Karhu Ruis

I was going to do my first-ever videoblog-entry for this beer, but my ex-wife came to visit boys and stayed late, so she messed my plans up (because I can't do things like write or make videoblog, when someone else is around :D). It does not matter, because after all – what the fuck was I thinking. This is not a videoblog. But I have to do it sometime in the future, still :)

Well, this beer I enjoyed, video or not. I was pleasantly surprised, that this beer did not have too sweet taste, because that is my main concern in dark lager types.

This is based on Karhu lager all right, but it is still very different. If Hartwall's effort of making a unique Finnish lager by adding Kataja aroma in beer was a failure, then this effort of competing brewery Sinebrychoff is much, much better. This is actually a good beer, and my scale of stars does not give this enough props, if I don't give it a straight four-star ”Great” for the effort.

This is lager, but there is malted rye, which is absolutely a fabulous additive. We Finns love rye bread, but it is oddly rare to use rye in Finnish beer. Actually it is though very traditional Finnish ingredient in beer, because our unique Sahti is unfiltered beer with added malted rye and/or wheat. This Karhu is also unfiltered, which is nice.

It's nice to see that even big breweries dare to brew some new brands, which are not entirely compromised in taste and flavour for the masses.

**** Great