Beer - #517 - Renaissance - Abundance Baltic Cherry Porter

I was just out with MrsPdubyah at a pubic house and had some Renaissance  Elemental Porter Ale, which reminded me how much I like that style, and I had something in the fridge that made me smile.

So, back to smiles, smiling music, smiled at the math and smiling with friends.

Abundance is a Baltic Porter brewed with cherries. 

1pt .9fl oz, or a 500ml bottle that has beer of 8% ABV, which makes the bottle 3.2 standard drink units, there would be slightly more than 320 calories in this bottle

Brewed by Renaissance Brewing in the style that is  Baltic Porter and they do that in Blenheim, New Zealand

[caption id="attachment_10120" align="alignleft" width="300"] I remembered I had this![/caption]

Brewed for Christmas in NZ, this beer is full bodied and smooth with rich malty flavours. There is roast coffee and subtle hops on the nose, with a light bitterness on the palate finishes with a hint of cherry sweet and sour.

Full bodied and smooth with rich malty flavours that blend harmoniously with the cherry notes. Roast coffee and subtle hops on the nose, lush mellow malt with a light bitterness on the palate finishes with a hint cherry sweet and sour.

So what could go wrong?

Strong chocolate and coffee aroma on opening. Pour is a flat and dour affair, and naturally don't fill a 'pint' glass, particularly as there is no head worth mentioning.

Aroma is still chocolate but also dusty hops, and it's bitterness is quite muted and mellow with a lovely math middle that carries it well.

I'm surprised that I don't feel the cherries or get any of the tartness or bitterness that I might have looked for.

This is though kind of sweet and level through the middle and finish which could be a clue as to where that went.

I checked the label and the beer is 'in date' so that's all good. Lucky in checking the label this is good with the BBQ that I'm off out to do next, some home made burgers with yesterdays left over focaccia bread.

The pdubyah-o-meter rates this as 8.5 a of its things from the thing. I remember how much I love the deeper beers and their associated raisin, chocolate, fruits.  I like the up from bitterness, and the aroma is really nice, but then it seems to waver.

It's been pointed out to me that the cherry should add bitterness. I love the way that beer plays with you like that, for me one thing for you one thing. I got all the bitter up-front, and I found the bitterness to be short on distance, but crashed over the rest of the beer, so that in the end, in a contradiction, there wasn't a lot of middle and the finish was just a bit 'meh'

But I did enjoy it though and I did dance about the lounge a bit.

The double dip review

1. Am I enjoying it? Yes, but I'm a bit reserved as to being enthusiastic.


2. Would I have another? I think I could, I'm sure they've made this beer in a number of variants, I should do more research.


3. Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights? I'm not so sure. The aroma is nice, the initial bitterness is great and then it gets a bit lost.

What made me smile though was the music, This afternoon from "The Stingrays" and their particular brand of music, this is "Don't fear the reverb"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPUXYA1Au3U&spfreload=10

BALTIC PORTER

The historical remnants of the 19th c. Baltic trade in imperial stouts, Baltic Porters are typically strong, sweet and bottom-fermented. They lack the powerful roast of an imperial stout, but have an intense malt character. Alcohol ranges from 7-9.5% abv. Though they are typically lagers, there are a handful of top-fermented examples.