Galway Bay Brewery's Saunter festival, in its first iteration last September, was one of the hits of the year. Or so I'm told; I wasn't there. A few ex-Saunter kegs found their way to the brewery's Dublin pubs and were still on sale well into the winter, so I didn't completely miss out.I mean, Kernel Baltic Porter on draught in Ireland is not to be passed over. This is a relatively modest 7.1% ABV though is very full bodied and my first impression was of the creamy body of a powerful imperial stout rather than a dark lager. There is a dry crispness in the finish, however, which tells me it's kosher. Before that, a whirlwind of coffee'd dark malt and the signature floral complexity that Kernel always seems to build into its dark beers: your rosewater and your lavender. All that means it's quite low on bitterness for the style, but since that's the aspect of Baltic porter which I struggle with most often, I don't really miss it.
Unless you like a Baltic porter to fill your gob with liquorice, this is an excellent example. Consider it a gateway to the style for all the pastry stout aficionados. I was very glad to make its acquaintance.
