From Squamish BC's Howe Sound Brewing comes there new beer in their Sea To Sky Series of beers called the "Baltic Porter With Red Grape" and is the 8th release in the series. This is a Baltic Porter where red grape must is added to the brew. The beer pours a deep brown with a ruby red tinge and a tan head. The aroma consists of roasted malts, slightly bitter chocolate, toffee, plums, grapes and a sweet finish. The flavour is of roasted malts, milk and dark chocolate, toffee, dark fruits, some grape, cherry, earth, bitterness and maybe some brown sugar in the finish. The alcohol content comes in at 7.5% with an IBU of 30. The addition of red grape must really adds a new dimension to the style and makes for a great sipping experience. I have only had a few beers from this Sea To Sky Series so far but they have all been very interesting and well made. Take a look for a bottle of this one.
Commercial Description: Baltic Porter is an old style beer originating in the Baltic states in the 1800's. The style is unique because it is fermented with lager yeast which creates a crisp smooth finish. It is conditioned over a two month period before packaging. Red Grape must is added at the end of the fermentation to add complexity and intrigue to the beer. Simon Jongsma, head brewer comments, " A rich Baltic Porter with notes of raisin, plum, dark chocolate, and toffee. The addition of red grape adds a complex aroma of sweet cherry and currant with a delicate finish. The combination of a very old traditional style of beer with the red grape creates a very elegant beer with complexity that continues to grow with every sip."
Food pairings as per brewery: Excellent with smoked or grilled meats such as beef, pork or poultry, hearty stew or soups. Pairs well with rich deep chocolate, dark fruit/berries with the red wine notes.
