The Brewery: Victory Brewing Co. (Downington, PA)
The Brew: Red Thunder (Baltic Porter aged in Red Wine Barrels)
Availability: Bottles
ABV: 8.5%
Rating: 9/10
Location: Home
Found: Fingerlakes Beverage Center
The Story? Victory's Baltic Thunder, Baltic Porter is a brew I always keep an eye out for. A style whose roots date back to the 18th century and which is enjoying some resurgence. When my partner and I visited Victory, I left a bit broken hearted as they had kicked the keg and stated they were no longer going to offer 22 oz. bottles.
I'd tried Red Thunder, Baltic Thunder's distinguished cousin, during a bottle share last year, but hadn't seen it since. Over the summer, Victory announced Red Thunder would return. I immediately put in a request down at Fingerlakes Beverage, which was happily fulfilled.
The Beer? Served in a broad wine-glass, Red Thunder is jet black with a minimal amount of mocha head - quite similar in appearance to it's unaged cousin. The nose is as well - wet, chocolate, mild alcohol, the slighted herbal notes, but all with a hint of oak and red fruit.
Down the hatch, it's creamy with a chewy mouthfeel. It's warming and quite robust. This complex ponderer is a slow burner. Red Thunder starts out cool, wet, and creamy, but a bit transparent at first. Slowly, it builds with black and green pepper notes, becoming more earthy coupled with cooling hints of licorice, followed by chocolate and milk, even finding a mild blackberry tartness in its second serving. The finish is quite long, very satisfying, and holds a bit of booze heat. A great beer for a cold night.
I'm impressed how they built on their Baltic Porter offering, enough so where you weren't just buying the same thing, but with enough balance and resolve to not loose what makes that beer so enjoyable.
Overall, a deep, wet brew with drying, velvet notes. A wonderful take on rare style for this age.
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