Brewery: Milwaukee Brewing Co., Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Beer: “Admiral” Stash
Serving: 12 oz bottle
Glassware: snifter
Information: 7% ABV, 23 IBUs
Style: Baltic Porter
Price: $8.99 / 6-pack
Availability: Seasonal
Cellaring: Under proper conditions, this beer can be cellared for extended periods.
Pairings: “Fishing, drinking and fighting.”
Appearance
Deep, dark brown, ruby mahogany in color, it’s opaque in the glass and topped by a fleeting mocha head. It leaves nary a ‘stache of foam on the glass, however.
Smell
Earthy. Dusty, dry cocoa opens the aroma but quickly moves into a chocolate-covered raisin scent. Odd dark fruit characteristics for a lager but well integrated into this particular beer. Vanilla notes from oak emerge as well as the wood itself, but if you’re looking for a potent alcohol aroma, you’ll be hard-pressed to find it. Subtle bourbon remains arrested to the balance most Midwestern breweries employ. Subtle yet complex!
Taste
Bold roasted malt is much more explosive than the aroma would lead one to believe. Tons of chocolate flavors from rocky milk chinks to dry cocoa and bitter bakers chocolate keep moving around the soft, quiet undertones of oak and vanilla.
Mouthfeel
Higher in carbonation, it keeps the beer from becoming too heavy. “Admiral” Stash is medium-full-bodied and features that clean lager character through the slightly bitter finish. Well-balanced and alcohol-absent!
Overall
Despite being well-balanced in terms of barrel-use, I actually find that it hasn’t spend enough time in the wooden vessels. Subtle aroma nuances are nice but barely translate to the bold Baltic Porter base beer in flavor and could benefit from further (though not much) aging to bring them fourth slightly. With that being said, “Admiral” Stash is a great Baltic Porter both full of flavor and nice lager character!
Score: 82 / 100 - Very Good
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Cheers,
-Andy
