Brewdog tasting, 2nd take

Participated in another full house tasting at Brewdog Helsinki.

The topic of the evening was Big Beers, and we certainly got what we deserved.

Sampled the best band beer thus far before the show got started. I’m not that big a fan of Turmion Kätilöt, but their Pimeyden Morsian exceeded expectations by a long mile: a roasty and deeply chocolate-y stout was something far beyond the usual limp lager with a band emblem attached.

The first beer offered was Baladin’s Elixir, a belgian dark ale. Low on sugars and smoke, high on malts, almost devoid of carbonation. A hefty and dark start on a warm and summery evening.

The deeply belgian theme continued with the second beer: Rodenbach’s Vintage 2013 (Barrel No. 149), a funky flanders red ale that brought forward a taste of red currants in its sour taste.

The third beer was one I had high hopes on: Mikkeller’s Recipe 1000 Sauternes. But despite its lofty provenance (I like big dessert wines, too) and uplifting bouquet, the taste failed to deliver on the promise. Plummy and far sourer than sweet.

The penultimate beer was the highlight of the evening: Alaskan Brewing Company’s Smoked Porter (2012 vintage). Packed with smoke and salt, this is one of the few rauchbiers that credibly challenges the masters of Bamberg. As the glass warmed up, the taste thickened – clearly this is a beer that would provide a good foundation to a cellar, and according to grapevine, the domestic beer monopoly had a line on a shipment later in the summer.

The last beer of the tasting was the sole exemplar from the hosts. Brewdog’s collaboration with Ballast Point Ship Wreck is the first mescal beer tasted. It continues on the smoky path begun in Alaska, but treads its own piney way towards a flash of tequila in the taste.

Also sampled:

• Velvets are Blue, sourest saison thus far.
• Saison d’etre, a very traditional saison in comparison.
• Polaren Putte, a rhubarb gose is not an everyday encounter, and happily the rhubarb was indeed strong in the taste.
• Rivo, a plain dry pils seemed lacklustre after the series of taste explosions.
• Little Bichos Bicho In My Beer, the last beer of the evening returned to the realm of peculiar – a black saison tweaked with yuzu and lemongrass was a refreshing cap to a long evening.

FI: Tymäkän belgialais-savuinen maisteluilta Brewdogissa.