Mufloni IPA (4.5%)
Panimoravintola Beer Hunter's

Helsinki 23/5 2016. 33 cl bottle from S-Market. Very modernistic "M" on the label that only informs you that you are drinking an IPA in addition to this. Very Finnish.

Pours hazy golden orange with a very big head. Settles as creamy thick crown of foam with an impressive lacing.

Aroma is fruity with passion fruit, peach and mango. Light citric sour notes.

Very low carbonation and slightly thick palate.

Flavor has distinct bitterness and balanced by subdued sweetness. Maybe a little watery. Lingering bitterness in aftertaste. Quite dry finish.

Fine and nicely bitter IPA. There is a long way from Finland to India - so you need an extra shot of hops.

Pori and Beer Hunter's never really let you down. A bit tame IPA, but I guess that's what you get with the 4.7% ABV limit in Finland. Huge head, won't you say?

"Mufloni IPA." This is their 4.50% ABV IPA, not to be confused with their others under the same title (which have different grain bills). Brewed with: centennial, cascade, and columbus.

BOTTLE: Brown glass. Simple label art. Best before: 07/15. 33cl. Unbranded pry-off cap.

Purchased at a Prisma supermarket and served cold into a pilsner glass at low altitude in Kuopio, Finland. Expectations are above average given this brewery's reputation as one of the best in Finland.

Reviewed live as a session IPA per the label & ABV.

No bubble show forms as it's poured.

HEAD: ~1 finger's width. White colour. Not real frothy, creamy, or full. But it has adequate thickness, and doesn't appear fizzy or weak. Retention is above average (~ 3 minutes), and as it recedes it leaves no lacing. Could appear softer. Complexion is decent.

BODY: Murky copper of below average vibrance. No yeast or sediment is visible.

Looks okay for an IPA. Not the vibrant translucent copper I usually look for.

AROMA: Vague hop-derived citrus, a hint of hop resins, floral hop character. Pale malts. Luckily, I find no obnoxious caramalt sweetness or booze. Some sweet candied character. Bitterness/sweetness balance seems pretty good, but not quite dialed in.

Aromatic intensity is moderate.

Not the freshest aroma, nor the most pungent, but I do find it generally appealing. Doesn't suggest a great IPA. I find no booze or off-notes.

TASTE: Bitterness is a bit too prominent, not quite balanced by the pale malt sweetness. It's not too caramel-dominant, but some caramel and candi character does enter in - though it's unwelcome. Hop profile is underwhelming overall; I get generic floral character, a hint of Columbus-derived resins, and a kiss of pine. Not real fresh or expressive. Underhopped but still somehow too bitter.

Not gestalt. The flavours just don't come together to form a cohesive build, and there's no subtlety or complexity to speak of. Far off the mark for the intended style. I do like it generally speaking, but the hops aren't at the fore - which is criminal in an IPA.

TEXTURE: Odd medium body with a thickness and heft that doesn't feel well-paired to the taste - especially considering this is a session IPA. Unrefreshing. Smooth and wet in a general way.

Lacks a harmony of texture to taste.

OVERALL: Drinkable but underwhelming. I wouldn't buy this again, and it's not even one of the better Finnish IPAs out there. Style enthusiasts are best off skipping this one; there's just nothing here for the discerning drinker. I'm glad I got to try it, but it doesn't hold up to this brewery's high reputation.

C- (2.72)