In addition to the classic Baltic porter, we can find various variations on the theme. Craft breweries love to experiment, discover new styles, or do them their own way. We can try to distinguish a few of the most common variations and define them.
Imperial Baltic Porter
It differs from the classic version in higher parameters. Blg above 22, can even exceed 30. Higher extract also means higher alcohol content and higher IBU value, needed to balance greater sweetness. The profile of such a beer should be similar to the classic version, except that all aromas and flavors are more intense. Due to the very high concentration of initial sugars, imperial Baltic porters are beers that do not ferment deeply. To maintain balance, they are more strongly hopped for bitterness, and often the share of roasted malts is also greater than in classic versions. As a result, such beers sometimes lose the character of classic Baltic porter and approach the profile of imperial stout. Compared to the classic version, imperial versions may be darker, and will usually have less abundant and durable foam.
Smoked Baltic Porter
It is distinguished from the classic one by the use of smoked malts in the grist. Some breweries smoke the malts themselves, but the vast majority rely on the offer of specialist malt houses. The most popular wood used for smoking malt is beech, apart from it you can find malts smoked with oak, alder, apple tree, pear, cherry, sweet cherry. And also peat, which brings notes that some associate with linoleum, old televisions, railway sleepers. The same notes can be found in peated whiskies. Usually, basic barley malt is smoked, although, for example, the Weyermann malt house produces oak-smoked wheat malt, used mainly for Grodziskie beer, and the Viking malt house offers the possibility of smoking any malt from their offer on request. The intensity of smoked aromas can vary, from barely perceptible to dominant. They evoke associations with a campfire, ham, oscypek cheese.
Barrel-aged Baltic porter
It is becoming increasingly common practice to age Baltic porters in oak barrels that previously held spirits or wines. This process enriches the porter with notes of the alcohol that was previously in the barrel. Aging also introduces some notes of oxidation.
Baltic Porter Aged with Wood
Porter aged with the addition of wood. It is usually oak, but oak, cedar, amburana are also found. In the form of flakes, cubes, spirals. It can be pure wood, or obtained from barrels of strong alcohol, e.g. oak flakes whisky. Such a porter is enriched with notes of a given wood, without the effects of oxidation.
Baltic Porter with extras
By additives I mean raw materials used to produce beer that are not basic ingredients – water, malt and unmalted grain, hops, yeast. In Baltic porters, additives are most often used, the notes of which are present in the base beer. Such as dried fruit – plums, raisins, cherries. Chocolate and coffee notes can be enhanced with cocoa beans and coffee. You can also use additives that match the beer profile, such as coconut, chilli, nuts. The imagination of brewers seems to be unlimited, the only important thing is that the additive does not completely dominate the beer. And above all, that the whole thing is tasty.
Baltic Porter with Alternative Cereals in the Grist
Porter in which cereals other than barley have a significant share. Most often these will be rye, oats, wheat. Rye seems to fit the profile of Baltic Porter best, both due to the notes it contributes and its influence on the fullness, the mouthfeel.
Aged Baltic Porter
Baltic porter is often aged in bottles or cans. It will be more composed than the fresh version, usually sweeter in reception, with lower bitterness, less roasted. It has notes of sherry, port. It will have a lower fullness. But it can also have undesirable notes such as soy sauce, honey, cardboard. Much depends on the beer itself, but also on the conditions in which it was aged.