Harpoon Leviathan Baltic Porter

Porter and Stout

As a bartender and owner of a craft beer website, the question that I am asked the most is "What is the difference between a porter and a stout?" The simple answer is that a stout is basically just a stronger version of the porter.

The porter was particularly popular in London and was the first choice of the porters who were known to drink a large amount after their workdays.

While the porter style was very popular, brewers began to experiment with it and ended up brewing a stronger version that was called a stout porter. This version was a little heavier, more roasted version of the porter. Brewers went on to make doube and Triple Stouts, but eventually the porter part of the name was dropped and they became known as just Stouts.

For a more detailed history on both the porter and stout you can check out our website here and here.

Victory Baltic Thunder Porter

We tasted Victory's Baltic Thunder which beer fanatics have been waiting patiently for since it is supposed to be the same brew as the old Heavyweight's Perkunos Hammer. The beer poured a dark brown color with a nice tan head. The nose was very nice with lots of malts, but not overwhelming. There is a nice toffee hint in there, and the malts might be roasted. The first sip is smooth and sweet and leads into a dryer middle. The finish is nice and short. It is almost impossible to detect the 8.5% ABV. The malt leaves a nice, crisp lace outline on the glass as the beer is finished. This beer is a nice, extremely easy drinking porter. I have been told though that it is not quite as good as Perkunos was. This is a very solid beer and definatly worth trying.

Flying Dog Gonzo Imperial Porter

Flying Dog is at it again with their new porter. The Gonzo is a big beer and the ABV of 7.8% proves it. The beer poured a thin, brown head with a earthy, very malty nose. The first sip tells us alot with hints of caramel, chocolate, toffee, burnt sugar and grains. The middle has a sweet, creamy center and is big on the palate. Gonzo has a great, velvet mouthfeel with a lot going on. It is big on the palate. The beer has a very nice long, dry finish. Overall, this beer is a big porter and extremely enjoyable to sip on.