Mar 3, 2014

Coronado & Cigar City Jurata

Jurata, an 8% ABV baltic porter, is the second collaboration between California’s Coronado Brewing and Florida’s Cigar City Brewing — their first being Last Spike IPA. I suppose Last Spike was well enough received that the companies decided to have another go at working together.

Jurata (Polish for “sea”) is brewed with Vienna, Dark Munich, Caramunich, C 150, Carafa and Chocolate Malts, along with Nugget and Brewers Gold hop varieties for just the right amount of bitterness. It’s also only the second beer from either company that I’ve crossed paths with. Back in 2011, I enjoyed Coronado’s Mermaid’s Red and for Cigar City, be on the look out for a review of their amazing Jai Alai IPA in the near future.

My favorite baltic porter is Sinebrychoff Porter and while Jurata isn’t quite at the same level, it is as good as any U.S. crafted baltic porter that I’ve had in recent years. Great flavor and a smooth drinking character make for an excellent experience, especially during this cold Winter days.

Appearance

Jurata pours a very dark brown with a small cap of foam that fell to a thin ring around the surface.

Coronado & Cigar City Jurata photo

Aroma

The brew certainly has that baltic porter base aroma — roast coffee, dark chocolate, distant hint of milk, molasses and a light smoke. Overall, there’s a nice earthy character here.

Taste

It’s not quite as robust as other examples of the style, but that’s not really too much of a problem as it ends up being quite smooth. A decent roast coffee and light smoke accompany chocolate notes, licorice and earth while that soft milk and nuts linger in the background. There’s a good bit of bitterness late in the swallow that counters a moderate malt sweetness nicely. Jurata is well balanced and softly warming as it finishes dry.

Overall

I like this brew. It’s not a robust or assertive as some baltic porters, but it’s got a great drinkability and earthiness that I particularly enjoy. The light, smokey char and roast coffee are presented well and Jurata warms appropriately, making it ideal for these cold Virginia nights.

Rating: 4/5

This is a review of a promotional sample from the brewery.

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