Tag Archives: Finland

Suuret Oluet Pienet Panimot – Helsinki – 2013

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The Finnish microbrewery festival Suuret Oluet Pienet Panimot will be organized 25.7-27.7 (Thursday to Saturday) at Rautatientori in Helsinki. I will be there both Thursday and Friday (will be from early afternoon onwards on both days), so feel free to say hello if you see me (will be wearing a Sierra Nevada Hoptimum t-shirt)! I’ve collected a list of all beers that have been published already in a Google Docs spreadsheet, and I will be updating it as more beers become announced.

Click here to access the spreadsheet!

Tasting some homebrews

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This evening I thought I’d taste through a pair of homebrews I’ve acquired through trades. One is a mystery beer from my homebrewing neighbor Juhani, and the other is a Tripel from my colleague Ilkka. This should be interesting!

  • Brewery: Juhani’s Homebrewery
  • Country: Finland
  • Style: ?
  • ABV: ?
  • Size: 330 ml
  • Bought from: –
  • Not on Beer Advocate
  • Not on RateBeer

 

First up is the mystery beer from Juhani. I have no information at all on this brew, as Juhani wanted me to guess what it has been brewed with. The cap has the number 49 on it, so this should be his 49th batch. This should be interesting!

[easyreview title=”Juhani’s #49″ cat1title=”Appearance” cat1detail=”The beer pours with a slightly hazy deep amber-copper color, and a cream-colored head is formed that quickly collapses.” cat1rating=”3.5″ cat2title=”Smell” cat2detail=”The aroma features tones of bready malt, sweet fruits, slight yeasty phenolics, and a slight presence of coffee. There are some alcohol tones present as well.” cat2rating=”3.5″ cat3title=”Taste” cat3detail=”The beer features tones of bready and toasted malt, some caramel, dark fruits and red berries, some yeast tones, and the slightest roastiness. Not much hoppiness in this. The finish is quite dry, slightly watery, and with practically no bitterness at all. A slight warming sensation on the tongue after the beer has been swallowed, not sure if from alcohol or some ingredient.” cat3rating=”3.5″ cat4title=”Mouthfeel” cat4detail=”The body is quite light and carbonation level is medium-low. The beer is quite easy to drink, but feels a little watery.” cat4rating=”3″ summary=”An interesting beer without any major flaws. Not completely to my liking, but this is just my own taste preferences. I’m having a hard time guessing what is in this, but assume it could contain some of the following: caramel malt, dark candi syrup/sugar, a slight amount of heavily roasted malt (e.g. chocolate malt), low amount of hops, and Belgian-style yeast. I’m also having a hard time deciding whether I’m just imagining the slightly warming sensation in the after-taste or if it’s really there. If I’m not imagining, it could maybe be from an addition of chili or similar. It will be interesting to hear what was in this!”]

  • Brewery: Ilkka’s Homebrewery
  • Country: Finland
  • Style: Tripel
  • ABV: 7.5%
  • Size: 500 ml
  • Bought from: –
  • Not on Beer Advocate
  • Not on RateBeer

 

Next up is Ilkka’s Tripel (Note: He hasn’t removed the old label from the bottle in the picture). This I have some more information on, and it has been brewed with pilsner, rye and wheat malt, as well as oat flakes and cane sugar. The original gravity of the brew was 1.070 and the final gravity 1.014, giving it an ABV of 7.5%. It has been hopped with Bravo, Mt Hood and Saaz to an IBU of 33, and fermented with WLP550 (the Chouffe strain; same as used in my own Tripel). He warned me that it might be a little sweet, as he hoped for higher attenuation, and that carbonation might be off, as he has experienced both flat bottles and gushers, which indicates that the priming sugar wasn’t thoroughly mixed into the beer. Let’s see how it tastes!

[easyreview title=”Ilkka’s Tripel” cat1title=”Appearance” cat1detail=”The beer pours with a hazy golden-orange color, and a fluffy off-white head is formed, that collapses leaving lacing along the glass. There seems to be sufficient carbonation in this bottle!” cat1rating=”4″ cat2title=”Smell” cat2detail=”The aroma is spicy and phenolic, and features some typical Belgian yeast tones. Behind the yeast tones, there is a slight sweetness coupled with a slight citrusy fruitiness. Very style-typical aroma, without any flaws.” cat2rating=”4″ cat3title=”Taste” cat3detail=”The flavor is similar to the aroma, with yeasty phenolics dominating. I get some tones of spices, grass, citrus fruits, biscuits and a slight amount of alcohol. The finish is quite sweet, with a slight bitterness and a minor harshness. The flavor is also style-typical, but slightly one-dimensional and with a minor harshness in the finish.” cat3rating=”3″ cat4title=”Mouthfeel” cat4detail=”The beer has a medium body and carbonation level. Could be a bit drier, but otherwise very drinkable.” cat4rating=”4″ summary=”Overall a really nice Tripel, that I enjoyed drinking, even though I’m not a major fan of the style. The beer was mostly flawless, and you couldn’t tell you were drinking a homebrew. The aroma and flavor featured some really nice yeast tones, that could have benefited slightly from a drier finish and a more interesting malt backbone or hop profile. Looking forward to trying more of your beers in the future!”]

SOPP and a small update

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Today will hopefully be a good day, as first we are going to finish up our automated brew kettle, then head over to Rautatientori to drink some beer at Suuret Oluet Pienet Panimot (SOPP). I highly recommend a visit (26-28.07, 12-01), as more than 100 microbrews will be available! The microbrewers at SOPP are:

Hollolan Hirvi, Hollola
Koskipanimo / Panimoravintola Plevna, Tampere
Kuninkaankartanon Panimo, Mustiala
Laitilan Wirvoitusjuomatehdas, Laitila
Lakeuden Panimo / Mallaskoski, Seinäjoki
Lammin Sahti, Hämeenlinna
Malmgårdin Panimo, Loviisa
Nokian Panimo, Nokia
Panimoravintola Beer Hunter´s, Pori
Rekolan Panimo, Mäntsälä
Saimaan Juomatehdas / Panimoravintola Bruuveri, Lappeenranta ja Helsinki
Stadin Panimo, Helsinki
Suomenlinnan Panimo, Helsinki
Teerenpeli Yhtiöt, Lahti ja Helsinki
Vakka-Suomen Panimo, Uusikaupunki
Taako / Pihtlan Olut, Saarenmaa, Viro

There hasn’t been much information about the beers available at SOPP, but Beer Hunter’s will be bringing:
Mufloni Falconer’s Flight 4,5%
Mufloni CCCCC IPA 7%
Mufloni Single Hop Simcoe 3,5%
Mufloni Single Hop Galena 3,5%
Mufloni Aamupala Kaurastout 4%
Mufloni Saison De Randonneur 4,5%
Mufloni Cornes à Pois 7%

And Rekolan Panimo (a new brewery which will be making its debut) will bring:
KESÄKOLLI
AMERIKAN SERKKU

Part III of the Hop Science mini-essay will unfortunately be postponed until early next week, as I still have some text left to write and wont have time to finish it this week.

Juhani’s Columbus APA (Homebrew)

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  • Brewery: Juhani’s Homebrewery
  • Country: Finland
  • Style: American Pale Ale
  • ABV: 5.6 %
  • Size: 330 ml
  • Bought from: Gift
  • Not on Beer Advocate
  • Not on RateBeer

 

I traded some homebrews with my neighbour a couple of weeks ago, and the first one I will be trying is Juhani’s Single Hop Columbus APA (batch #33), which he brewed using POLKU‘s equipment. It has been brewed with a malt bill consisting of 90% Pale Ale and 10% Crystal 150 malt. It has been hopped with Columbus to an IBU of 45. Seems very promising!

[easyreview title=”Juhani’s Columbus APA (Homebrew)” cat1title=”Appearance” cat1detail=”The beer pours with a clear amber color, and a long-lasting fluffy off-white head is formed, that collapses leaving drapes of lacing along the glass. Very nice appearance!” cat1rating=”4.5″ cat2title=”Smell” cat2detail=”The aroma is dominated by hoppy tones, drawing towards the floral, earthy and citrusy spectrum. A slight malty sweetness can be detected. The aroma is overall very clean, with only the slightest solvent-like tones which could be detected while opening the bottle and pouring, and some minimal yeasty tones in the aroma. Aroma suits the style well, but from personal preferences I wish it could be slightly stronger.” cat2rating=”4″ cat3title=”Taste” cat3detail=”The flavor starts very hoppy straight from the beginning, with earthy, resiny and bitter hop flavors dominating all the way to the aftertaste. There are almost no malt tones present in the flavor. The aftertaste continues being bitter and is also quite dry. Somehow feels a lot more bitter than 45 IBU. I feel the beer could use a little more maltiness and maybe slightly more hop flavor to balance out the quite harsh bitterness. On the other hand, the beer has only been in the bottles a couple of weeks, so it is probably still young, and the bitterness will fade with time.” cat3rating=”3″ cat4title=”Mouthfeel” cat4detail=”The beer has a quite light body and medium carbonation level. It is quite easily drinkable, but the bitterness takes away somewhat from it.” cat4rating=”3.5″ summary=”A nice American Pale Ale, that either was a bit young or had slightly too high bitterness. The aroma was nice and not ‘homebrewy’ at all, and it reminded me a bit of Stadin Panimo’s Simcoe Pale Ale. A good beer that probably will become much better with age! Suggestion to Juhani: maybe mash the beer a tad bit higher next time, to get some more body, and maybe move some of the bitterness hop additions to flavor additions.”]

Thanks Juhani for the bottle!

Juhani’s Imperial Stout (Homebrew)

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  • Brewery: Juhani’s Homebrewery
  • Country: Finland
  • Style: Imperial Stout
  • ABV: ?
  • Size: 330 ml
  • Bought from: Gift
  • Not on Beer Advocate
  • Not on RateBeer

 

Today it’s time to try a homebrewed Imperial Stout, brewed by Juhani (a homebrewer who lives a couple hundred meters from me). It will be interesting to try someone else’s homebrewed beer, as I’ve only tried other people’s homebrews a couple of times earlier. The crown cap is marked “#18B P”, so am assuming this is his 18th batch? I unfortunately don’t have any further details on the beer (e.g. ingredients etc.). So let’s see what it tastes like! Thanks Juhani for the bottle!

[easyreview title=”Juhani’s Imperial Stout (Homebrew)” cat1title=”Appearance” cat1detail=”The bottle opens with a nice poof, and foam starts gushing out of the bottle immediately. After letting the bottle settle a couple of minutes in the kitchen sink, the beer pours pitch-black, with a slight cream-colored head, that quickly collapses, leaving no lacing along the glass.” cat1rating=”3.5″ cat2title=”Smell” cat2detail=”The aroma is dominated by tones of roasted malt and dark fruits. There is slight alcohol present in the aroma as well. Overall, the aroma is nice, but wished it would have been a bit stronger and less pronounced in the ‘dark fruit’-department (but that is just my own personal taste, and not a flaw in the beer). As the beer warms up, the alcohol in the aroma becomes more evident.” cat2rating=”3.5″ cat3title=”Taste” cat3detail=”The flavor is similar to the aroma, with roasted malts, ash, and dark fruits dominating. There is a slight spiciness in the background as well. The finish is quite dry and has a nice bitterness. Again, the dark fruits are not entirely to my own liking, but still nice flavor.” cat3rating=”3.5″ cat4title=”Mouthfeel” cat4detail=”The body is medium-full, with a moderate-high carbonation level. Unfortunately the carbonation level is too high both for my own taste and the style in general, and it makes drinking the beer a bit more difficult.” cat4rating=”3″ summary=”Overall a good Imperial Stout, that unfortunately has a couple of flaws (too high carbonation and a bit too dry finish), which makes drinking it a bit difficult. It featured some nice aroma and flavors, but I personally like Imperial Stouts with more coffee, chocolate and hop tones to them, hence the lower points. Having no idea what the recipe is, I think the beer would do better with a slightly lower fermentation temperature (to remove some of the alcohol from the aroma), some chocolate malt, a higher mash temperature, and less carbonation. Looking forward to trying more of Juhani’s beer! Thanks again for the bottle!”]

Marsalkka India Pale Ale

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  • Brewery: Saimaan Juomatehdas
  • Country: Finland
  • Style: American IPA
  • ABV: 5.2 %
  • Size: 330 ml
  • Bought from: Alko, 3.71 euro
  • Not on Beer Advocate
  • RateBeer

 

Today it’s time to try an American IPA from the Lappeenranta-based microbrewery Saimaan Juomatehdas (who also are responsible for brewing a part of Panimoravintola Bruuveri’s beer). According to rumors, this is the same beer as Bruuveri’s Kevät Ipeloinen, which I’ve tried a couple of times during the autumn and though was tasty. This is one of the ten Finnish microbrewery beers that were released today at Alko in honor of their 80-year anniversary. Haven’t been very impressed by Saimaan Juomatehdas’ beer, so I don’t have my hopes up, but hopefully this will taste similar to Kevät Ipeloinen. This IPA has been brewed with pilsner malts, and hopped with Tomahawk, Amarillo and Cascade hops to an IBU of 89. Hopefully the high bitterness is balanced with hop flavors and a malt backbone. Let’s see how it tastes!

[easyreview title=”Marsalkka India Pale Ale” cat1title=”Appearance” cat1detail=”The beer pours clear and with a golden color. A minimal white-colored head is formed, that disappears quickly, leaving almost no lacing along the glass. The beer could definitely look better.” cat1rating=”3″ cat2title=”Smell” cat2detail=”The aroma is quite light, but there is a faint floral hoppiness (some slight citrus tones) and a light breadiness. The aroma isn’t very promising, but hopefully the flavor department delivers.” cat2rating=”3″ cat3title=”Taste” cat3detail=”The flavor begins with a slight maltiness (some light tones of honey present), that is joined by a floral, grassy and grapefruity hoppiness (that is joined by a minimal metallic off-flavor). The aftertaste is bitter and relatively dry. The bitterness definitely takes over, and I feel the hop flavors and maltiness are definitely lacking. Shame, as I remember Kevät Ipeloinen being much more fruity in the flavor.” cat3rating=”3.5″ cat4title=”Mouthfeel” cat4detail=”The body is medium-light and the beer has a medium carbonation level. The bitterness is not that well balanced and a little too prominent in the flavor, making it a bit difficult to drink.” cat4rating=”3″ summary=”An average IPA, that unfortunately was lacking hop aroma, flavor and balance. There are better IPAs available at Alko, so I won’t be buying this one again. Shame though that I brought two of these today. The beer wasn’t bad though, but it’s a shame the brewers didn’t use more late hopping and a bit of crystal malt, which I believe would have improved this beer a lot. Hopefully the other 9 beers from the microbrewery release are better!”]

Stadin Panimo NZ Pacifica Pale Ale

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  • Brewery: Stadin Panimo
  • Country: Finland
  • Style: American Pale Ale
  • ABV: 4.5 %
  • Size: 330 ml
  • Bought from: K-Citymarket, 3.95 euro
  • Not on Beer Advocate
  • RateBeer

 

Saw a couple of new Stadin Panimo beer (NZ Pacifica Pale Ale, Nugget Pale Ale and Witbier) in K-Citymarket a couple of weeks ago, and now I finally have time to try one of them. Stadin Panimo have been brewing a series of single hop pale ale for a couple of years now, and this is an extension to the series. I haven’t tried anything hopped with NZ Pacifica (at least that I know of), but the hop is known for orangey citrus notes, so it should be interesting. I have no more information on the ingredients used, but the beer should have a bitterness of 35 IBU and it has been aroma-hopped using hopback technique. Tomorrow I’m heading to Amsterdam with my girlfriend for a one-week vacation. I’m really looking forward to some time off school and work, and will hopefully be able to try some nice beers on the trip as well. Will at least try to head to De Bierkoning (unfortunately Cracked Kettle has closed), Beer Temple, ‘t Arendsnest and In de Wildeman.

[easyreview title=”Stadin Panimo NZ Pacifica Pale Ale” cat1title=”Appearance” cat1detail=”The beer pours with a slighty hazy golden-amber color, a white-colored head that quickly collapses leaving minimal lacing along the glass.” cat1rating=”3.5″ cat2title=”Smell” cat2detail=”The aroma is hoppy, with floral and fruity tones. I can’t pinpoint the exact fruits, but there is some citrus (though not much orange), peach and maybe mango? There is as a slight sweetness present as well.” cat2rating=”3.5″ cat3title=”Taste” cat3detail=”The flavor begins with a slight caramelly sweetness, which is joined by a citrusy and fruity flavor, similar to what was present in the aroma. The flavor ends quite dry and with a slightly bitter finish. Quite light, but the flavors are well balanced. The aftertaste is plagued by a vegetable-like off flavor, that sticks to the top of the mouth.” cat3rating=”3.5″ cat4title=”Mouthfeel” cat4detail=”The beer is quite light-bodied and has a medium carbonation level. The beer is refreshing, but feels a little thin.” cat4rating=”3″ summary=”A good pale ale, similar to the other beers in Stadin Panimo’s single hop series. It had some nice fruity aroma and flavors, but the strange off-flavor draws away some points. A bit light in body, but still nice for a <4.7% beer."]

More Finnish microbrews to become available at Alko 06.02.2012

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According to rumors at the Olutopas.info forum, the following beers (all from Finnish microbreweries) will become available at Alko 25.01.201206.02.2012. The release is associated with Alko’s 80 year anniversary, which it will be celebrating this year. The beers will make it to most Alkos nation-wide, but the stocks are quite small (3000-10000 per beer).

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Stadin Panimo Cascade Pale Ale

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  • Brewery: Stadin Panimo
  • Country: Finland
  • Style: American Pale Ale
  • ABV: 4.5%
  • Size: 330 ml
  • Bought from: K-Citymarket, 3.95€
  • Not on Beer Advocate
  • Not on RateBeer

    •  

    This is the newest of Stadin Panimo’s Single Hop Pale Ale series to hit the stores. I’ve only tasted their Citra Pale Ale, and it was nice, but other hops featured in the series are Ahtanum, Amarillo, Centennial, Chinook, Galena, Motueka, Pacific Gem and Pacifica (I have probably forgotten some hop). This American Pale Ale has been hopped solely with Cascade, to an IBU of 35. A Hopback technique has been used for increased hop aroma. Seems promising!

    [easyreview title=”Stadin Panimo Cascade Pale Ale” cat1title=”Appearance” cat1detail=”The beer pours with a golden-amber color, is just slightly hazy, and forms a slight white colored head, that collapses leaving almost no lacing along the glass.” cat1rating=”3.5″ cat2title=”Smell” cat2detail=”The beer has a sweet, fruity (some grapefruit and mango), and just slightly grassy aroma. As i mentioned, I haven’t had that many Stadin Panimo beers, but I seem to remember a similar tone in the Citra Pale Ale and Simcoe Lager, and such maybe a ‘house aroma’.” cat2rating=”3.5″ cat3title=”Taste” cat3detail=”The flavor begins slightly sweet, with just the slightest caramel. This is then joined by some grassy, floral and citrusy hop tones. The finish is bitter and quite dry, and I also get a similar vibe as with the aroma, i.e. that I can almost taste a ‘house flavor’ typical of Stadin Panimo.” cat3rating=”3.5″ cat4title=”Mouthfeel” cat4detail=”The beer is crisp and quite light bodied, and has a moderate carbonation level. It was refreshing and drinkable, but would have wanted a slightly stronger body.” cat4rating=”3″ summary=”Nothing special, but overall a good beer. It’s always nice to drink a Finnish microbrew. The beer has some great hop tones, but I feel the beer could definitely use some more body.”]

    Sinebrychoff Puolukka-Stout

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  • Brewery: Sinebrychoff
  • Country: Finland
  • Style: Stout
  • ABV: 4.7%
  • Size: 330 ml
  • Bought from: Gift, but can be found in most supermarkets for around 1.80 – 2€
  • Not on Beer Advocate
  • RateBeer

    •  

    Today it was time to try one of the new brews from Sinebrychoff, Finland’s largest brewery. Their Puolukka-Stout (Lingonberry Stout) was released this fall, and this stout has been brewed with lingonberry juice and blueberry juice (and unfortunately some starch and artificial aromas as well). The beer has an IBU of 25 and an EBC of 110. Should be an interesting beer!

    [easyreview title=”Sinebrychoff Puolukka-Stout” cat1title=”Appearance” cat1detail=”The beer pours with a dark brown color (with some hints of red color as well), and a slight cream-colored head, that quickly collapses to leave slight lacing along the glass.” cat1rating=”3″ cat2title=”Smell” cat2detail=”The aroma of the beer is dominated by a strong hint of berry juice, lending tones of blueberries and some lingonberry. Behind this one can detect a presence of dark malts as well.” cat2rating=”3″ cat3title=”Taste” cat3detail=”Hmm, I don’t know where I should begin, as this beer definitely offers a strange taste experience. The flavors are similar to the aroma, offering a combination of berry juices (though not as dominating as in the aroma) and some slight roasted malt tones. The flavors are introduced quite simultaneously, meaning they clash quite a lot in the mouth. They aftertaste is slightly acidic, slightly dry and roasty.” cat3rating=”2″ cat4title=”Mouthfeel” cat4detail=”The beer has a quite light body, and a moderately light carbonation level. It is quite easy to drink, but the strange flavor combination and aftertaste lowers the drinkability a bit.” cat4rating=”3″ summary=”A strange, and unfortunately not all too tasty, beer, that I had some difficulty finishing. The combination of berries and a (weak) stout doesn’t work out all too good. I still applaud Sinebrychoff for trying something different.”]

    Thanks Pia for buying me this!