Île Sauvage Brewing Nordique – Rye IPA at 7.0% ABV (C$5.08 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 17-Mar-2021, reviewed 26-Mar-2021)
Appearance: hazy pale gold with a massive fluffy loose pale ivory head, good retention and moderate soapy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: spicy rye, juniper, caramel. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter, moderate peppery spice. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry lingering bitter spicy finish. (3/5)
The brewer’s notes indicate this is their version of a Finnish Sahti, 30% Rye malt, fermented with Kveik Voss, and dry-hopped with Simcoe and Juniper berries. Hard to say how authentic it is, since by my notes I’ve had only one “actual” (supposed) Sahti and that one was from Ontario, so it might or might not have itself been a reasonable representation of the style. Guess I’m gonna have to make it to Finland at some point to be sure. However, this one certainly has more gin-like juniper character, so, maybe? Not bad overall, and I certainly don’t dislike it, but the combination of rye and juniper certainly makes it a little edgy, bordering on harsh. (14/20)
7/10 ryansbooze.com #ryansbooze
