August brings the perennial SOPP-festival to Helsinki. This time around it was intriguing to see whether they had taken any clues from the inaugural Craft Beer Helsinki.
Glass size was still unoptimal for tasting, so that’s strike one.
Food was still in the cheap and nasty-category, so that’s strike two.
Beer selection, on the other hand, was wide (even though dropping by late in the course meant that some of the most limited editions were long gone).
- Started off with a Radbrew (or three) Lizard on a Stick is a proof that even two reliable breweries can miscollaborate as the product was a very mediocre pale ale.
- Teapot did not fare much better, though interestingly the fruit infusion transforms the taste from an english ale to an american one.
- Wasteland Oasis remains persistently good – a refreshing hereweizen.
- Kaskenmäen panimo is a new acquintance, their WhALE (wheat ale) started off well, but all of a sudden hit a funky sidenote in the taste.
- Saimaan Blue Skies ran out and got a free taster: hops and berries, but hardly a lasting impression from a quarter deciliter.
- Olarin Panimo’s Neljän Viljan IPA is the grainiest IPA in a long while, and proves that the brewery has more to it than just west coast ales.
- Maku’s celebration of the Seven Brothers as a series of beers has reached Timo, a bitter saison.
- Mufloni Barley Wine continued the more bitter than expected-path, not bad by any means, but I prefer mine a bit sweeter or at least smoother.
- Ukko-Pekka was the first rauchbier of the day, a steal at 1€. Far better than what Nokia commonly ships to the stores.
- Mother Fuggle, as a contrast to the bitter beers encountered earlir was more watery than properly bitter.
- Hiisi had run out a few of their more peculiar wares, Konttorirutto #3 Hoppy Sour Ale was indeed sour and hoppy, but sweet as opposed to acidic, a pleasant first sour for the day.
- Hati on the other hand was a collection of somewhat connected tastes that oddly managed to be better than its parts.
- Ruosniemi had no barrel-aged treasures left, but twin varieties of Lomittaja Chardonnay and Karviaismarja were pleasant versions of the original saison.
- Bock’s Corner had an unauspicious debut, their Pale Ale turned out watery and limp (after the taste explosions of the previous four the bar was set uncomfortably high for a very traditional pale ale).
- Maistila’s Det var Det was a very fine wit indeed – with just enough spicing in the taste to differ from the norm.
- Their Jälkipeli worked well, too. Even though a fruit-infused saison sounds like an abomination, the combination was pleasantly sweet and refreshing simultaneously.
- Sonnisaari’s Pseudovehnä gets a firm grasp on the “hoppiest wheat”-prize.
- The sole non-domestic beer was actually the best one sampled: Låven’s Norwegian Smoked Porter was deep, dark and smoky – a winning combination on an evening turning to chill.
FI: Sangen onnistunut festivaali tänäkin vuonna, ja jälleen kerran ykköspalkinto karkasi ulkomaille.
brewnardo 