing Company
St. Petersburg, Russia
By Oiznop
The Bolshevik Revolution. The Romanovs captured and killed. Lenin. World War I. Stalin. World War II. Yalta. The Korean War. McCarthyism. Duck and cover. Sputnik. Khrushchev. Kennedy. The wall goes up.
The Bay of Pigs. The Cuban Missile Crisis. The Vietnam War. Campus protests. Hippies. Woodstock. Salt I. The Arms Race. Apollo-Soyuz. Brezhnev. Salt II. Afghanistan. Olympic boycotts. Strikes in Poland. Grenada. Ronny. Gorby. The wall comes down. Germany unites. Communism falls. The USSR crumbles into independent countries. And the Baltika Brewing Company is born! Note: this is not a new rendition of Billy Joel’s “We Didn’t Start The Fire.”
Ok, so maybe the opening of a Russian beer maker is not the most significant result of the Cold War coming to an end. You have to admit, though, that after such a tenuous history, a brewer of fine suds like beverages in the middle of a country that used to thirst for freedom can be a most welcome event to beer drinkers who spent most of their lives living under totalitarianism. As the hammer and sickle faded off of the political landscape in Russia, the Baltika Brewing Company of St. Petersburg fired up their kettles and began producing a top-notch porter that would make the staunchest of communist hardliners smile with satisfaction.
When researching Baltika Porter, I was very surprised to find out that it was conceived after the USSR had fallen, and the iron curtain came crashing down. Here I think I am drinking a porter that was once enjoyed by imperial czars and heavy fisted Soviet rulers, and I find out the brewery is only 10 or so years old! Surprising, but it doesn’t really matter. Because even though it has a short history, Baltika has created in a brief period of time a very fine porter, and a lager that has also made it’s way across the pond.
Baltika Porter was first produced as a seasonal winter beer. It is by in large an excellent ale of choice to savor during the rough periods of frigid weather. As you know, the colder times of year can be pretty brutal in most parts of Russia. By 1995, the brewery decided to make the porter available year round. This old beer hack is glad they did, because it sure would be a painful wait if it remained a seasonal.
I first tried Baltika Porter last fall. It was our annual Thanksgiving weekend drinking jaunt to the South Side of Pittsburgh, and it’s many fine pubs and beer establishments. The company of good friends (Mr. and Mrs. Sudsman, et. al.), good beer, and anticipation of the upcoming holiday season always makes the adventure festive. That is, as long as we don’t discuss politics! After spending quality-drinking time at several different places, we capped off the night with a trip to Smokin Joe’s Tavern. Smokin Joe’s is a popular, cramped, hole-in-the-wall bar that caters to the college/commercialized beer-drinking crowd, but has a massive selection of bottled imports and micros, as well as an ample variety of drafts. Seeing Baltika on the menu peaked my interest, because I had never had a beer, let alone a porter from the heart of Russia.
I was intrigued from the moment the beer gal brought me my suds. The bottle’s label is what first grabs your attention because it is oval shaped, in red trim, and the Baltika name is spelled out in Russian lettering. Definitely a collector’s item. Once your beer is in the glass, you will see a tiny mocha head that does not last long. Is this typical of a porter, or was mine just a little flat? The hue is thick and dark brown to black in color as a porter should be. There are hints of burnt roasted malts, caramel and coffee in the nose. An almost port wine or sherry like quality, that has a mild burnt roasted malt character with little detected on the hop end is most noticeable. A toffeeish chewy flavor with a hint of licorice, and a cereal grain sweetness are also present, as well as a mildly dry aftertaste that has a small bite and some tiny whiskey notes.
This fine porter brew checks in at 7% ABV. Baltika is strong, complex, malty, and not for the faint of heart. Like most dark beers of this style, Baltika Porter makes for an excellent after dinner elixir, or a solid companion to desert. It will certainly help you digest your meal, and keep you warm on those frozen winter nights that are just around the corner. Thank heavens the Cold War came to an end, and thank our old enemies the Russians for Baltika Porter. Détente is a beautiful thing. Na Dzrovia!
