Okocim has been brewing in Brzesko since 1845, one of the oldest breweries in Poland, and Mistrzowski Porter (roughly ‘Masterful Porter’) is its showcase beer. It is a proper Baltic porter, brewed with a longer maturation and a blend of Munich, caramel and roasted malts, and it has the medal cabinet to back up the name: gold at Golden Beer Poland 2013 and gold at the European Beer Star 2015. I picked up a bottle for this guide.
Okocim Mistrzowski Porter at a glance
| Style | Baltic porter |
| ABV | 9.6% |
| Calories | Around 280 per 12 fl oz |
| Brewery | Browar Okocim (Carlsberg), Brzesko, Poland |
| Character | Oak, roasted coffee, dark chocolate, velvety body |
| Best served | Around 12C (54F), in a tulip or snifter glass |
How it tastes, by the numbers
This is a big, rich Baltic porter, built for slow sipping rather than volume drinking.
The full review
It pours a near-black, deep mahogany with a creamy tan head. The aroma is immediately rich: oak barrel, roasted coffee bean and dark chocolate, with a faint dried-fruit sweetness underneath.
The flavour matches the nose closely. There is a velvety, full body carrying layers of coffee and bittersweet chocolate, a gentle char from the roasted malts, and a warming alcohol presence that never turns hot. Bottom-fermented rather than a true ale-style porter, it stays cleaner and rounder than you might expect at this strength.
At 9.6% and 22% extract, this is a substantial beer, closer to a dessert beer or a strong stout than an everyday porter. It rewards a slow pour and a slower drink, ideally at cellar temperature rather than fridge cold, which lets the coffee and oak notes open up.
For a mass-produced macro-brewery beer, the depth here is genuinely impressive, it is easy to see why it keeps winning medals against dedicated craft porters.
Label image.
Mistrzowski Porter proves a big Polish brewery can build a genuinely medal-worthy Baltic porter, rich with oak, coffee and dark chocolate at a serious 9.6%.
- Multi-award-winning Baltic porter (Golden Beer Poland, European Beer Star)
- Rich oak, coffee and chocolate depth
- Velvety body without a hot alcohol edge
- Genuinely different from Poland’s macro pale lagers
- 9.6% ABV means it is a sipper, not a session beer
- Heavy, rich profile is not for everyone
What to eat with it
This is a dessert-beer strength porter, so pair it with rich, dark Polish food: bigos (hunter’s stew) with its smoky, slow-cooked meats, or a plate of pierniki (spiced honey gingerbread) for a sweet match with the coffee and chocolate notes. It also works well alongside a strong, aged oscypek smoked cheese.
The right glass
Serve at around 12C (54F), noticeably warmer than a lager, in a stemmed tulip glass or snifter that concentrates the oak and coffee aroma and lets you swirl it like a strong ale.
Who it is for
If you want proof that Polish brewing goes well beyond crisp pale lagers, or you just want a rich dark beer to sip slowly after dinner, this is the one to seek out.
Okocim Mistrzowski Porter FAQs
What is a Baltic porter?
A Baltic porter is a strong, dark, usually bottom-fermented (lager-style) beer that originated around the Baltic Sea region, known for a rich, roasty, sometimes port-wine-like character and higher ABV than a standard porter.
How strong is Okocim Mistrzowski Porter?
It is 9.6% ABV with a 22% extract, a serious, dessert-strength dark beer meant for slow sipping.
Has Okocim Porter won awards?
Yes. Mistrzowski Porter has won gold at Golden Beer Poland 2013 and gold at the European Beer Star 2015 in Nuremberg, among other honours.
Where to buy Okocim Mistrzowski Porter
Okocim Mistrzowski Porter is available through specialty beer retailers that carry imported Polish and Eastern European beers. Buy it using the button above.
The verdict
This is the beer to hand a skeptic who thinks Polish brewing is just pale lagers. Rich, award-winning and genuinely complex at 9.6%.
