We continue our beer education series to tell you all about your favorite styles, or the ones you barely know the name of. On this occasion we are going to delve into the history, recipe and sensory profiles of a subcategory of Porters: the Baltic Porter style.
The beers that traveled north
As the name suggests, Baltic Porters come from the Baltic countries, or rather, from the northern European countries. Its history dates back to the 18th century, when breweries began to export beer to Russia and other Eastern countries. At that time, the Stout and Porter were not yet separate styles and were experiencing a great moment of success.
On many occasions, the beers that arrived in these countries were simply Porters whose recipes had been fortified for the journey. And how do you fortify a beer for a boat trip that could last several months? Well, increasing the density, strength and alcohol of the same.
In this way, black beers that were much stronger than those drunk in England arrived in Russia, and which enchanted the Tsar's court. This is how the Irish writer Matthew Concanne told it in 1795: “The reputation and enjoyment of the Porter are no longer limited to England. The Empress of All the Russias is so fond of Porters that she has repeatedly ordered large quantities for her own consumption and that of her court." And these beers evolved into Imperial Stouts, but this We will see it in another article.
The Baltic Porter Style
Meanwhile, in the countries bordering the Baltic Sea, a sister style developed: the Baltic Porter . And it is that, surely, the dark and strong Porters were especially appetizing in the Nordic countries with cold climates.
Baltic brewers soon created their own local versions as well, especially after Napoleon's naval blockade in 1806 disrupted foreign trade from the British Isles and Porters stopped arriving. The Scotsman William Knox had already produced the first Swedish Porter in 1791, and in 1819 the Russian Nikoli Sinebrychoff began producing his in Finland. A few years later, a Porter factory was built in Tartu (Estonia). For his part, the Scotsman David Carnegie created his Stark Porter in Sweden in 1836, which is still produced and could be one of the recipes closest to the original English ones.
Some factories in the Baltic region have produced Baltic Porter with virtually no interruption to this day.
Although their market was limited to these northern countries, after the Cold War they made the leap to the rest of Europe and the United States. Now, they are back in style and craft brewers in the US and other countries have turned their attention to the style. Poland is the nation with the most variety of labels and even celebrates " Baltic Porter Day" in January on January 19.
How to distinguish a Baltic Porter?
Baltic Porters combine the sweet and malty character of the old English Porters with the high alcohol content of their Russian Imperial Stout sisters. In short, it is a sweet and strong style. It is a style dominated by a rich and complex malty sweetness, which the BJCP (Brewers' Bible) describes as “ multiple layers of malt and dark fruit flavors ”.
Its color can range from reddish-copper to dark brown. The foam is similar in color to cinnamon and creates a very persistent layer of foam. All beers in this style have a full, smooth body and a medium to medium-high carbonation.
Another characteristic feature of Baltic Porters is that they have malty flavors of dried fruit, caramel, toffee, molasses, licorice, chocolate and coffee, with a vinous hint of raisins that can evoke port wine or Pedro Ximénez.
Here are some more tips to distinguish this style:
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Its roasted sweetness should never reach burnt.
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A Baltic Porter will always be less toasty and smoother than a Stout, but it will be more fruity and warmer than a Classic Porter.
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It is a beer that "fills".
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It will always leave you with a slight internal heat, due to the base alcohol.