Madison Craft Beer Week always kicks off with the release of Common Thread, a beer that’s made collaboratively by Wisconsin brewers each year as a sign of solidarity within the local craft beer movement. “It was fun getting everybody together and working on the same recipe,” says Ale Asylum’s Joe Walts, who played a lead role in pulling the state’s brewers together to make this year’s version, a Baltic porter. Common Thread was unveiled Sunday evening at Ale Asylum, which is the host brewery for the 2017 brew.
What is it? Common Thread is a beer made by a collaboration of Wisconsin brewers for Madison Craft Beer Week
Style: The Baltic porter is a dark black beer, sometimes with garnet and ruby highlights. It is known for an assertive chocolate malt that imparts sweetness and often hints of toffee, licorice and roastedness. The Baltic porter is a lager, and it can be quite strong, ranging from 7.6 to 9.3 percent.
Background: For the past six years Common Thread has featured a different beer, often a rare, if not obscure style that provides a challenge for local brewers. The Baltic porter is indeed a style that is not often seen around here. “It has the backbone of an ale, yet the delicate qualities of a lager,” says Ale Asylum brewmaster Dean Coffey.
Common Thread is made with a hefty malt bill that was partially supplied by the South Shore Brewery of Ashland. The beer’s vivid black color is due in part to a malt called Blackprinz, which is a debittered malt that is used to lend color without the harsh burnt tones that can be found in some highly roasted malts. More than a half-dozen malts go into Common Thread.
Baltic porters evolved in the 18th century from the British porter. It was designed to be shipped across the North Sea to the lands of the Baltic Sea. Much of the beer was destined for Russia. It is similar to and closely associated with the Russian imperial stout. While porters and imperial stouts are ales, the Baltic porter is made using lager yeast and fermented at colder temperatures. This year’s Common Thread follows that same lager tradition. It finishes at 9.2 percent ABV.
For 2017 Wisconsin brewers made more Common Thread than ever, nearly 85 barrels. It will be offered as a tap beer during Craft Beer Week in many Madison area bars and restaurants. By mid-May it’s expected to turn up statewide in 12-ounce cans.
Tasting notes:
Aroma: Smooth, chocolate maltiness with hints of coffee. There’s also subtle sweet fruitiness.
Appearance: Striking black color, with a thick, soft, brown head.
Texture: Full-bodied and soft.
Taste: A rich chocolate and caramel body with a background of dark fruits such as plum, raisin and fig.
Finish/Aftertaste: The chocolate maltiness continues with notes of caramel and toffee. There’s also smooth, very mild, spicy alcoholic warmth, with lingering hints of plum and fig.
Glassware: Find a glass that celebrates the beautiful jet black color and frothy chocolate-brown head. The tulip, goblet or even a large wine glass all pay tribute to this beer. Just find one with a slight inward taper to focus the malty aroma.
Pairs well with: barbecue, or a mild earthy cheese like Camembert. Or try it with dessert — look for something with a touch of mint to go with the beer’s deep chocolate tones.
The Verdict: For a big rich porter, this beer drinks easily. It’s decadent, deceptive, and even seductive with the smooth chocolate, caramel and toffee sweetness of malt throughout its aroma and flavor. It finishes clean and even light. That’s where the deception comes in, because it ends up at over 9 percent ABV. It reminds me of a Schwarzbier (albeit an imperial take on such a black German lager).
The choice of Baltic porter as this year’s Common Thread continues the successful franchise as an impressive collaboration among Wisconsin brewers. It’s flavorful, creative and distinctive.
