Olfabrikken Porter

In honor of my upcoming trip to a foreign land (Aruba), I am posting my first foreign brewed ale.  This beer was one of the first foreign beers I'd never heard of and decided to try...I know, I know living on the edge!  So just to be clear, I'm not talking about Guinness or Samuel Smith, but a real hidden gem.  To this day, this is the best Baltic Porter I've had - Olfabrikken Porter.   

What makes a porter Baltic, you may ask?  Well, I'm glad you're paying attention as that's a good question!  According to multiple sources, a Baltic Porter is typically brewed in Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Ukraine, Denmark or Sweden; the Olfabrikken Porter is brewed in Denmark.

Being adventurous is the only way to pursue the perfect beer.  So when I first saw this beer at Marty's in West Newton about 5 years ago (or thereabouts).  I was drawn to the fun to say name...Ol Fa Brik ken (that's how I say it anyway) and the fact that it was a Porter that I had never heard of.  After the first sip, I was in love.  You get the normal Porter characteristics, big roasted malt & barley, some chocolate, brown sugar, and a little something else that's hard to identify.  Almost all of the Baltic Porters I've had (Sinebrychoff, Smuttynose, Victory, etc...) have a faint sour or subtle fruit note throughout.  While this sounds strange, it's just part of this complex Porter.  This Porter is deep black and stout like, but doesn't have the typical bitterness of some stouts.  It goes down smooth, especially for a 7.5% beer.  If you like Porters, I suggest taking a dip in the Baltics and going for this one!

Kev Rating: A+
Style: Baltic Porter
ABV: 7.50%

IBUs: ?
Availability:  Easy to find at a store with a good selection of Foreign Craft Beers
Had: 22oz bottle purchased originally at Marty's in West Newton (many times since)
Region: Denmark