Have to share a recent discovery of mine. A category of beers known as Baltic Porters. I discovered their greatness at a bar called Capital Ale House in Richmond, Virginia. They have about 100 beers on tap and 300+ in the bottle. We had an awesome bartender who made some stellar recommendations based on what we all told her we liked--I told her I was a big fan of Brown Ales, Scotch Ales & Stouts, but hated all things IPA (I respect the IPA--just can't stand the hops). She brought me a bottle of Obolon Porter, made in Ukraine. 16.9 oz of beer, 7% alcohol, delicious full-bodied porter--to me, somewhere between a dark ale and a stout. When she came back to see how I liked it, she sprung the best news on me: $5. Considering people routinely pay $4 for a bottle of bud light in a bar, that's about the best bargain I've ever had. Ended up having all three Baltic Porters on the menu--Obolon, a Russian one called Baltika, and Alderis from Latvia. Baltika was probably the least flavorful of the bunch, Alderis the richest. All three delicious, large, full of alcohol, and $5. Needless to say, after three of those, I was TOASTED. Great way to spend a weekday afternoon on business travel.
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