By Andy Young
The 4Pines Brewing Company has released an Oaked Baltic Porter as the latest beer from its Keller Door range.
The Baltic Porter features barrel-aged beer and was inspired by English Porters and Russian Imperial Stouts. It is a high-alcohol beer with a 7.5 per cent abv and is described as being "sweet on the tongue and robust in flavour".
The brewers have blended a whisky barrel-aged beer with a French Oak-infused beer matured in stainless steel fermenters. This obtains the desired balance of flavours within this latest Keller Door release.
The oak barrels for the aging came from Tasmania's Lark Distillery and the beer has been aged in those barrels since December last year.
4 Pines’ tasting notes describe the beer as: "A gypsy show behind the Iron Curtain, in a bottle. You will be greeted by a slightly aggressive, tutu wearing circus bear juggling ignited knives and riding a tricycle. A smug Cossack stands in the corner dousing himself in gooey chocolate syrup, looking on. Smooth and warming with a rich, sweet body, this blend has been partially aged in French Oak whisky barrels for six months to give it a unique complexity of light vanilla and earthy minerals."
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