Life without major work projects looming over my head is good. The productivity of yesterday spilled into today. House is tidied. Laundry is in progress. Groceries are being purchased as I type. Decorating project completed and I'm pretty happy with the results. The plan was to reward myself with a trip to Teresa's Next Door for a couple beers. I knew my review stockpile has been dwindling, but I had no idea how much so. Imagine my surprise when I sat down to write today and there was nothing left in my beer notebook. Luckily I had a can of Uncommon Brewers Baltic Porter in the fridge so my late afternoon plan has not been totally derailed.
This Baltic Porter poured pitch black with a full - and I mean full - tan head. (How that beer didn't end up all over the counter is beyond me!) It has a general beer smell with hints of roasted goodness. It's light - not what you'd expect from its looks - and very carbonated. The taste is very strong on licorice, much more so than what other Baltic porters deliver. You know that mouthfeel you get after eating way too much licorice? This beer delivers that. For me that's a good thing because I love black licorice like a fat kid loves cake.
Uncommon Brewers is based in Santa Cruz. I hope to sample some of their other offerings on our craft brew vacation, which is just around the corner. Their beers are unfiltered and unpasteurized. The label also suggests letting them age and experiencing their transformation over time. I really wish I had another can of this one. The one I'm drinking was produced on March 14, 2011 and I'd love to see what a little more time would do to it.
As I work my way through my mug, a few more flavors are becoming evident: rye bread and herbs mainly. I'm also noticing it's dryness a lot more. This could be my favorite of the Baltic porters I've tried so far.
Cheers!
No comments:
Post a Comment