Õllekunsti OÜ (Põhjala Brewery) Põhjala Virmalised American IPA at 6.5% ABV | 50 IBU (C$6.49 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 330 ml, best before 15-Aug-2017, acquired 18-Nov-2017, reviewed 21-Nov-2017)
Appearance: hazy deep gold with three fingers of rocky ivory head, excellent retention and moderate lacing. (4/5) Aroma: melon, tropical fruit, citrus, pale malt, bready yeast, hint of onion and cardboard. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, dry bitter finish. (3/5)
“Virmalised”, huh? Sounds vaguely nasty, and quite possibility contagious. (OK, fine, it’s Estonian for “Aurora Borealis”. Take away all my fun, why don’tcha?) This bottle’s a bit elderly, so that may explain the lack of bright citrus notes promised by the label, as well as the hints of onion and cardboard. On the other hand, I might be overgeneralizing my expectations for Põhjala based upon the single other beer I’ve had by them (Öö) which in addition to having the coolest name every was pretty stellar – but also a Baltic Porter, so pretty much the exact opposite of this, stylistically. Still and all, not bad. (14/20)
7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
