Month: August 2021

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Growlers

Growlers

According to wikipedia, a growler is “a glass, ceramic, or stainless steel bottle (or jug) used to transport draft beer.”

And happily enough, under the updated brewing-related domestic legislation, breweries are able to sell their beers to customers in such vessels. Quite a few of the capital area breweries have embraced the opportunity to maximize freshness, and the size (a liter) is just about right for two people.

Oddly, no finnish term has been invented yet, so these are known by a hopelessly anglistic “growleri”.

FI: Growleroimalla noin tuoreinta mahdollista olutta kotiin asti.

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Long Time, No Game of Thrones

It’s been ages since any sightings of Game of Thrones in the media. The brand sunk almost overnight after the catastrophic final season.

Mikkeller’s New Essos India Pale Ale is an easy beginners’ ale without faults or major features.

FI: Oiva olut onnettomissa olosuhteissa päättyneen fantasiasarjan kymmenvuotista taivalta juhlistamaan.

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Return of Mufloni Saison de Randonneur, Kataja edition

Olutkellari pointed out that Beer Hunter’s magnificent Mufloni Saison de Randonneur, Kataja edition is available again. This beer with an impressively long name was my 100th check-in in Untappd back in the day, and likely got a slightly overblown rating.

Mufloni Saison de Randonneur, Kataja edition

But that’s only a graceless assumption, and I’m looking forward to either validating my old beliefs or looking back at them with a knowing smirk.

Anyway, will report back with the results once the beer has been chilled down appropriately.

FI: Katajaista Muflonia saatavilla. Ja riemu oli suuri.

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Dog H

On a miserably rainy summer vacation day five years ago I put my fate in the hands of a bartender and requested something to properly warm up before a movie. The hero behind the bar of Kaisla brought forward Brewdog’s Dog D, the very first taste of the big dogs.

And what a beer that was. A massively heavy imperial stout, packed to the gills with dark chocolate and enough habanero to withstand the dash to the theatre.

It took a while before the next encounter of the series. A couple of canines passed by, before got to purchase a triplet of the Fs in the brewery’s black friday sale. Savoured the flavour and aged the last bottle a couple of years.

Managed to miss G, but when (again in the black friday sale) Dog H became available, bought a few.

And H is my favorite of the dogs I have tasted. It’s deeper and more full-bodied than its stablemates, with sweet cognac masking any booziness (that essentially ruined the followup, Dog I). The chili and chocolate rule the taste, with the implausibly high hop count (clocking in at 90 IBU) very much in the background.

A solid 4.5, and fortunately there’s two more in the cellar.

FI: H-Koira on se paras Koira.

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Kråkö Bryggeri

Visited Kråkö Bryggeri on Kråkö, an island in the outskirts of Porvoo.

Kråkö Bryggeri logo

Had tasted a couple of their early beers last summer when they started with pale ales.

Now the selection was wider, ranging from lagers to an imperial stout, via a handful of customer-branded beers.

Unfortunately they had sold out of the trendiest product – a hazy IPA.

Brought home a boxful of singles and a couple of each of the stouts. Both the imperial and regular variety were of the same tree: dry, roasty and pleasant, with the stronger one carrying a hint of salted licorice in the taste.

Hops growing in Kråkö

The brewery is located in an old school, and serves food and has an art gallery as well. The gardens contain both meadows and hops (forgot to ask whether their curreny wares held any of the homegrown).

Opted for dinner at the next stop, Bosgård farm, and lucked out to sample the other “not-available-at-the-brewery” brewed for the farm. Bosgård Ale turned out to be an old school bitter one, and good accompaniment for the sirloin steak.

FI: Porvoon maalaiskunnan panimo oli laajentunut ja laajentanut valikoimaansa oikein muikeasti.

Bosgård ale on site

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Best Beers of July 2021

Runaway can
Runaway can

The best beer of July is the brighest light in the six cans released by Olarin Panimo in one big bunch: Runaway, a multihopped NEIPA that delivers a righteous mix of fruit and bitterness in a convenient package.

Outside of Finland’s breweries, the highest marks went to a discovery from the lowest reaches of the stash: Giljagaur Nr. 14 from Borg Brugghús in Reykjavik. This barley wine had stayed forgotten for ages, but was, obviously, none worse for wear: full-bodied and strong without any extra booziness or sweetness.

FI: Polkkaustauon aikana Olarin Panimo on ottanut huikeita edistysaskeleita ja on kevyesti Espoon ja koko valtakunnan ykköspanimo tällä hetkellä.

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Back in business

So, this is what taking a 23 month unscheduled break feels like.

Hogs Back label
Hogs Back label

Was not in prison or strung out by work, just silent.

And considering how much has happened in the intervening time, there’s plenty to write about.

FI: Pitkäksi venähti tauko, mutta nyt vedetään taas.