beer guide latvia - Labs alus

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aldaris beers
porteris 6.8% (baltic porter)
luksus 5.2% (dortmunder)
zelta black 4.2% (schwarzbier)
zelta 5.2% (pale Lager)
pilzenes 4.2% (german pils)
latvijas sevišķais 5.0% Märzen
Aldaris brews mostly cheap-end beers, that is the fact. Especially be aware of Apinītis series,
do not buy it under any circumstances, as seldom worse beers can be encountered;
it is very ironic that one of Apinītis beers is called ‘premium.
On the other hand, all these beers can be easily excused if Porteris is considered. Aldaris
is the only Latvian brewery to brew Baltic Porter on a regular basis and is very careful
about not compromising its excellent quality.
Luksus
ABV 5.2%, Dortmunder/Export
Currently one of the finest pale lagers brewed by Aldaris, this one
was the first “Western-style” beer introduced in the Latvian market
after the takeover by Pripps in the beginning of 1990ies. It was
brewed in Finland before the brewing operations were transferred
to Riga and many people swear this move made it taste much
worse.
The beer was expensive when it first appeared, in a new type of
bottles and it seemed as a luxury to many people indeed. Luksus
has lost some of its appeal over the years, but still it is one of the
flagship beer of Aldaris, although many other beers outsell it by a
great margin.
It pours pale golden with noticeable grassy hops aroma. Taste is
sweet malt with refreshing and spicy hoppy background, but not
much. Refreshing beer to be drunk during hot summer day, but
not very memorable. Still, it tastes way better than most of semibland
juices produced by Aldaris.
Porteris
ABV 6.8%, Baltic Porter
Aldara Porteris is the two remaining representatives of Baltic Porters in Latvia. Beers
that belong to this interesting style, were brewed throughout Latvia along Imperial
Stouts, mostly for export to the Russian Empire as the local population could not afford
it. It was a good business until the First World War when the Russian Empire collapsed
and there were no more export possibilities.
Curiously enough, the style was revived only during
the Soviet times in 1950s and in contrast to
nowadays, Porteris was not brewed continuously,
but was available just a few times a year.
Porteris is almost black with small brownish head
that does not seem to last too long. Aroma is nice
malty with notes of bittery coffee and dark chocolate.
Taste is is even better mild roasted and sweetish
malt with coffee bitterness, notes of liquorice and
molasses, bits of raisins. The full body is smooth
and creamy with smooth carbonation - certainly
not a session beer, but for cosy winter evenings
next to the fireplace.
Clearly a king amongst Latvian dark beers, it
would difficult to imagine any other coming even
close.
It is worth noting that none of the small Latvian
breweries brews Baltic Porter citing complexity of
brewing and long maturation times as the biggest
obstacle. The only other Latvian brewery to release
any kind of Porter on a semi-regular basis, usually
for Christmas, is Cēsu - it is usually a different
recipe each year.
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