- Product Reviewed: Zywiec Porter
- Brewed By: Zywiec Brewing Co.; Poland
- Form Reviewed: Bottle, 9.3% ABV
- Style: Baltic Porter
- Originally posted to Usenet: January 26, 2000
- Added to the Tasting Notebook: February 1, 2000
Initial Impressions:
This is the fifth in a series of Baltic porter reviews. I needed a suitable subject to follow my review of Ballantine Burton Ale, which I consider one of the better reviews in my collection. A series on a single style, as comprehensive as possible given my geographic coordinates, has been fun. This is the fifth Baltic porter that I've reviewed. I initially planned on the series ending at five, but I've since acquired a sixth (Kozlak, from Poland), and I'm working on a couple exchanges that will yield a few more.
I sampled the beers, roughly, in ascending order of strength; I further divided the tasting into two days. I started with Saku of Estonia, posted to rfdb 1/12. Following were Carnegie of Sweden, 1/14; and Sinebrychoff of Finland, 1/15. The second day of tasting began with Okocim, posted to rfdb 1/20, and ended with this beer, the Zywiec. I have since resampled several of these beers, including the Zywiec; the notes presented here represent a composite of the two tastings.
Zywiec pours rather gassy, the highest level of carbonation of the bunch, I believe. The beer builds a moderately dense tan head, with nice retention properties.
Nose:
The bouquet is rich, but subtle. Layered malty notes, and some coffee exist over an omnipresent roastiness.
Flavor:
This beer is deceptive. Essentially an imperial stout, Zywiec does not arrest the drinker with a full bodied alcoholic aggressiveness. It opens thin, then malty notes take over. Toffee (present in most of the Baltic porters) builds from that maltiness, then a subtle hop flavor, difficult to ascertain the variety, rounds out the middle. The beer finally acknowledges its alcoholic strength with a warmth that precedes an earthy, grainy finish somewhat remniscient of Saku.
Final Analysis:
I would like to see a detailed history of this style. I wonder if the legendary Russian imperial stouts exported from England influenced beer making in the Baltic region, or if an existing demand for such beers led enterprising English brewers to crack the export market, as it were. The style is wide ranging. On one end, one finds lighter beers such as Carnegie or Saku. Carnegie seems the most similar to porters as conceived in the States, while Saku has a nice earthy graininess. Sinebrychoff, in Finland, hits like a roasty stout. The Polish beers seem to be where this style reaches full flourish. Zywiec, strong, yet not overwhelming, reminds one of a subtle imperial stout. Perhaps this beer is too shy for its strength. Okocim, deep, rich, nuanced without being fussy, is a beer that should compete for everybody's desert island six pack. I look forward to posting a review on Kozlak, and further building my knowledge of the style.
Rating:
(Excellent on my 5-star scale)
