Jimbo's Beerblog

Marsalkka IPA

2012-02-18T23:29:00.002+02:00

Very light and bright india pale ale with non-existing head. Scent is a bit metallic too. Taste is not so bad, though. There is great hoppiness here, but it is mixed with the odd metallic and a bit watery flavor. So, is this a good beer? Very good when compared to some shitty lagers, but not so wonderful otherwise. Still, I must raise hat to the makers, who still want this to be beer for every other dude. In that category, this is a great bittery drinkable beer.

*** OK

Malmgård Huvila X-Porter

2012-02-18T23:26:00.002+02:00

Very smooth, nice porter. Very very good for an enjoyment. Not so rich on taste as I expected, just nice and easy. Malmgård still rules ok! Best Finnish brewery (in my humble opinion) makes great beers and this is one of them.

*** OK

Mufloni IPA

2012-02-18T23:22:00.003+02:00

Finnish beer with great hoppiness! This is not an everyday "supper", so thank you Alko.

This is a celebratory year for Finnish alcohol monopoly and for that, they ordered these Finnish beers from minor breweries to be sold in every Alko. This is maybe the best of them. Great hoppiness, easy drinkability, lots of great taste!

**** Great

Keisari Året Runt

2012-02-06T06:56:00.001+02:00

Well, if this Finnish dark lager was any good as Danish Catch 22, I would be pleased. Now I'm just...yeah, this is basic shit.

** Drinkable

Marsalkka Portteri

2012-02-06T06:55:00.001+02:00

This Finnish porter surprised me with no head at all! What is that? Is that good beermaking!? Well, the taste was all right, though. Not very burned porter, but more of a sweet afternoon dessert.

** Drinkable

Catch 22 Black Lager

2012-02-06T06:53:00.002+02:00

Very very fine creamy dark lager! I was not in a reviewing mode while drinking this so I have nothing else to say but...I loved this! Have to hold my horses though and give this "only" ***, but maybe there comes a day, I will have another go of this fine beer and raise the stars to the skies :)

*** OK

Svaneke Classic

2012-02-06T06:51:00.002+02:00

Guess this is "just" lager, but very tasty in that "basic lager" -category, maybe because of the unfiltered brewing methods - every big beer is filtered to be "pure golden piss". This is not. But still, head goes away quite soon and the taste is not so lasting as one enthusiast might want. I'm battling over ** or *** star review, but this has to go to the first mentioned category as this is not to be remembered, drank over and over or enjoyed alone - now I'm having this with late night supper and it goes quite well with it - as a drink, not so much as a part of the meal. It this was a lager-blog only, this might as far as great and definitely OK, but we live in a world of various better tastes and varieties of beer.

** Drinkable

London Pride

2012-02-06T06:50:00.002+02:00

Very good beer! Go Fuller´s! Aroma is not so full, but taste is really wonderful.

*** OK

Sorry for this "quickie", I was a bit drunk at the time :)

Marston's Oyster Stout

2012-02-06T06:42:00.002+02:00

Very refreshing stout! This is an antidote to all burn-burn-burned stouts (or porters). This is refreshing, juicy, easy-drinking shit. Of course there is a downside in all this...this has no character...if it's not a cheap...something to be bought. For merry nights, a drinkable stout and very good alternative to those shitty lagers...

** Drinkable

Musta Hevonen

2012-01-25T23:02:00.002+02:00

Welcome to my latest video blog entries as I watch some 1. round Finnish presidential election from tv in my living room and drink some shitty Finnish lagers :)

1. part: Musta Hevonen lager
2. part: Musta Hevonen dark lager

** Drinkable

PS. Suomalaiset, äänestäkää numeroa 2 rauhan (ei sitä toista numeroa rahan) puolesta!

Bowman Stout

2012-01-25T22:53:00.001+02:00

It's English, it's black, it's stout. Very aromatic, scentful, stouty :) Head is awful, though, and disappears faster than I could finish this sentence (I opened after writing the topic/name of the beer).

Taste then...oily, burned, coffeelike. Aftertaste quite strong too (or it might still be my late supper that was spiced the mexican way). Quite good taste for a stout, not soft or anything like that, but more of a burn, burn, burn -like shit.

A hint of something spicy, maybe even fruity, but roasted malts rule this. This tasting is a success. Me likes. Can't say it's great or anything but definitely worth another go.

*** OK

Neuschwansteiner Das Echte

2012-01-25T22:52:00.001+02:00

Germans...they do the "pure" beer they like, but I'm sure that even the big public of beer drinkers would love more tasty, flavorable and characteristic beers, if they would want to get to know the varieties of the beer world. This is just another lager, if you will. Quite good in its own category, but basic shit in mine. Made by some landlords for 350 years, but I'm quite certain, this was not so light lagerish in the early days. Or was. But I have nothing else to say. I should stop buying these German beers because I rarely find anything interesting there for me, I'm sorry to say...

** Drinkable

Lapin Kulta Luomu Jouluolut

2012-01-25T22:44:00.002+02:00

Shit, I bought yet another yule beer! And this is as bad as you can get as an enthusiast of beers: Lapin Kulta (aka Lapin Kusta - Piss of Lapland) made by Finnish giant brewery Hartwall, which makes the worst beers in Finland. Even their "special" beers are piss. But then again, I have not tasted this yet, so...also it must be noted that this was bought in tiny neigbourhood store, that does not sell that many beers, only basic lagers and bulk.

Enough jibberish, let's have a glass of bisse! Actually this looks quite nice for a lager, dark lager I might add, but the aroma is usual metallic emptiness. Taste is surprisingly not that bad, very easy drinking stuff, a hint of roasted malts and hey, this is organic beer, man! Aftertaste is not so great, but this is easily the best Hartwall beer I have tasted. Still, can I give this a full on "OK"? Well, as a seasonal product of bulk lager brewery, this is great. As a dark lager, this is quite ok. But is this a beer to be remembered and drank again and again? Well, actually yes, this is good in its own category and I would drink this rather than any other Finnish bulk lager, so props to Hartwall for doing a good seasonal product and using organic barley and malts in making it.

*** OK

PS. Publishing this at 25th of January about two weeks after actual review, but have been a lazy updater and done other things...now actually with two bottles of this good beer that I got yesterday from my neigborhood grocery store...

Fuller's Vintage Ale 2011

2012-01-05T00:42:00.004+02:00

I have to mention this beer in my blog as the last new beer enjoyed in 2011. That happened in the new year's eve at the local friend's gathering in "Luola". I sat next to my old friend with a smily face and had this copper brown, really really great British-type Ale in no hurry at all.

I remember it being very enjoyable, very pleasant, very warming and not arousing any complaints whatsoever, so this is a beer to be recommended for all beer lovers. Typical ale with some bitterness, but quite propably one of the top three Fuller's beers with E.S.B. and London Porter (not still reminding either of them). I am thinking of buying this for the long-term storagement also as it is still sold in one Alko here in Kajaani.

**** Great

PS. Another try later with another fine bottle. And yes, this is a great ale!

La Chouffe

2012-01-05T00:33:00.004+02:00

Very easy drinking blond ale that looks like golden lager piss with no head but aroma is full of Belgian yeasts and fruitiness, and so does the taste. This is easy-drinking shit, though there are 8% alc vol, so it would be easy to get drunk just by drinkind these elf-beers. I don't know wtf that elf does in the label, but guess thats just some christmas marketing shit.

This is a really good beer, that I would certainly drink in what-ever season it is. Thumbs up and wanting more, but I hope I don't have to wait till next christmas for that...

**** Great

Bad Elf

2011-12-31T19:17:00.002+02:00

Yet another "christmas beer", but bare with me - this is THE last one, at least this year :D

Well, the bottle is fun looking, beer not that much. Head goes away soon and the taste, well, it's kinda ok. Aromas are at minimum, when smelled, but taste is all right. Basic English bitterness comes through, maybe some not-so-good metallic shit too, but still, this is better than average shit, definitely. I would drink this again, for sure, so this is easily *** beer. But, thank goodness, christmas and Yule are now finally sorted out and let's set out eyes to future. Next year is knocking at the door, but I have no idea, what I would drink next. Maybe the last bottle in my cellar (before the maybe-non-alcoholic January)?

*** OK

There Is No Santa

2011-12-31T19:15:00.002+02:00

Whew, Brewdof, easy on that spice jar! There is a distinctive Brewdog-vibe going on, but the fucking christmas-spices, shit. Without those spices this would be ok, but maybe not so anti-christmas then, would it :D

** Drinkable

Laitilan Kievari Savuruis

2011-12-29T00:11:00.002+02:00

Well, I'm not done yet with that smoky shit (read earlier Urbock-story), but now we come back to Finland. This is a beer of "pee soup brewery", that makes soft drinks and occasionally also some ok beers. This seems promising, cause it has my favorite grain in it: rye. But, it is also alarming to have that "smoke" in it - though I liked the actual smoke beer, the-earlier-reviewed-German, it was quite fine actually.

Copper brown beer looks nice and has a quite nice head, at least at first. Aroma is not at all smoky compared to Urbocks's real shit. This is just aromatized stuff. Taste really surprises me. It is very good at first, but I'm sorry to say, that the end-taste and aftertaste are not that great. There is nice hoppiness and some smoky bitterness in the mouth, when tasted, and the aftertaste is some odd mixture of it all. This is not spicy, not at all. This is quite easy-drinking, but still very interesting. They might still be into something with this one...more sipping give more taste-varieties...

I have to thank Laitilan Wirvoitusjuomatehdas for making propably their best beer; Interesting, multi-layered, and quite tasty shit. This has nothing too much, but it should have been even more heavier and full-bodied for my taste. Still, very good effort and if this was a last beer I'd ever have, I'd give this one extra star for a surprise. It's always nice to have something extra, when you don't expect much about it.

Happy new year dudes and dudettes!

*** OK

Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Urbock

2011-12-29T00:09:00.002+02:00

I thougth I'd end this great beer year of mine with this special beer from Germany. I'm not a big fan, or not even a tiny fan of German beers, and I remember this being quite odd or not for me at least, when I last had this (must have been years ago)...This is a smoke beer and I don't necessarily like anything smoked. But I like beer - and beer enthusiasts usually like this beer. So, let's give it another chance - at least I have a better perspective now after this years magnificent journey around the beer world of different beer tastes.

Aroma is unbelievably strong - as opposed to many other beers. There is so much smoke (and ham, I'm afraid, as I'm a veggie :D), that this reminds me of some times around the fire. Taste of the beer is actually quite mild compared to the aroma, but the aftertaste is smoky all right. Head goes away quite soon, which is a bit disappointing, but maybe this has that much aroma, that it doesn't matter. It has a nice feel in mouth, but the smokiness overwhelms in aftertaste and drops some points in my book - but yeah, I can understand, why this beer is appreciated. Definitely one of the best German beers!

*** OK

Jingle Bells

2011-12-24T22:48:00.002+02:00

This beer is so full of Christmas, that it has to be drank now or never. Yule has been quite nice for me, though I was a bit tired this morning, but the day and the celebrations went well. Jesus was not mentioned :D Pukki visited us and 3yo son said, that Pukki had "human eyes". Well, he wore a mask. And was not frightening. Kids got the most of the presents, I had fucking great black woolly socks. We ate well and did not drink a drop of alcohol as it's a principle in our family to give children a Yule without drunken people. So it's better to be not drinking at all and drunkards can do their dirty deeds now, when kids are asleep. But hey, I am writing a review of this Danish small Ørbæk bryggeris jingly stuff, so let's start the drinking!

Smells a bit like spices, but tastes very spicy. This is christmassy, that's for sure. There is also wheat and rye used in this alongside oats, so this is kinda interesting, but the spicyness is a bit overwhelming for me. I understand though, that this is seasonal beer, but still - I don't wanna drink my spices, they belong to food.

** Drinkable

Grimbergen Blonde

2011-12-24T00:39:00.005+02:00

Blonde Ale, I guess. Belgian. 6,7% alc vol and 0,33l bottle. No ingredients in Finnish or in English revealed, so this is not customed to out markets, just imported. Head quite non-existent. Aroma Belgique - guess it's yeast, again.

Taste is also very much like Belgique-yeasty, but not that good than in Duvel, that comes to mind the most. Something's missing.

This seems a bit too sweet and sharp (metallique?!) to be a gently drinkable but still great tasting beer. Is this lager? That might explain all the odd miss-outs. Kinda odd for a late-night beer, but might serve as a one-off beer in need of a one-off :D

** Drinkable

Interlude no. 5 - Great duel of Winter Solstice

2011-12-23T23:38:00.002+02:00

Yay, it's time for a battle of the giants in time of Winter Solstice known by christians as "Christmas", which we Finns call joulu, as in pagan Yule celebrations as it's an ancient festival of light, when winter has it's darkest hour and day begins to get longer again after couple of days' "solstice". Well, christians can celebrate their "Christ's mass", but I celebrate love and family. But first, let's get into fighting business. It's time for a duel: Tonight on ring are the two maybe best beers in the world. At least best of the Belgium beers - Chimay Blue and my all-time-favorite Duvel. Of course it's quite funny to first speak of pagan Yule and then have one beer, that is made by trappist monks (Chimay) and then have a counterpart in drink called "devil" (Duvel). But well, we are the generations moulded by christianity and it's effect in European culture, so let's just go with the flow.

So, here you go, let's start the video and have two pints of great beer :)
Duvel vs. Chimay Blue - the Yule battle of the beer gods

PS. This is the best "Christmas song", a great love story of a bum and a punk in love and falling out of love (with fucking great Irish tunes and stuff including christmas and new years and New York's finest Irish, like NYPD choir and such), so let's listen to this a couple of times while having good beer, folks: The Pogues & Kirsty MacColl: Fairytale of New York <- a good home karaoke version too, as it has lyrics, so go on, sing - or try to sing it - my brothers and sisters, sing your hearts out and enjoy life!

Jule Spektakel

2011-12-20T23:43:00.005+02:00

Bottle looks actually very nice, though I thought at first glimpse (in earlier visit to our Finnish alcohol monopoly Alko here in my hometown Kajaani), that this one looked particularly "Christmassy", though there is no mention of christ of any sort :) This is Jule Spektakel with crazy looking figure shouting besides the chr...Yule tree :) Pagans, we pagans, we are funny at chr...Yule time, I know ;D

So, the bottle looks very fine, but how about the beer? It looks nice. Black with foamy head. My nose does not hate it either, though it rarely scents any aroma - it's my problem, hopefully not many others'.

Taste is really wonderful, aromatic, rich. There is roastedness all right, but there is fruitiness too. There is bitterness, but there is something very refreshing too. Tastes go tingling and changing on top of the tongue and this feels like a splendid beer. Very, very good, indeed!

Aftertaste is slightly burned, but very pleasant, very nice, very characteristic I think. There is a hint of Belgium-styled yeasts used in here, and kinda easy stouty feeling (like in easy-drinking Guinness), not very heavily, but rather very pleasantly. This reminds me of many other beers without being any of them. This is really unique with a bow to many directions: To Belgium, Ireland, England and Germany/Czech.

As I drink this magnificent beer through, I think of some fruits with sweetness in them (like plums), but sweetness is mainly a nice sidekick of this splendid aromatic bomb. Not one "christmassy dark lager" has ever come close to nailing these kinds of aromas. This is the way those pagan Yule beers should be brewed. Hooray and million thank yous to Svaneke Bryghus for this marvelous beer - that actually is starting to smell wonderful as it is warming up in my glass, yay!!!

Appearance: 4
Aroma: 6
Flavour: 10
Palate: 5
Overall: 20
= 45 points.

**** Great
(Should say Absolutely fabulous, but can't say yet, as this was only first tasting - hope I'll get another chance soon!)

Samuel Adams Winter Lager

2011-12-18T23:02:00.001+02:00

Okay, of this, I don't wait anything. Other than shitty dark lager, I guess :)

Head goes away soon, as expected. This does not smell like anything.

Taste is like drinking cardboard and metally (or rusty) water with a hint of beer in it. Very light. Guess this is very "easy drinkable" too. Not for enthusiasts. Sorry to say, but this is bulk shit.

Appearance: 2
Aroma: 1
Flavour: 2
Palate: 2
Overall: 3
= 10 points.

** Drinkable stuff (this goes down, so must be beer :D)

PS. Rust is "ruoste" in Finnish, so here you go: CMX - Ruoste

Nøgne Ø #100 - review no. 2

2011-12-18T22:37:00.005+02:00

Nøgne Ø #100 (batch 568)

Appearance: 4
Bottle is very simple and easy to recognize as Nøgne Ø -product. Beer has amazing head that lasts for a long and careful tasting session. Beer is black.

Aroma: 8
First very citruslike (when the head is at its fullest for about 5 minutes. Then slightly burned, porterlike.

Flavour: 5
Taste is quite hard to explain...first its citruslike, like it was in the aroma, then some nice but with every sip more and more roasted malty taste and aftertaste. I guess its a little bit of oily at first, I think. My soon to be ready late night supper might go well with this...

Palate: 3
First very fresh, then very heavily oily and stucky.

Overall: 15
Dangerous beer with 10% alcohol by volume and goes very well with my quite spicy late supper that has halloum cheese in it. Me likes and raise hat for those Norwegian mad men, that brew these over the top beers. Punky stuff.

4+8+5+3+15 = 35 points
First review of the same shit...

Interlude no. 4 - New rating scale added

2011-12-18T22:35:00.001+02:00

I will add a new rating scale system based on ratebeer.com's system (that also many other beer reviewing sites use). This will not take away my own scale of 1-5 stars, but to add more comparability, if some of you readers happen to visit other beer lovers' sites also :)

Appearance 1-5 points

Aroma 1-10 points (aka smell or scent)

Flavour 1-10 points (aka taste)

Palate 1-5 points (aka "feel of the beer in different parts of mouth and when swallowed")

Overall 1-20 points (aka everything else, that comes to mind while drinking the beer including the "final feel" when beer is finished, is it worth drinking again, is it good for its value etc)

So scale is from 5-50 points.

From Jarkko via Mikkeller to Jimbo

2011-12-18T22:30:00.003+02:00

This special beer from Danish Mikkeller's comes with the special bottle (as pictured). This is a present all right, and as I'm my best beer friend also :) I had to give it to myself. I love you man! I know.

This is a very dark roasted beer. Actually it tastes like someone burned some beer, rather than brewed, but wtf, it still comes in a nice bottle. My comparison for tonight is excellent Imperial India Pale Ale from Nøgne Ø, so this is quite poor compared to that, I'm sorry to say.

This smells burned, and it tastes a hell of a lot more burned. There are some odd tastes coming through, that I cannot recall, but I can't say, that I would love this beer.

Maybe I don't even like this. It's odd, and too burned for me too. There is one porter, that has a slight resemblance to this, which is actually the king of porters: Koff Porter. But, this lacks the final touch. This is just ok, if even that. Maybe some enthusiasts love this, but I have to be honest to this one occasion: This is only drinkable for me.

** Drinkable stuff

Interlude no.3 - My life, in general

2011-12-18T22:26:00.003+02:00

I don't know, why I talked about my "special lady" so much in this blog, but maybe it was easiest here as "Jimbo, the beer lover". Maybe I also was more merrier when having a couple of pints and thought of life and love as well as my beloved beer. I'm sorry to say, that we still ended up splitting our ways and now this "special lady" is my friend, of one kind. Very special woman, of course, but no more in a romantic way...so, was I sad or did I got wasted after this happened?

Well, I have been very well, thank you, and last friday I also got wasted, but not for sadness, but for the celebration, instead. My dear friend had just his 25th birthday and I had to drink lots of shitty lager with him (of course I didn't call it "shitty" in his face :D) and also great Finnish Koff Porter and American Liberty Ale. Evening did go well, for me at least, but my celebrating friend got into a stupid quarrel over beers we had in one nice community of nerds. Well, you can't always have everything right, and I hope, no-one got any physical damage along with the mental, but as things seemed to calm down a bit, I went away with my trusted companion.

I also had time to go to cultural phenomenom of Radix by Kajaanin harrastajateatteri. It's so fucking nice to see those young, beautiful (in many ways) people do their "acting" like it's no acting at all but getting to know themselves and the world. The piece, Radix, is about radical movements of the left and the right, of the past and the future. It did not get me wild, because I already am aware of most of the movements, but still, it was very entertaining and educating at the same time. I liked it a lot. We went there with my ex-wife and had a nice evening there and after.

So, I'm not alone, still. Life goes around and continues. Now I'm gonna eat and drink some beer and go to get more sleep to get through another hard working week. Byebye lovely folks and c ya!

DoubleDog IPA

2011-12-10T21:34:00.002+02:00

This American beer was recommended to me by a friend, who likes Imperial IPA. This is imperial all right :) Very tough shit, I might say, and maybe deservedly so: This is American "extreme beer" and punky in the same way as Scottish BrewDog's "Hardcore IPA". Very good beer, but quite hard on the aftertaste, if you are into refreshing yourself with the beer you are having :D

Copper brown, very full tasting, not so much smelling (though my nose is so useless in these things, I might just say, if it's smelly or not - not smelly this time :D). Very hoppy - hops are used in vast amounts with this beer, I guess. 85 EBU, so there is this bitterness, which comes very dominant in the aftertaste. And of course very warming and relaxing feeling :)

Good beer from across the Atlantic. This is so punky and full of attitude, that I have to give this an additional star - 'cause we punks love to drink punky drinks!

**** Great

Interlude no. 2 - Learning beer reviewing

2011-12-10T21:30:00.002+02:00

It has been a joyous journey so far, this beer reviewing and blogging journey of mine. I have reviewed - or at least had/drank/enjoyed 73 different beers so far as recorded in this blog. It has usually been nice and fun way of drinking the beer, that I enjoy with or without blogging. There have been some times during the blogs' short era (five months), that I had no interest in writing anything, so some beers like very odd "Puolukka Stout" by Sinebrychoff (Fin) or very pleasant and tasty "Winter Porter" from Stallhagen (Fin), have been left unreviewed at the time of drinking. But like I said in the introduction "Every beer deserves a story", so let this be a story of those unmentioned ones. Cheers!

At the beginning of my blog era, I had a certain sense of beer varieties, but now, after only five months of my expedition throughout the beer world, I have been stunned with the tastes and scents and aromas of beers formerly unknown to me. A friend recommended me some Imperial IPA:s (mainly excellent BrewDog's "Hardcore IPA" and some other brewerys' DoubleDog IPA, which is yet to be reviewed) and at first I didn't even know what IPA meant :) Now I know. Sounds stupid to start a beer blog without the basic beer knowledge, but I thought it doesn't matter - and I think so, yet now.

I am not a wizard in beer vocabulary, so that I often don't understand or can not sense the scents and smells and tastes that other more exprienced tasters do. I, personally, don't usually find cinnamon, grass, orange, berries or what-the-fuck-ever in most of the beers that are said to have those scents or tastes, but I have for example tasted very heavily chocolate in London Porter or some other scents occasionally. Most of the time I just smell, taste and drink my beer with the sense of it being either good, not so good or sometimes even great. It would be easier, perhaps, to have some kind of well-known scale that beer reviewers seem to use (like 50 points scale or school scale of 4-10 or scale of 1-10). There would be more comparability then and obviously some more differences in my review-positioning. I mean, if there are maybe 30+ beers or so now in my blog with the review of "*** OK", then how can they be separated? And are they all "just" OK, or what? My OK is actually maybe 8 in school scale, **** Great is 9 and ***** Absolutely fabulous is 10.

Comparing my reviews to the ones of the real beer enthusiasts and gurus, would be nonsense, though. My Abso fab's for example, are my "all-time-favorites". They may not be the most enjoyable beers in every situation in life, they may lack character, taste or smell of some really spectacular beers that exist, but they still mean something special to me. Actually they are above or rather outside the scale. I have had one new favorite during this blog's five month life span and it is Finnish Malmgård's Brewery's "Huvila E.S.B." It just is fucking great beer and I have named it "the best bottled beer in Finland" - though I haven't had all of them. There are many Finnish beers, I would love to have sometime, mainly Pori-based Beer Hunter's brewery's "Mufloni", "Intianpässi", "Plevna" and such. There are also other beers brewed locally but not distributed throughout Finland or are sold only in restaurants, but I just do the drinking and blogging with my own experience.

Nøgne ø #500

2011-12-03T22:51:00.002+02:00

It's been three weeks since my last new review ( I added tonight reviews made in last three weeks), because life has made me wonder in different areas than beer-blogging :) Mainly I have been socializing with a special woman, which is nice. I also have had a couple of good beers with her, but no new ones, so that my review-self would not have to start concentrating too much on beer :D

Well, now I'm back - though still socializing and having a great relationship. Yesterday I had to drink a bunch of Suomi-lagers as well as better Czech ones on our pre-Yule party with my co-workers - and later with my special lady. We had supper, sauna and karaoke. A word of warning to you all karaokeists: Never go out choosing your favorite songs "cause they are so great" - if they are like this legendary one, I tried yesterday - and raped the song totally: Iron Maiden - Infinite Dreams

Tonight I review this one special beer I have waited to taste for a while. I thought I'll wait for a special day for this, but then again, I realized, that I'm a happy man and this is my day of celebration. Life is short and then you die. Why not live today as you like, if tomorrow you wake up in hospital bed after seizure, heart attack, falling down in stairs or something like that. Fuck, let's have this potentially great beer, enjoy sensations of scent and taste and aromas and warmth in your chest

-> Watch Video review

Emelisse Barley Wine

2011-12-03T19:24:00.003+02:00

This is my first ever barley wine I think. It's an English traditional strong ale - barley wine I mean. This particular one is Dutch. Beer looks like a bit amberish dirt water and leaves very little head or basically none. Smell is like of some wine...odd sweet wine. Taste is quite odd at first. It has bitterness, sweetness, alcohol and some odd and non-describable spices. Not my cup of tea, for sure.

This is not a "drinking beer"...I may have to wait for a while and have this with my late saturday supper...well, after waiting for a quarter of an hour and having the rest of this barley wine, I started to get used with the stuff, but still, it's too odd to be enjoyment for me and might work better for someone else...

** Drinkable

Ayinger Winter-Bock

2011-12-03T19:23:00.001+02:00

It's odd, that maybe a half a year to year ago I would have said: "This is a good dark beer". Now I just say: Another too sweet lager-stylish beer. I liked their Weizen-Bock hell of a lot more. This is a good dark lager and I have given good reviews to some Finnish counterparts, but now I gotta say, this is just drinkable, as this gives only good mouth taste at first with even some bitterness, but then comes the sweetness. It also lacks smell like the worst lagers. I wouldn't buy this twice, though I have drank lots of worse beers in my life.

** Drinkable

Ayinger Weizen-Bock

2011-12-03T19:22:00.001+02:00

I'm not a big friend of German beer, but maybe I have drank wrong beer before. This is very good indeed. Some unfiltered brown shit with enough wheat to make a sweet and very fruity drink. Very nice from the first to last sip. Das ist gut! Must try this again some time, because it ended before I even got to know all the aspects of the taste...

*** OK
**** Great for a German :)

Chouffe Houblon

2011-12-03T19:20:00.002+02:00

This IPA Tripel is quite nice, citrus fruits and yeast come through, but that I guess very unique Belgian style - which of course Tripel's are - flowery hops, alcohol and very foamy head (it got up and over the glass...) is present here. I like this. There is also a nice bitterness in aftertaste, which I always endorse.

Very good drink for the meal, I'm having, which is some chili and cheese. Still quite "easy" drink, so not enough memorability for the future use, but definitely I would drink this with smile on my face, if this was served in bars or by a friend :)

*** OK

Mikkeller Santa's Little Helper 2011

2011-12-03T19:10:00.004+02:00

Very deep black pours in the glass. A bit stout or porter like smell welcomes the beer lover to this Danish treat, which is actually brewed in Belgium. Head is thick and brown. Very burned, but also otherwise aromatic taste flows in mouth perfectly. This reminds me of some great porter, maybe Fuller's London Porter comes to mind a bit. There are definitely much roasted coffee and stuff, which bubbles under. Wish I could tell you about those sensations ;)

This is very high on alcohol, 10.9% vol alc, but it doesn't show at all. You suddenly feel that relaxing warmth in your chest, while you tackle the aftertaste.

This is a very, very good beer, you should not disregard, though it's fucking expensive and is a seasonal product. Never mind that - get this!

**** Great

Arctic Circle Ale

2011-11-13T10:50:00.004+02:00

Malmgård's brew this here in Finland. Their E.S.B. is maybe the best ale there is. But this is something else. There is juniper and rye used here, so this could be very nice.

This seems to be like dark lager when poured to glass as head disappears fast. It does not smell anything - also very lagerish effect. There is 7,3% vol alcohol, so this is no children's drink, but still, where is the flavor? Where are the smells? Where are the tastes? Maybe I'm just drunk and my nostrils have gone shut. I don't know, this ought to be a good beer and maybe I need another bottle sometimes, because this one left me disappointed.

After some drinking the beer got better - but the first contact was so lame, that I must say this is only drinkable stuff.

** Drinkable

Huvila E.S.B.

2011-11-13T10:48:00.004+02:00

Finnish small brewery has done it. This is very, very good bitter. Might be the best - Fuller's, shiver!

Malmgård's brews it in Malmgård Finland, in some old villa's brewery. This is so good, I almost have no words...

Very citruslike, fresh, but still bitter. Nam! I could drink this all night long!

**** Great

---

Edit & Second opinion after having this great beer more times:
Most likely the best bottled and Alko sold Finnish beer!

***** Absolutely fabulous

Nøgne Ø India Pale Ale (review vol. 2)

2011-11-13T10:45:00.003+02:00

Edit: Heh, I accidentally made a second review about this beer, but as this a "second opinion", it might as well count as a "new" review:

Very shortly I just say: Fucking good beer! Buy this. Aromatic, dry, perfectly bitter, nice. Seems like some unfiltered dirtwater, but tastes like heaven :)

**** Great

Nøgne Ø Underlig Jul

2011-11-13T10:30:00.002+02:00

Really comes with the smells of Yule (I don't use the word "christmas" here purposely - I am a pagan and don't want to celebrate any religious nonsense). Very nice first bite. The spices of Yule come through nicely. This is better than glogg drink (spicy juice, which is served warm), though I like glogg also :)

Very easy drinkable for an Nøgne Ø beer, by the way. Or is, if you like those Yule spices. Nice dark ale with a spicy twist.

*** OK

Old Tom

2011-11-12T01:47:00.001+02:00

Black ale. A Cat. Nice little bottle. 8,5% vol alc. Head promises nothing - just like Fuller's Ales. Aroma is nice. I tried to sniff it through, but fuck, I'm useless in these smelling tests. So I just say, it smelled nicely beerish :)

First bite has all kinds of flavor. There is strong bitterness. Then some kind of odd sweetness comes to rule the aftertaste. Another sip and yes, there is a very strong taste when drank. I recall some of our finest (or shittiest) of home brews from many years back. It's homely then I guess? But this is actually maybe the anti-lager as it's taste is really strong at first and I presume that drinkers of bulk lager want their beer not to taste like this at first. So, props for that. I'm sorry I can't fill you with any details about the taste, because I'm so tacky mf. But yeah, this is strong, in many ways. Not so enjoyable, but a beer to be slowly appreciated (or hated).

*** OK

Anchor's 2011

2011-11-12T01:43:00.003+02:00

That smell, what is it? There is a very distinctive smell of something :) in this special ale of Anchor's. It's head is absolutely fabulous. Smell too :) It might resemble the spice mixture Garam Masala! Taste is quite odd at first...did they really drop that Garam Masala shit here? I'm sorry to say, that besides first odd, not so good taste, there isn't anything else. Maybe this would go better with some food...

** Drinkable

Fuller's Old Winter Ale

2011-11-12T01:42:00.001+02:00

Very warming, rich tasting ale. Quite bitter taste with coffee in it and very bitter aftertaste. It's like drinking a late night cup of coffee, but with a relaxing feeling in your chest :) Can't say anything bad about it: Very good ale from Fuller's and with ESB maybe the best English bitter.

*** OK

Hippaheikki - Teerenpeli Extra Special Bitter

2011-11-12T01:40:00.001+02:00

I have tasted this couple times before, but wasnt't in a reviewing mood then. This is not best of the bitters, but extra hops give it certain loveliness :) So I like this beer. This is good, not shit, but nothing spectacular. I am still uncertain if this is actually just drinkable, but as I'm in a good mood tonight, I will say this is at least better than just two-star-basic-shit. Long live and love Lahti, and small brewery of Teerenpeli!

*** OK

Urban-Keller's Steinbier

2011-11-12T01:37:00.002+02:00

This tradiotional brewing method of using heated stones in the process must be one of the oddest in beer brewing. Or maybe not. Lambic's are made in quite extraordinary conditions. And maybe our sahti too. But this is also organic beer.

Beer has a slightly amber looks, with head like basic lagers disappearing fast. I'm eating rye bread with cream cheese and salty fried eggs, and I just had my last Hardcore IPA from the scottish punks, so I might be a bad reviewer, if this doesn't kick me in the nuts. So let's taste: Very lagerlike. German pilsner. Lager. Or something. Doesn't kick. Just whines.

** Drinkable

Westmalle Trappist

2011-11-06T21:52:00.002+02:00

Original Belgian Trappist with yeasty and powerful (at least with 9,5% alc vol) taste. At first it does not seem very aromatic or wonderful though...maybe Trappist lovers can get more out of this, but I find this actually a bit dull. There are flowery first bite which soon however twists in the mouth to be some kind of odd yeasty sweetness, then bitterness. This is maybe a Trappist characteristic, but otherwise it seems to me to be more of a bubbly wine with odd odoeurs.

But hey, this is beer. And it's Belgian tradition to do these maybe a bit odd beers, which are the best for some, but maybe not me. Only exception might be Chimay Blue, which I adore. Still I have to say, that I respect this kind of craft beer, which doesn't let you easy, by no means. And, this grows as it is enjoyed, and that's always a good thing. This has potential and I'm not gonna refer to this as "just drinkable", because it's more of a beer for enjoying, not just drinking.

And when you are patient enough, this beer gives you are nice, warming sensation and you you can still aftertaste those flowery yeasts. That gives a sensation of a beer to be let it show its potential to the last drop and even after :)

*** OK

Goose Island India Pale Ale

2011-11-05T23:07:00.002+02:00

Yesterday at work it was a silent friday. A friend started to play The Godfather - Five Families online-strategy game (https://www.kabam.com/the-godfather) and I followed. The game is fucking highly addictive, even more than beer :) That came to mind as I'm having beer made in Chicago, though the forementioned game is placed in New York.

Today I watched a very magnifique document about a Frenchman, who in the seventies made a secret invasion to now-ex-WTC-towers. He succeeded to tightrope walk between the towers in a 60m wire 450m above the earth for 45 mins. But New York aside, there is a beer from Chicago here!

Golden ale pours to glass with great aromas flowing in the air. Head looks nice and foamy. Taste is great in firstbite. There are aromas I don't recall having in my recent beer tastings. I'm sorry I cannot say, what the actual tastes are, but this beer sure tastes wonderful. I think the most of the taste comes from the hops. There might be some Czech hops here, because suddenly I remembered Urquell and its bitterness. It's always nice when your mind starts wandering when drinking great beer. This has to be one of the best of India Pale Ale beers I have tasted. Alcohol level is 5,9% vol.

Hops are really spicy and there is a slight bitterness - this is a nice surprise. I'm nowadays watching the tv-series Boardwalk Empire about a time of prohibition in America, where Chicago plays its part too with the thugs like Al Capone doing his mad ventures. This is not a mad venture - this is quality beer.

*** OK for a beer
**** Great for an IPA

Slottskällans Red Ale

2011-11-05T23:04:00.002+02:00

Slottskällans Red Ale

Very dark brown ale with amber. Head disappeared very quickly. Smell is very nice though - always a great thing to notice some odoeur. Taste it not so bad either.

There's some smoke in this shit. I really am not a friend of smoky beers, because I also smoke cigars - or are they called cigarillos because of the filters, don't know or care. But hey, ask yourself: Would you wanna drink tobacco?

This has distinctive character and good bitterness, so this has much potential and I believe that some beer drinker would love this. I, however, am not so satisfied. Maybe I encounter this Swedish treat another time and have a better experience - because it happens also, and there are moments and for example certain food that goes well with a certain style of beer. This left me with nice bitter aftertaste, but the actual drinking was not so enjoyable, so its just drinkable this time.

** Drinkable

Teerenpeli Pakkaspaavo

2011-11-05T00:05:00.003+02:00

I made a video review, but hated myself mumbling, so took the link off :)
My judgement was that if you gonna spend almost 7 euros on this 0,75 dark ale, you should know it is not very "hot" for a beer enthusiast, at least. It lacks character in every apartment and is only slightly different from many dark lagers. It is not bad, but it is only drinkable.

** Drinkable

Nøgne ø Saison

2011-11-04T23:41:00.005+02:00

Norwegian magic and Finnish SOB (SOA-fan):

I'm sorry that this is the longest and shittiest of all my reviews. Somewhere there I also speak about the beer :) but also other things important in life.

Part 1:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZiBhch-syg

Part 2:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtTD8lkvd6k

*** OK for a drink
**** Great for a long and lasting enjoyment :)

Laitilan Kievari Tuomas

2011-11-04T23:40:00.001+02:00

This grocery-sold beer comes in a christmassy bottle - very nice looking etiquette like in most of Laitila's beers. Beer looks fine stoutlike black when poured, but head goes away after a while and beer starts to look a bit like coke. Smells like nothing - maybe still too cold. Beer is very easy drinkable. I'm drinking this with my late supper that tastes so strong, I can't taste much about this beer. Well, malts are slightly burned, obviously, as this is dark lag...wait a minute, this is an ale. Very mild indeed. Starting to taste something as it gets warmer. There is a nice aftertaste in this, but very very easy drinking stuff. Only 4,1% alc vol, so quite light actually. For sauna beer, maybe? Final sip was the best. This if fine, but I'm a fucking critic.

** Drinkable

Sarajevska Pivo

2011-11-02T22:41:00.003+02:00

A friend brought me another souvenir from Bosnia - basic lager, but always a nice gesture to have a bottle from the trip, as he knows I love beer - and I guess he loves this particular beer :)

Along with the bottle he gave me a sugar pack from "Tito"-bar with a great slogan:

Smrt Fasizmu
Sloboda Narodu

Death to Fascism
Freedom to the People

With that slogan in mind, I drink this gift, souvenir and "drink of the People". Thank you my dear friend.

This is a clear lager with virtually no head (this was too cold actually, as I forgot in my too cool fridge). Maybe some citruslike smell, if any (way too cool...), bubbly stuff with easy but enjoyable taste of something, grassy, fresh, summerlike. This is a drinking lager and not by any means to the moments to have some interesting beer moments - very easy on smell, taste and aftertaste - though not bad at all, either :)

** Drinkable

PS. You should have brought me Premium with this woman :)

Nøgne ø India Pale Ale

2011-11-02T22:35:00.003+02:00

Nice unfiltered shit! Head is beautiful and foamy. Smell is citruslike, fresh, and distinctively hoppy. I'm not a master of tastes, so I just go fith the flow. First bite gives a thick, yeasty, bitterlike sensation - like eating bread. And I'm actually eating warm rye bread with melted cheese and spices on. So I'm both drinking and eating bread :)

Comparing to one other IPA: Way massive beer than almost too delicate Fuller's India Pale Ale I had the other night. Actually I made a quick review about that too, but maybe I publish them in a one big bang (all the quickies).

This is a warmer allright. Still tries to be delicate, I think :) At least when compared to some "extreme beers". There are American hops here, from Pacific Coast, so it is a combination of Nordic and American collaboration. Good craft from brewers in Grimstad, Norge. Still not my absolute favorite, yet.

*** OK

Palm

2011-10-30T22:29:00.003+02:00

Belgian amber. Well, the bottle is dull as shit. Only green etiquette I like, is that of Pilsner Urquell's, and even that is mainly white. Palm is a lager. It smells of ordinary bulk lager, though it seems a bit different with its amber colour. Head goes away very soon. This seems to be basic shit. So let's taste this!

So, I've tasted this. It wasn't all that good (I'm a bit hard reviewer tonight I guess). And the fucking bottle (glass) is green also. Ok, there's already Heineken and Carslberg, so wtf. Palm...you Belgians should stick doing what you are best of: trappists and shit (not Stella and other bulk shit though ;D). I also adore, love Duvel.

This could be the best beer in the world, if this was the last one of them. Now I'm gonna just drink this through and go to sleep. I was thinking about wasting this shit and not drink this through. But you know, I'm a fucking Homer after all.

** Drinkable

Strong Suffolk

2011-10-30T22:12:00.002+02:00

This is a weird one. It says in the bottle, that this a mixture of two ales. One has been aged in barrels for two years, other not. So, this is a mixture of youth and old. Head was nice, earlier, as to now when I actually start reviewing, the head is gone. Let's not get bothered about it, though - remember always, that the Finnish contribution to great beer brewing, sahti, is actually a beer without a head. Should have sahti, you know!

Well, this British ale has two distinctive flaws, I'm afraid. It is served in a transparent (is that the right word...or "see-though"?) bottle, where beer is not gonna preserve long. (You all know Newcastle Brown Ale, that has the same dilemma, don't ya.) Then there's the first bite -problem. It sucks. It's too British for me. I'm sorry you all British Ale lovers out there, but what the fuck it's all about?! This could be very good beer, if it didn't have this British Ale first bite. I don't know, what's it all about, but I'm not a fan of it. I'm just an old, bitter, beer enthusiast ;D

So, is this any good? Well, now I'm having second thought's about that Norwegian trash, so maybe I should think this through. Or maybe I'm just not into British Ale. That has to be accepted, as well. I'm a Finnish hobo/redneck/punk after all, and we Finns do like more strong shit than this "Strong Suffolk". Those who know me, might call me a "soft guy", but I don't wanna drink soft beer, like English Ales often - and unfortunately - are.

** Drinkable

Nøgne Ø #100

2011-10-30T21:48:00.003+02:00

There are many beers I have never tasted. There are also beer brewing countries, I have yet have no contact, whatsoever. Tonight it's time to visit Norway, our beloved neighbour (border between the North of Finland) and another Scandinavian country with viking heritage (I have adoration for some viking stuff, mainly Finnish viking metal like "Turisas"). I have never visited Norway, I don't know any Norwegian people (except of course some "celebrities" via tv, like some cross-country skiers and singers - both pop singers and black metal bands :D), I don't know if I even have ever used anything made in Norway. Until tonight.

Here is double IPA from Norway. This is highly regarded among beer enthusiasts (at least Finnish ones, or so I have read), so I'm a bit shamed, that I have not tasted any of this Norwegian breweries' beers before. Nøgne Ø (http://www.nogne-o.com/) is known of its quality beers. I visited their website earlier and was amazed, that they are now also the first European brewery to make traditional Japanese Sake! Well, they seem to know what they are doing :)

It seems, that "the enthusiasts" review these beers with brewing batch number in mind, so this one is 469 - quite old batch, actually (almost two years old). I poured this one slowly and head is almost non-existent after couple of minutes. I guess the temperature is right, this was in my cellar, not in fridge. I sipped once, and felt this is strong - as it is, 10% vol - and also had a warming sensation. I'm gonna enjoy this with my late supper, so I hope it will not affect my judgement.

But hey, let's not forget that I'm "Homer Simpson of a beer reviewing world". I don't know the specs - and don't fuckin care. I don't understand any EBU-scales or hop-brands or shit like that - I just taste the drink of the people and say what comes to my mind :)

Food is great, at least. I'm having grilled halloum cheese with pepper (spiced halloum), grilled eggs, creamy black beans with soy and some spices like mediterranean herbs, white pepper and garam masala. I'm a vegetarian, you know - but with milk and egg products in the menu. What about this dark double IPA? Well, it has nice taste, I can taste the alcohol as well as hops. There is some kind of citrus as well, at least when sniffed thoroughly :)

Is this good beer then? Well, I don't complain. It doesn't still give me that extra special "wow", which I occasionally get from some of the greatest beers I have tasted. Maybe this is not for me or maybe this is just odd batch or too old, I don't know. This is still ok, very much so. But there is some lack of character here and when the food is better than beer - though I think beer is an essential part of a great supper - then there is something slightly wrong, maybe...

Well, after eating most of my plate, i sipped a good chunk of this "liquid bread" and it started to feel better already :) Maybe this is like that Primordial song "As Rome Burns", where you have to wait and build the momentum (and Primordial is actually Irish band - had to mention, that you don't mix it with those Norwegian blackies :D). Maybe I was too harsh earlier. Or not.

This feels good though. This has prospect. I want to taste other batches too. I know, beer should not be judged by one bottle, that you know nothing about. Where has this beer been the last two years? I guess that large part of it has been in cellars somewhere, but also in storage and finally in shop shelves, that are usually very poor for beer storaging (too much light and warmth, at least in Finnish Alko).

Maybe this is their worst batch of the lot and they decided to ship this somewhere far away to some beer geeks, who bow to their work and drink this like a nectar from the beer brewing gods, no matter the actual taste :) Well, I don't think so. Beer enthusiasts seem to me as cruel and judging people - while they should be laughing and having fun as they drink this marvelous drink, that is best you can put in your mouth.

I have to end this review by copy-pasteing the welcoming words from the breweries' website, because it makes me raise my hat to these former home brewers and micro brewers:

"Nøgne Ø was created by two home brewers.

Unable to stay at home we started Norway’s first microbrewery for creative brewing. Some times, when we get a momentary glimpse of sanity, we ask ourselves what we have achieved.

We think we can say that we have achieved some level of fame, at least locally and among dedicated beer geeks around the world.

But more important - before we started Nøgne Ø most Norwegians did not know much about beer styles like IPA, Porter or Amber.

This has for sure started to change, and we do feel that we have contributed to what you can call a renaissance of Norwegian beer-culture.

Diversity was one of our main goals - and it does seem like diversity in the world of beers is starting to come back.

Kjetil Jikiun "

*** OK

(maybe some other batch will make me smile harder :D)

PS. I got a bit drunk with just one bottle of this fine brew...oh shit, should I stay, or should I go (to my cellar, once more, after all, I have had just one beer :D)

BrewDog-duel: Trashy Blonde / Alpha Dog

2011-10-28T23:34:00.003+03:00

50th blog entry, hoorah! Also the first double entry - duel, you might say. Two good Brew Dog Beers, and one better than another. Video review, hope you can enjoy, though I'm getting drunk...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkrQGIK0ZD0

**** Great / Trashy Blonde
*** OK / Alpha Dog

5 A.M. Saint

2011-10-28T22:58:00.004+03:00

Great Amber from BrewDog. Video review, again (sorry :D) ->

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_V18gjxMePk

**** Great

PS. http://vimeo.com/24420865

--

Edit:
Lady friend said that these is something very familiar in the smell and taste - and after a while she said: This is like warm black currant juice.

77 Lager

2011-10-28T22:24:00.002+03:00

"Beer with a soul and a purpose". Brew Dog is a nice brewery. Scottish punk brewery. It is needed, it is wanted. Hardcore is of course the best of the lot, but let's start our tasting journey from this one...obviously a hat raising to '77 punk and punks. This is easy-drinking pils. So easy drinking, I forgot to write anything about the taste and stuff. Fuck it, it's punk you know. And this is beer - for punks. Nice basic stuff without any disturbing ingredients (and my mouth is filled with spicy foods aftertaste after all...)

** Drinkable
or: *** OK, I guess ('cause this is not bad, at all)

PS. Video from BrewDog

Anchor Summer Beer

2011-10-28T21:57:00.002+03:00

It's funny - or stupid - that man who calls himself "beer enthusiast", buys a beer from market, which he knows, is a seasonal product and maybe even already spoiled stuff. Well, it is Anchor, man! It's funny - or stupid - also to buy christmas beers and summer beer at the same time. Surely one of them is not fresh anymore. Beer is supposed to be drinked quite soon after its bottled. There are exceptions to the rule, of course (trappist etc), but most of the beers are not good after long storage time. And yet they are stored in shelves of stores in too hot and lighted spaces for months and months too long...

Well. Anchor rules. Let's taste this shit:

Color is very light, head is very nice -but goes away in couple of minutes. Flavors are quite flowery and the taste, well, is quite nice actually, but bulkish. This is 50% wheat beer you know, and I hate most wheat beers :) This has some bitterness in aftertaste, that's actually good (you don't taste piss in your mouth :D). But yeah, I can understand, why this is called Summer Beer. This is an alternative to bulk lagers, I guess.

** Drinkable

(maybe even OK in some summerish circumstances)

Kuohu Talvinen

2011-10-28T20:30:00.004+03:00

This is winter beer from small Finnish brewery. My shitty video review (I even forgot the word "grain" in the middle of making this, shit...maybe I should stick to poorly written English :D) :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAyk7Ub4sTs

** Drinkable
(maybe even OK)

Sinebrychoff Jouluolut

2011-10-28T20:22:00.004+03:00

We Finns love joulu. Its Christmas in English, you know. We know, that Santa Claus, or Joulupukki, is Finnish, lives in Korvatunturi. Watch Rare Exports (made in Finland) if you have suspicions about that. We like beer too, but most of us drink only bulk lager. Or: "I drink Karjala", "I drink Karhu", "I drink Olvi" and so on. Only Christmas time makes basic lager-folks go wild: "I drink Jouluolut". Though they just drink bulk dark lagers made by the same big breweries that make those bulk lagers mentioned earlier. And so do I, sometimes :)

Very light tasting, soft, dark christmas lager. Easy drinkable, nice, but lacking flavors. Good drinking/sauna beer though, better than any basic bulk lager, definitely.

*** OK

Schwarzer Abt

2011-10-23T02:02:00.003+03:00

This German beer is so sweet, you could drink Coke instead of it.

Edit: I deleted my drunk video review to spare your misery :D

** Drinkable

Fuller's London Porter

2011-10-23T01:16:00.005+03:00

Oh, this great porter. Watch my third ever video review:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ie0ih86__V0

Sorry for the slightly too intoxicated and stupid review :) This is a very good beer, though. And comments are welcome - I forgot that I had couple of comments earlier, while making that drunken mumble. Its good to watch that shit when sober to notice your foolness and stupidity :D

**** Great

Edit: This is actually maybe the best English beer I have tasted...so it will have its "second opinion" some day...

Ridgeway IPA

2011-10-23T00:03:00.001+03:00

Second ever video blog entry, this IPA was not that good, just ok:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2cVTk-p1cs

After drinking and thinking this through, this was only categorizable as drinkable, so little I liked this after all...

** Drinkable

Hardcore IPA

2011-10-22T23:58:00.007+03:00

Here's my first ever video blog entry with an extra special beer that almost got me speechless - or at least mumbling :) So, when you are watching this, sorry for the mumble and shit. Like that "cork", which doesn't mean anything I guess (if there's no actual cork like in wines), because its "korkki" in Finnish, but CROWN in English. This has also quite poor audio, I think...I heard something with headphones, hopefully you do too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54yhbQCPQW8

**** Great

(This beer definitely needs more reviewing sessions, because I see this being an absolutely fabulous ***** beer, but am not giving it away without second opinion :D)

PS. Watch this hilarious video: http://vimeo.com/15479031

Nektar

2011-09-25T23:55:00.005+03:00

This is Bosnian beer and I was very excited when I first introduced this to my beloved friend - who is a Bosnian guy. Well, he was not overly excited. He thought that the beer had a similar kind of taste of Bosnian beers like Sarajevsko Pivo (which I had as a souvenir from him - not actually very special beer - though my friend's souvernir from his next trip, a bottle of Sarajevsko Premium was a really good lager) or Tuzlansko Pivo. There is a slight discomfort though, because Banjalucka - where this beer is brewed - is a Serb territory of Bosnia and the recent history between serbs and bosniaks is not a very nice thing to remember. I, however, am not judging anyone by their origin, race or colour, so I just drink this as a beer.

This is a very flowery lager, due to used hops I think, but other than hops, it is quite easy drinkable and - sorry to say - forgettable also. Lager, easy drinkable and forgettable are not the words to say of a great beer, but perhaps an ok beer at best, but still just drinkable.

I surely hope, that someday I will be sitting in some Sarajevo-bar drinking some Sarajevsko Premium - or maybe just Pivo :D - and celebrating the fact, that Bosnia came through and survived a terrible, horrible war in the 1990's. And of course we should then be celebrating our friendship and the fact, that there are good people - and excellent beer - in all over the world!

Zivjeli! Nazdravlje!

** Drinkable

Red Stripe

2011-09-25T23:52:00.002+03:00

There are rarely a beer I don't like, but this came as a surprise. This Jamaican beer was actually awful, in my opinion. I don't know what the reason for the bad taste or aftertaste was and is, but I don't wanna drink this no more.

Sorry for those, who might like this beer. Jamaica is forever in my heart for its great reggae. It would be nice to know if mighty Bob Marley liked this beer, but I think even he preferred some other shit - inhaled :)

* This is beer, allright

Kievari Schwarz

2011-09-25T21:49:00.002+03:00

Best dark lager in the market. Period. Laitilan Wirvoitusjuomatehdas is an indie brewery and this is their best effort - and really a splendid dark lager. I used to like dark lagers, until I got bored and actually nausiated by their sweetness. Why the fuck they have to put sugar and syrup on beer?! Well, there are not any sugar and syrup in this beer; only water, roasted barley malt and hops. And this is fucking great! I have complained about the beers made by Laitilan Wirvoitusjuomatehdas, that they seem like soda to me. I'm glad, that I can now say, that this beer proves, there are real beer brewing ability and quality in this Finnish indie brewery.

This is of course a lager beer, that has to be remembered. There aren't any great notions about special hops or malts or flavour or any of that shit. This is easy drinking stuff for us all, not just for enthusiasts. This is a grocery-sold stuff, and best of Laitila's brand of beers, at least for those sold in groceries.

If you have to have a dark lager (which I do not prefer at all), then choose this, if you are in Finland and near to a grocery. There are far more better beers, but this is still good in its own class of dark lager.

*** OK

Dixie

2011-09-25T21:40:00.003+03:00

Oh my god - a beer without a head! Is this beer at all? Well, the taste tells that...yeah, this is something liquid, that is called beer, but wtf are they doing in New Orleans, USA. This must be suffering from long importing distance, but how then can you explain to me great Anchor beers and better-than-this Asian beers.

Well, actually, as I now watched from the bottle, I could notice that there was a certain apologizing text on the side of the bottle. Beer was not brewed in New Orleans, it was brewed in fucking England. Shame on the brewers, 'cause this is not a very good beer, and when there's no head, this looks like some energy drink or soda, with no much better taste than them, either.

So, I must give this the worst review of them all, which I'm sorry to do, because for the people who suffered in New Orleans, it would have been a greater honour to say, that their beer didn't suck, as it did.

* This is still beer

Puur La Trappe

2011-09-25T21:22:00.003+03:00

There are not ill words to say about trappist beers in general, but I am not used to drink them a lot, as there are not many brands sold here in cold north, and definately not in groceries - until now. This is actually a grocery-sold beer with only 4,7 % vol alcohol, so nothing like Chimay or Duvel here.

Smell is really good, indeed. I guess that hops and yeast fill the air with this very flowery odour. Head looks nice, but it is not there after couple of minutes. Taste is trappist-like, but very light compared to the earlier mentioned big brands of trappist (which are very heavy on alcohol too).
Colour of this beer is very light. Aftertaste is a bit yeasty, but hops are well tasted too. My only problem with these trappists would be the yeast, that usually is quite non-visible, but as this is very light in colour, it looks like yeasty as well. It would be nice to see this beer have some sugar in bottle, as I guess that yeast would slightly vanish and be replaced with alcohol. Then this would be strong, but maybe then not so full of yeasty, trappist aroma.

So, the verdict. This smells lovely, tastes quite good, but is not my favorite kind of beer. I give this big plus however and it comes from the word "organic" as I tend to like my food and drinks without any toxins used while grown. This is organic unfiltered trappist, and if you insist on having trappist but with less alcohol than in the big and tasty brands of Chimay and Duvel, this might be a good choise after all. This is Dutch, by the way, not Belgian.

I hope that those little bits of yeast or whatever don't cause my stomache go boom boom the following night and day :)

*** OK

Prykmestar Pale Ale

2011-09-25T21:00:00.002+03:00

I have been waiting for a change to review this beer as long as I started the blog, and now, after new shipment of this great beer arrived in my home town's shopping hell, I finally have a chance to introduce to you propably the best indie beer in "keskiolut"-category (or class III taxation level in Finland, which categorizes beers with alcohol level between 3,7 and 4,7 alc vol, and is the highest level of alcohol allowed in normal groceries in Finland - only alcohol monopoly Alko is allowed to sell other beers). Sinebrychoff have published splendid beers this autumn (Like Nikolai Vuosiolut 2012 and Karhu Ruis), so this maybe not the best Finnish beer in groceries nowadays, but still is among the very best.

Colour is brown, maybe amber, not yellow at least, very nice looking. Head looks fine too, but goes away very soon. Taste however, is very good, especially the first bite, not so much the aftertaste. Alcohol level is only 4,2% vol, so there are great aromas here, that don't even need boost from alcohol, like some more "special" indie beers I have reviewed earlier (Like Savu Kataja and Kievari Porter). Crystal-malts are the origin of this beers great colour, and English Fuggles-hops give the aroma (these info bits I read from the back of the bottle).

Sadly there are not any story to be told about this beer, but I reckon, that if this remains to be sold through the years - which I sincerely hope - there will be lots of stories to be told to my grandchildren in time and at nighttime I will be drinking Prykmestar Pale Ale with my cigarillos and smile to the life lived and beyond (continuing in children and their children).

**** Great

Kozel Premium

2011-09-23T23:10:00.002+03:00

I love Czech lager, as you might already know. Kozel makes no exception. It's very flowery with its hops, very easily drinkable, nothing special, but still something to enjoy. I don't know, why they sell dark Kozel in my neighbouring little grocery, but I hate it. Its sugary shit. This, however, is not. This is not like Urquell at all, but still noticeably Czech. Should I say something more about Czech? Well, it is a country I wish to visit someday, as you loyal readers (if there is any :D) might know, and they play good football and very good ice hockey. Still, I admire the most their artists like Vaclav Havel, as a writer but more so a long-term president, and Milan Kundera, a well-known writer, who we all know, or should know, from his "The Unbearable Lightness of Being".

It is of course an important detail, that the country was originally known as Bohemia and bohemian ways are close to my heart. Then there are those two Czech guys, who played hockey in my home town Kajaani in early 1990's, Svatopluk Hermann and Vladimir Kolek. They were the coolest guys on earth. Kolek once picked puck in his back, skated all the way from Hokki's side to opponent's goal, took puck from his back and shot. Of course it wasn't allowed, but the crowd, including me, were laughing our guts out, with the absurdity of that what we had just seen, and to the dick referee, who did not know where the hell puck was for about ten seconds and everything. Oh, those were the days. And now my Kozel is done, spanks.

*** OK

Mythos

2011-09-23T22:31:00.003+03:00

Greece is a country of great history. It is also nowadays in a notoriously bad financial shape. But I don't care about economics nor politics, they are not life. Beer is life, and food. I love Greek feta cheese but if you wanna have extra special wonderful cheese, buy halloumi, which originates from Cyprus. I have visited the divided island once, when I was a child. Don't remember much though, it was warm and stuff like that :)

Now I'm gonna eat some roasted halloumi with chili and drink my first ever Greek beer. And this seems to be golden lager, which is no surprise. Taste is nothing special. Something unfamiliar in first zip, then no aftertaste for a while, but at last something in my throat, hops I think. Another zip. Well, not bad. I could easily drink this lager a lot while watching mediterranean in front of me. Someday I will return to Greece.

** Drinkable stuff
*** OK with halloumi

Interlude no. 1 (not a review)

2011-09-21T21:29:00.001+03:00

I thought it would be nice to write about beer, and in this blog, even if I don't have any new reviews. So here we go. Something for the road, while waiting new, reviving reviews ;)

I have been enjoying my beer many times after my last review, but there have been other more interesting stuff to do while drinking, such as being with my good friends place and having a good time, then celebrating my 38. birthday and also many nights of watching some quality tv. And by quality I don't necessarily mean any "high profile" or Emmy awarded shows, though there are good ones in that bunch too. I have lately been watching great historic drama Spartacus, that has in it lots of naked people - men and women, lots of violence and lots of blood. People in the series (during ancient Roman Empire) also drink their cheap, slightly better and high quality wines, depending on the status of men. Even slaves have wine, when they party. Well, maybe that's a cultural thing and of course it is. I still prefer beer, as you know.

Spartacus might seem vulgar for some viewers, but for me it's about winning yourself and about greed, revenge, love, lust, hate and other human feelings in their extent. Friendship - and "brotherhood" - is one issue, that goes maybe the furthest (or betrayal for that matter), as it seems to be the hardest human thing of them all. And I know it is. It's easier to fall in (and out) of love, than to have a real friendship, that lasts. I maybe have said sometime, that beer will always be my true friend, but of course I prefer humans as my friends. For my friends: I love you, if you read this :)

Lately I have been drinking lots of Karhu Ruis, which I reviewed earlier. Reason is obvious: Karhu Ruis is sold even in my little neighbourhood grocery. And I like it a lot, lets not forget that. I have written parts of reviews of couple of other beers, but I never had time or was too busy doing other shit, that those never went as far as online. I'll see my notes through someday and maybe I publish new shitty short reviews then.

I had an interesting e-mail from my ex-wife, where she encouraced me in my beer-hobby :) She thought that local beer-tasting-group (she knows some of the dudes) could be a nice hobby for me. Well, I must think about it. Group is on mondays once a month, in a local beer restaurant/bar, and it could be nice, but I don't know...I'm shit at starting new stuff like that, I hate every motherfucking gathering at daycare or school or even work, and family related parties aren't so high in my list either. Well, this beer enthusiast group wouldn't be nothing like that for sure, but there are still people I don't know at all or only by name or by maybe one encounter, so I'm not sure, if it would be worthwhile or a thing to be enjoyed. I live alone with my kids, so my beloved ex-wife volunteered even to come babysitting during those gatherings of beer tasting, but still its monday and workday and schoolday and daycareday, so it would mean that she would have an evening of heavy mothering, which has not gone very well in recent times, if she has to take all three hooligans at once and put them to bed with all the evening-shouting and shit. Of course its also an excuse for me to not go to those beer things, because I'm a loner, but maybe I just want to choose my own hobbies, interests and company for now. Still an interesting offer, that I maybe later think through again and we'll see what happens...

Anchor Liberty Ale

2011-09-21T21:27:00.002+03:00

Liberté, égalité, fraternité! Long live liberty of men and this great ale from - not France, haha - but United States of America. I have been avoiding American beer for too long, because now I seem to have fell in love with this great brand of Anchor beers. Liberty Ale is unfiltered and its flowery hops taste great. Americans do know how to praise, but this beer need no praising. This beer needs drinking :D

**** Great

Edit 6th November 2011: I have now had this beer for many times and am ready to say, that this is maybe the best ale there is! Very flowery, nice, good tasting, easy to drink but with lots of flavors and character. Me likes! ***** Absolutely fabulous

Anchor Steam

2011-09-04T21:58:00.001+03:00

What can I say...I had this with my late supper, so it went really fast with the food. It was beautifully coloured, red amber. Head was fine and the taste really good. I should have bought more bottles of this, as it was almost too easily drank, as I was thirsty :)

Aftertaste is really, really good. There is that ale-kind of bitterness on my tongue, and its flavory. This is a good beer, I reckon. Handmade and shipped from other side of the planet, but at least this one had not suffered from it. Must have this again.

Also have to give this four stars, as I have nothing to complain and an urge to have this again.

**** Great

Koff Porter

2011-09-04T21:57:00.002+03:00

If you say "give me a good porter", I bring you Sinebrychoff's Koff Porter (link: http://www.sinebrychoff.fi/porterbeer). This is legendary beer in Finland and highly appreciated by beer enthusiasts all over the globe. And I understand why. If you would have this as your first porter ever, you would propably be icking a bit: How odd a taste, so burned burned burned...but hey, there is a sweetness too and other aromas, and umm, this is good!

If you like black coffee and beer, you should also love this, because there is a heavy coffee (and maybe also chocolat) aroma.

This beer maybe needs a trained beer enthusiast to fully enjoy all the aspects, but when they are appreciated, there need no other porter, in my opinion.

Late Michael Jackson (the beer guru) liked this a lot and it is along same brewery's Christmas Beer the only Finnish beer that got into guru's top 500 list of beers in the world.

***** Absolutely fabulous

Fuller's ESB

2011-09-04T21:54:00.001+03:00

This is the best commercial (by that I mean beers that are not some local brewery products or otherwise well known brands in the beer consuming world), imported Bitter, that I have tasted.

It is beautiful in its dark brown colouring, head is nice and the taste is just perfectly balanced in bitterness and flowery hop aroma.

This might also be the best English Ale I have tasted. Must go to England some day and have pints on site. I'm sure my real English (ale/bitter) favorite awaits in there somewhere...

**** Great

Oppigårds Golden Summer Ale

2011-09-04T21:53:00.002+03:00

There are not many Swedish beers I can name, that I have liked and only one, that I loved, years ago. It was some old barrel-aged black beer in a very beautiful bottle with a unique bottle opener hanging over its crown. It was absolutely fabulous beer, indeed. This however, was a one time stand and a beer to be thrown on your face by accident. I was in Finnish alcohol monopoly store Alko, when I accidentally got into section of ”summer beers” (or maybe even some odd garden-beers...) around the globe. The etiquette did not promose much. It was too Swedish and ”summer-like”. I did not have any high expectations about this one...

Sweden is certainly an important part of Finnish history as well, but also a thing to be mocked in Finland. Beloved – and hated – neighbours. This beer has so lame etiquette, that it would surely be regarded as something shitty from our beloved neighbours.

I have drank many, many beers, that I have no time to review. This, however, was so good ale, with some bitterish taste, that I have to give this special notice. Very flowery taste in this very, very good beer. Me likes!

**** Great

Bohemia Regent Prezident

2011-09-04T21:51:00.001+03:00

I remember having Bohemia Regent when younger, and being enthusiastic about their gothic typo in the etiquette and of course the Bohemian origins.

I have visited Bohemia (Czech republic), and also endorsed the bohemian way of life. We even formed a brotherhood of Böhém, which is our own transformation of bohemic lifestyle, with Finnish way of doing things (like having beer and being rock-endorsed hippies) and just this boyish way of seeing life. Also one of my idols in life, Rush's Geddy Lee, made a song in his solo album titled ”Moving to Bohemia”.

This is a good lager beer. Head is actually wonderful. Taste is not so bitter as in some fellow Czech beers so this might be regarded as easy-drinking but very good Czech lager. Yay, for Prezident!

*** OK

Kukko Pils

2011-09-04T21:49:00.001+03:00

Finnish beer industry needs fresh faces and Laitilan Wirvoitusjuomatehdas is one of those. Kukko is nowadays a known beer brand even for those, who don't know much about beer culture or only care about the basic lagers to drink – and enjoy.

This is a good lager, though its quite easy on the taste and bit of a soda-like. That's not a bad thing, if you are thirsty or zipping beer in hot temperature. So, I can understand why Finns tend to like these kinds of beer. No, there is not very hot in here (except perhaps for a month in summer), but we love sauna!

*** OK

Anchor Porter

2011-09-04T21:43:00.003+03:00

American beer is not familiar to me, as I rarely have them, nor they are often sold in Finnish groceries or bars. Anchor beers are one of those few American brands, that are sold and they are a product of sunny California.

This one is interesting: Californian porter beer. Black, of course, because porters are made of roasted malted barley. Head is also dark brown and quite impressive. Taste is very strong with all kinds of roasted flavour.

This is still not as good as our Finnish number one porter Koff Porter, which I'm reviewing soon also. Tonight its appropriate though to review this American one, because I have enjoyed watching American quality tv-miniseries Into The West.

Porters are always impressive in their way of filling the mouth with their taste, and staying, so I prefer them over many other lighter beers. This one is no exception, though it gives nothing special – as a porter I mean. Still its ok and very good after dinner warmer. And now back to watching the fascinating series...

*** OK (for a porter)

**** Great (for a beer)

Nikolai Vuosiolut 2012

2011-09-04T21:40:00.002+03:00

Should I just for once make a pure old-school beer reviewing review and not start any shit talk? Because here is really a beautiful un-filtered beer, that has a very nice taste. This is a special beer from one of Finnish big ones, Sinebrychoff, which leads the way by making best beers of the lot.

Perle-aromahops give a very flowery taste and aftertaste – which actually improves as you drink the pint. There is also wheat in this beer, which does this only good.

I had this with my late night dinner and it was marvelous with the fried halloum cheese and my pasta-soy-egg-cream -leftover stuff from lunch. I have nothing to complain - hooray Sinebrychoff!

**** Great

Tuborg Green

2011-08-27T23:28:00.004+03:00

Actually I'm used to call this Grön, but nowadays it comes with this new international ”green” brand, which is also familiar in Carlsberg brand. Actually Carlsberg owns the traditional Tuborg so that there is only one huge beer brewing corporation in Denmark.

This is very light lager. Head goes away soon. And the taste...well, this is bulker than bulk. If that is even English :)

There is still a bigger meaning for me, when Tuborg Grön is mentioned. It was back in 1992, when I was 17 yo, full of life and went with my class on a trip to Denmark. I was actually a non-drinker then (which is nice, because with my drinking habits, there would have been maybe more severe consequences if I had started the bad habit earlier in my life – like many teens used to, and still use to nowadays, at least in Finland), so it all was a great adventure for me. When we boarded on Silja Line (or Viking Line, who remembers, the floating drunkard-disco-giants look all the same inside), there was my first crazy drinking session of perhaps two or maximum of three IVB class beers (actually quite strong beer of 8% vol), which our older classmate bought. After one of those, I was already pissed and the evening went in an exploding blast of youth madness :D

When we arrived in Denmark, the heaven waited us. There was a grocery in the hotel which sold us beer – and it was Tuborg Grön. In hotel room there was an empty fridge (?), which was not empty for long – soon it was filled with Grön bottles. It was mad, sweet and wonderful – all at the same time. We even got pints in bars! We were astonished, because in Finland at the time, it was all regulations and ”show me your papers” and stuff. Actually I discovered only recently that Denmark has quite different law than our Finnish one. There it is legal to buy alcohol at the age of 16 (above 1.2% and below 16,5%), but in the bars there is the limit of 18 yo – which still is only a purchasing limit, so an adult can buy alcohol for a minor.

So, we were in Denmark and we were in beer-drinking heaven as 17 yo Finnish teens. There were also great record shops in Copenhagen, so I bought many Detroit house and acid house records on my trip there. Oh, those days of innocence. So, the verdict: Not so great beer, but great memories of drinking this beer.

** Drinkable

Karhu Ruis

2011-08-27T23:23:00.003+03:00

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

Sandels

2011-08-27T23:18:00.002+03:00

Olvi beers have their distinctive taste (I have named it "metallic" of some kind), which I regrettably am not very great admirer, as Olvi is still nowadays the only big Finnish brewery that still is Finnish and not own by bigger multinational corporations.

Sandels, brewed since 1971, is named after (folklore-)warhero Johan August Sandels, a Swedish soldier and officer, who fought against the Russians in Finland, Savonia, 1803-1808 and gathered fame by winning battles like in Koljonvirta, Iisalmi (hometown of Olvi breweries) against multiple times heavier Russian forces with his Swedish (and eventually also Finnish forces - though Finland was only one of Sweden's provinces by that time and later a province of Russia...) army of Savonia Jäger regiment.

Sandels is light and soft lager and well-known and respected lager brand in Finland. I actually have these two nice Sandels-glasses, which I use quite often in my reviews also :) So, there is a respect for Olvi and Sandels, but still I'm not a great friend of its taste.

** Drinkable

Sol

2011-08-27T23:11:00.003+03:00

This is mainly regarded as a "party beer" and I guess there are not many beer enthusiasts (at least not in Europe) who would regard this as a great beer-drinking experience. But it actually is!

Like its other Mexican well-known counterpart Corona, this is often served in bars with lemon and served in a bottle, not poured in glass.

Beer is a drink that does not like sunshine. Thats why most of the beer bottles are dark brown. Some beers are not and these Mexican soda-beers are known for this kind of presentation. I don't know many European beers sold in similar bright glass bottles except Newcastle Brown Ale, which I have to review one time, too.

This is a sunny beer, party beer and a great beer to drink straight from the bottle (though its not recommended nowadays, because some weird study told that when beer is drank straight from the bottle, some toxins or bacteria or what-the-fuck-ever are swallowed :D) when having fun. And beer is also a funny drink!

*** OK (when partying)

** Drinkable (without a party)

Carlsberg

2011-08-27T23:04:00.002+03:00

Danish lager has a special meaning for me. It was in 1992, when I had my first actual beer drinking sessions, as a 17 year old teen. We were in a school trip to Denmark, Copenhagen and also in Roskilde. We were astonished to buy our own beer from the groceries and drink in pubs too. Grøn Tuborg was then the main brand we drank and it is actually also the number one brand in Denmark.

Carlsberg, however, is the owner of Tuborg breweries (since 1970, Tuborg itself was established in 1873). Nowaways Carlsberg also owns Sinebrychoff from Finland. Carlsberg ads claim that it is "probably the best lager in the world" (earlier it was "the best beer" I think), but it is just a lager. Quite good lager, but nothing fancy.

Its sold nowadays in green bottles that look like soda, which also give an impression of "easy-drinkable" beer. Well, I also like easy-drinkables and there is a time and place for those, but it is still just basic lager. Because of the tanticles that these multinational corporations nowadays have, this Carlsberg I just had, was not brewed in Denmark but somewhere in Baltic and was imported to Finland by Estonian Saku breweries.

Carlsberg is or has been the worlds 5th largest lager brand (I just read that Chinese brand Snow had topped the list over American Bud Light...) and it shows in its marketing and appearance. Its not beer for the beer enthusiasts, but for the masses. Maybe I have to review Carlsberg's Elephant some day.

** Drinkable

Karjala Terva

2011-08-27T22:55:00.004+03:00

My friend told me today, that he prefers Karjala beer over other Finnish bulk beers, so I thought I give it a shot in my blog too. I however, did not buy the basic light lager, but this spiced up version of Karjala, which contains tar as an added aroma. When poured to a beer glass, head is visible and stays in glass for a while, which is good for a Finnish bulk lager. Tar aroma is in there when smelled and tasted, but does it give something to this beer? My opinion is, that it is not especially good spice of beer, and this beer - though its kinda ok for a bulk lager - is not very good because of it.

Tar is of course as Finnish as the saying "Karjala takaisin - vaikka pullo kerrallaan", which goes back to times, when Karjala was a part of Finland and not yet occupied by The Soviet Union in World War II. These is of course part of Karjala inside Finland, so its not just misery over lost land. There is however a large population with Karelian (Karjala = Karelia in English) roots scattered throughout Finland, because there were lots of people, who fled the Russians and were settled in other parts of Finland.

Tar is a Finnish product, as it was since 18th century collected (burned in certain tar pits) from thick Finnish woods (of which much from my homelands in Kainuu) and their endless pine trees and then transported (via river to Oulu and its sea port) to all over Europe mainly to be used in ships.

** Drinkable

Karhu III

2011-08-24T23:05:00.002+03:00

This is a Finnish bulk lager, but propably the best at its league. By league, I mean companion of Finnish top lager brands: Olvi, Karjala, Lapin Kulta, Koff and nowadays maybe also Kukko. Most people know these beer brands in Finland and every beer drinker sure as hell knows them. Finnish beer culture is mainly a light/golden lager -drinking culture and that's the kind of beer you get, if you go to ordinary Finnish pub, bar or restaurant. There are of course special bars and pubs for beer enthusiasts, but mainly Finnish people drink Finnish lager (and cider and vodka or some other type of hard liquor) and that's what they serve. It was nice to see the rise of Finnish beer culture when I was younger, as it went down and under in the early 1900s when prohibition law was going on from 1919 to 1932. After that Finnish alcohol monopoly Alko was the only shop (and which also regulated other alcohol sales in restaurants and so on) to buy alcohol from, until 1969, when beer class III (beer alcohol level max 4,7% vol) was allowed to be sold in groceries. Finnish beer culture started to emerge in the 1990s after long era of Alko regulations, when magazines writing about beer and also beer restaurants started to emerge. It is still though the situation even today, that protectionist Alko supports Finnish "mild alcohol" beers over international ones, which contain more than 4,7% vol alcohol. Only Alko is allowed to sell those stronger beers, and that causes them to be very poorly available. They are also very expensive, because Finnish taxation system uses alcohol level as a basis of taxation.

When I was younger, there was not many beers from foreign countries in smaller groceries. Because of the alcohol level -regulation, situation is not much better nowadays, but in bigger stores, there are now usually a respectable set of beers to choose from. I, however, shop in my nearby little grocery, where the main beer brands are Karhu and Olvi. There are also sometimes some seasonal or otherwise smaller brands, but it is only lager after lager on the shelves. When I was younger, I used to prefer one particular brand of Finnish bulk lager after others and that was Karhu. It was brewed by Sinebrychoff-owned brewery in small Finnish west coastal town of Pori and had a more unique and malted smell and taste as its piss-like counterparts from Hartwall. Olvi had some metallic taste in it, so it was not preferred then (though it is the only "big" brewery in Finland nowadays, that is still owned by Finns and not by some multi-national big corporation like Heineken). There was only Karhu to choose from and maybe some days its "littlebrother" Koff from the capital (actually from little town called Kerava, nowadays). Sinebrychoff also had great smaller brands like Nikolai and only Alko-sold Porter, which is actually one of the exceptional beer brands brewed in Finland.

However, there is a sad tone in Karhu-saga also. Its brewery in Pori had been brewing lager from 1853 and Karhu brand from 1928. In 1972 it was sold to Sinebrychoff (which operated then in capital Helsinki, later in bigger factory-like breweries in Kerava). Sinebrychoff was sold to Carlsberg in 1999 and in 2007 making of Karhu was transferred also to Sinebrychoff (or Koff) -factories in Kerava. Traditional Porin Olut-tehdas was shut down in 2009. There was (and maybe is even nowadays) a beer-drinking strike going on towards Sinebrychoff and maybe I should join it too. Tonight I drank one Karhu III pint and it was ok. Head went away very quickly. Beer smells malted, which is nice, but nothing special about it. It has tongue-tickling carbonation and to my liking goes down like a soda. This is a sauna beer, I reckon, and we Finns like to go to sauna to get us all sweaty and thirsty and then grab an ice cold beer, preferably Karhu. It still is better than any Hartwall-based beer and to my pleasure, it did rise to Finnish top selling beer in the 1990's and is served in every other bar, so there is this friendly taste from my youth available everywhere you go in Finland. Sad stories, though, about its brewery and loss of tradition. I must admit, that in recent couple of years, I haven't actually drank this, if there was any other beer (except those Hartwall beers...) available. So, long live small breweries and longer live independent breweries, because there are the makers of beer Culture, and not in these bulk beers, that are made in large factories in the middle of nowhere (without any local tradition) rather than in breweries, that maintain tradition of fine beerbrewing.

** Drinkable

Holsten Premium

2011-08-20T11:41:00.002+03:00

I don't know much about German beer, but I know, like every beer enthusiast I think, that Germans are a beer drinking people. Their Oktoberfest is worldfamous happening with sausage, traditional clothing and music - and of course the huge pints. They are also known (at least by beer enthusiasts) for their Reinheitsgebot, "German Beer Purity Law", which is a bit odd code (because of its strickness) for making real beer. It is originally from 1516 and does recognize only water, barley and hops as the ingredients of beer. (Still the first thing that comes to my mind from German beer is wheat, which I don't like very much.) It is also said, that Reinheitsgebot led to the extinction of many traditional and local German beer specialities, which is a shame. It is still abided by some German breweries, though it has had many revisions through the years. So, that is German beer culture - big pints and strict rules.

This beer, Holsten, has one special meaning for me, as its brewery was for many years a sponsor for my beloved Tottenham Hotspur, London-based football team. I remember those as my early years of Spurs-fandom, when the lilywhites played with HOLSTEN written in front and so the name of this beer (and brewery) was forever etched in my memory. So, is this even good? Light lager, quite bulk. Gebraut nach dem Reinheitsgebot. Well, I'm into more dirty things than this.

** Drinkable

Old Hooky

2011-08-18T21:54:00.004+03:00

This British golden brown ale has a great aroma when smelled. But there is not so great taste or aftertaste. Head goes away quite soon too. This has been my problem with all these British Ales, that I have tasted: Maybe too much some bitter taste, that lands on your tongue and stays there. And that slightly disturbing bitterness in throat too. I'm not a fan of British Ales (nor actual Bitters, except some of them, but that's another story for another review), but I still like this, as I like almost every other beer. It just is not spectacular or even wonderful, just ok.

What could then be said about British beer culture, if this beer is worth reviewing? Actually my blog has a mission: Every beer is better than any other drink, so every beer deserves to be reviewed (and drank too, of course). It goes so far, that I got to prove it by reviewing every label that I get my hands into. It's easy now, as I just started, but it will get tougher, when I have gone through all the groceries in town and finally bought (and reviewed) every beer in our beloved alcohol monopoly Alko.

But the question was about British beer culture (or English, as I think of the nations in Britain as their separate country names) and I must admit, that my main influence in it has been Neil Hardwick, who is English-born, but 1969 moved to Finland after university studies and is a Finnish theatre and TV director/writer. Neil is known for his humorous stuff (I like most of his Nyhjää Tyhjästä -impro-comedy as well as his quite dark drama-series Pakanamaan kartta), but he also did a tv-series of beer traveling (and culture) in Europe, which I remember watching very closely, when I was a young adult getting to know beer. I actually made a paper in my later studies about beer culture and used some Hardwick's stuff as an inspiration. He truly made an impact on me, not just in his way to admire beers, but also showing in his series the art of beer making.

So, I am in great debt to mr. Hardwick, that I got to know European beer culture better and have a passion about it - though I have not , as I told in my blog introduction, traveled in Europe that much. Maybe some day I go on a trip after footseps of mr. Hardwick and pay my respects to those beer brewing people, that make life a bit more pleasant (for me at least). Until then I enjoy my beers mainly from bottles and cans in my home, in the middle of the forests in Finland, in little town called Kajaani.

*** OK

Prykmestar Savu Kataja

2011-08-16T21:44:00.002+03:00

It is always nice, when independent breweries "go wild" and put some odd, often local/native ingredient in beer, and make that their "special one". This is one of those, I think. I have liked Prykmestar-beers a lot and raise my hat to Vakka-Suomen Panimo, which has made its own brand of Prykmestar, with they touch of olf-fashioned typography and tough-looking bottles. Most I have propably liked their Pale Ale, which I must review one time. Pils was also quite good, Schwarz just ok. However, I didn't like their "Savu" (=smoke) and this beer is about lot of smoke. It's "hook" is in kataja (=juniper), which is a small tree, that lives in Northern hemisphere, so it is common in Finland. There is a saying, that we Finns are a "katajainen kansa" (=people like junipers), mainly emphasizing that we don't brake under pressure, which kataja/juniper does not do either, at least not very easily. Kataja is a tree, so it has no berries, but it's cones are called "berries" and used as a spice - in this beer too. Sauna is also a Finnish tradition and its extreme, historical form, is savu-sauna, which is a "steam room full of smoke". I have never been in savu-sauna, which is a shame, actually, but maybe I correct my mistake someday. I once visited a sauna that was smoked in a way to simulate savu-sauna, so maybe I got the picture.

So, there we are. A Finnish spices and truly a Finnish beer? Well, actually we already have Sahti, our traditional beer of some kind, but we are nowadays mainly lager-drinking people. This one is an oddity, that could be described as "holiday season beer", for the christmas meals and so on. Nothing extraordinary here, just heavy dose of alcohol (9% vol) and odd taste, but actually quite low on aromas (other than smoke), aftertaste (smoke...) or head, which vanished quite soon. So just ok for me. Have to have that Prykmestar Pale Ale soon.

*** OK

Malmgård Blond Ale

2011-08-15T15:21:00.002+03:00

I have already written about the increase in Finnish beer variety after many small, "independent" breweries have entered the business. Indies have the advantage over their big accompanies in making beers distinctively different than those leading bulk lagers. This is a product like that. Based on Belgian yeast and four different hops, this beer smells and tastes good, almost like a lemonade, but is still beer. Quite easy on the alcohol (4,2% vol) and easy drinkability are not curse words as there are not many beers like this in Finnish groceries.

I would not choose this if it was the only beer I had to choose for the evening, but it's a great beer to drink in between heavier, more flavorable dark ales, stouts and bitters. I don't really like wheat-based beers, but this has also malted barley in it and with those hops and yeast, there is a sweet combination of lightness and taste. Maybe the best blond ale there is - at least from the Finnish point of view. Long live indie breweries!

*** OK

Kievari Portteri

2011-08-14T22:17:00.002+03:00

After I had enjoyed my Chimay Blue, I went and washed my beer glass with hot water. It's a way to do it - not with any washing fairy liquid. So, I then went to my cellar to get just another beer before it's time to go to bed. I'm silly, I know. It's a working day tomorrow, so I should have gone to bed after - or even before - Chimay :) But hey, it's sinday, after all!

This Finnish "independent" brewery (Laitilan Wirvoitusjuomatehdas) started as an alternative small soda factory, making beverages with vintage style. This beer has quite nice, old fashioned etiquette, which shows men carrying barrels (of beer, I guess). So this is a porter kind of beer all right and alcohol raises up to 6,5 % vol. Colour is black of course, but sadly head goes away quite quickly and the taste is not so rich, as one (enthusiast) might want it to be. This is still different from those Finnish bulk lagers and I always want to endorse these fine smaller breweries over bigger ones - or at least in general.

Actually there are not very much great beers, that these "indies" do - they are generally just ok. This is ok too, but the taste for a porter...hmm, quite watery. There is one porter from big Finnish brewery that is and has been a recognized as a rich and tasteful porter for the enthusiasts (like late Michael Jackson - and if you are not beer enthusiast, please don't mix him up with late Michael "moonwalk" Jackson) - Koff Porter. This is however another story, another beer. Every beer deserves a story - that I promised, when I started this blog just a week ago. Stories might not be that good, but at least I write something and drink my beers :)

This beer was actually photographed (or picture-linked) by my old friend in his Facebook wall this weekend. He had it after going to sauna. This is actually so easy drinkable and basic stuff, that this could be marketed as a "different kind of sauna beer" or marketed for those, who don't want to get pissed by drinking piss. This is quite good actually, if you are not as picky as I am :)

*** OK

Chimay "Blue"

2011-08-14T21:48:00.002+03:00

Chimay is an authentic Trappist beer. It means, it is made in monastery by the monks. Monastery gets it upkeep mainly from the sales of Chimay beers ("Gold" or Triple, "Red" and "Blue"), but also gives revenue to social aid. So more people drink Chimay, the more they can help - I wish there was similar kind of monasteries in Finland, where man could go to volunteer his life to make great beers :D I'm not so much into religion and stuff, but I raise my hat to those monks.

This beer is uniquely Belgian. I love the aftertaste. This is not some "drink when you are thirsty" -beers, but more like for moments of peace, relaxation, enjoyment. Maybe this could be a dessert after great meal - or any great activity. Taste is so full of flavor and after a distinctly yeasty and bit of sugary first bite, mouth and tongue are tickling with this lovely taste. Head shows, that there is sugar in this beer and it has also more alcohol in it (9% vol) than the average beers. Still it is dangerously easy drinkable - at least for me, as a beer enthusiast. I don't know what else to say: I love this beer. I rarely drink this though, because Finnish system is based on alcohol monopoly, Alko, which is the only shop, that can sell Chimay or many other great beers (and wines and so on). There are only two Alko-shops in my home town and I visit them rarely, as they don't sell anything else than alcohol. Only if alcohol level is 4,7% vol or under, beer (or any other alcohol) can be sold in normal groceries. Also there is a huge price raise, when beer is imported or has higher level of alcohol than those lagers in basic groceries. You can buy 12 pack of basic 4,7% vol beer at the price of ten euros, but Chimay is always 3,99 euros / bottle.

One Chimay, and I'm a bit drunk already. That maybe the only not-so-good thing about this great beer :)

***** Absolutely fabulous

Guinness Draught

2011-08-14T17:51:00.005+03:00

This is a beer, that needs no introduction. Everyone knows, that Guinness is black and from Ireland (from its capital Dublin, to be exact). It is also one of those few stout beers, that I like. Guinness is known for its long lasting head, that keeps the aroma in the glass as long as it gets empty. In pubs it is poured slowly, so that the creamy head is perfect. It is actually quite easy drinking beer for a stout, and that's maybe the reason, it is so popular throughout the world.

This ”Draught” was introduced as a canned version of Guinness imitating the Guinness served in pubs. It uses a capsule that is activated when the can is opened, and nitrogen causes the beer to start making a creamy kind of head for the beer. It is artificial, though, and this can never be compared to actual Guinness served in a pub. Still I like it very very much and it is a ”dream” of mine to one day visit Dublin and Ireland, and have a load of Guinness pints in their local pubs. I also love Irish Folk music (or at least love Clannad :D), so it has always been my plan to some day go there.

**** Great (pint in a pub would be *****, but this canned version is merely a mimic of that)

Pilsner Urquell

2011-08-14T17:50:00.003+03:00

Czech beer is mainly lager or dark lager, and Pilsner Urquell is one of the most famous of them. It has unique Czech smell, taste and aftertaste, which is different than those lagers brewed in my home country Finland. There have been active beer brewing (in commercial breweries) about a thousand years in Czech, and nowadays the Czech have the highest beer consumtion in the world per capita. It is fair to say that Czech people really are living in a beer culture. In Czech, as in other parts of Christian Europe, many monasteries brewed beer earlier from wheat, but in the 1900^th century malted barley became the dominant grain in beer brewing.

Czech have grown their own unique hops for a long time and also exported them, as well as their beers, for hundreds of years. Czech beer could be called the basis of modern lager beers throughout the world. I actually don't nowadays like very much their dark lager, because they are often quite sweet because of added sugar and/or syrup. Golden lagers as this one are better and I usually prefer them over Finnish (bulk) lagers. There is a certain bitterness in Czech lager, which I think comes from the Czech hops, and I really like it.

**** Great

Sapporo Premium

2011-08-14T17:37:00.003+03:00

In Europe there is a widespread beer culture, which has been part of the human culture for a long time. Asian, American or African beers are not often mentioned at all in Europe, though beer originates from ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia (possibly even as far away in history as 9500 BC). Maybe beer culture has not flourished in certain areas in recent centuries, because of different powerful religions (that maybe condemn alcohol use more often than Christian faith) in the region of Indo-Asia. The beer culture has been thriving mainly in Europe and later on in America. In Europe there is a legacy of Christian monks brewing beer, which is still nowadays happening in countries like Belgium. In Asia, though, there are not such culture, because there the main agricultural product is rice, but most beers are brewed from malted barley of wheat.

This Japanese beer is much like any other Asian beer (like Chinese Tsingtao, which I drink when eating in Chinese restaurants), I have tasted. I don't drink them too often, and haven't actually drank this particular beer more than couple of times in my entire life. Nothing exceptional about this. Taste is quite good for a basic lager, but head is non-existent and this is truly one of those "drink it straight from the bottle" -type of beers. Still, it's nice to notice that good enjoyable beers are made in every corner of the world.

*** OK

Jimbo's Beerblog

Marsalkka IPA

Malmgård Huvila X-Porter

Mufloni IPA

Keisari Året Runt

Marsalkka Portteri

Catch 22 Black Lager

Svaneke Classic

London Pride

Marston's Oyster Stout

Musta Hevonen

Bowman Stout

Neuschwansteiner Das Echte

Lapin Kulta Luomu Jouluolut

Fuller's Vintage Ale 2011

La Chouffe

Bad Elf

There Is No Santa

Laitilan Kievari Savuruis

Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Urbock

Jingle Bells

Grimbergen Blonde

Interlude no. 5 - Great duel of Winter Solstice

Jule Spektakel

Samuel Adams Winter Lager

Nøgne Ø #100 - review no. 2

Interlude no. 4 - New rating scale added

From *Jarkko* via Mikkeller to *Jimbo*

Interlude no.3 - My life, in general

DoubleDog IPA

Interlude no. 2 - Learning beer reviewing

Nøgne ø #500

Emelisse Barley Wine

Ayinger Winter-Bock

Ayinger Weizen-Bock

Chouffe Houblon

Mikkeller Santa's Little Helper 2011

Arctic Circle Ale

Huvila E.S.B.

Nøgne Ø India Pale Ale (review vol. 2)

Nøgne Ø Underlig Jul

Old Tom

Anchor's 2011

Fuller's Old Winter Ale

Hippaheikki - Teerenpeli Extra Special Bitter

Urban-Keller's Steinbier

Westmalle Trappist

Goose Island India Pale Ale

Slottskällans Red Ale

Teerenpeli Pakkaspaavo

Nøgne ø Saison

Laitilan Kievari Tuomas

Sarajevska Pivo

Nøgne ø India Pale Ale

Palm

Strong Suffolk

Nøgne Ø #100

BrewDog-duel: Trashy Blonde / Alpha Dog

5 A.M. Saint

77 Lager

Anchor Summer Beer

Kuohu Talvinen

Sinebrychoff Jouluolut

Schwarzer Abt

Fuller's London Porter

Ridgeway IPA

Hardcore IPA

Nektar

Red Stripe

Kievari Schwarz

Dixie

Puur La Trappe

Prykmestar Pale Ale

Kozel Premium

Mythos

Interlude no. 1 (not a review)

Anchor Liberty Ale

Anchor Steam

Koff Porter

Fuller's ESB

From Jarkko via Mikkeller to Jimbo