Cellar Series: Öö XO
Põhjala Brewery & Tap Room

From a wax topped 330 ml bottle. Sampled November 4, 2022.

Jet black heady pour but the head fades after a few moments.

Many aromatic sensations such as dark roasted malts, toffee, butterscotch, chocolate, raisins, dried fruit, wood, but a surprisingly low booze profile.

Full, smooth and creamy mouthfeel.

The taste is rich and more sweet than I may have liked but still awesome with its dark roast, chocolate, crackers, dark fruit, ash, and slight lift in the booze compared to the aroma. Warming, Quite delightful.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Charcoal black pour with a fat finger of oatmeal brown foam. Cognac barrel lends richness to the palate, which pairs amazingly well with the robust nature of the baltic porter malts, both serve as a red thread running through every aspect of the beer. Nose gets complimentary cognac soaked earth, rich smoke, char, dark chocolate, and heavily toasted caramel. Taste emphasizes accents of roasted malts, licorice, dried dark fruit, charred oak, and rich dark chocolate. Feel is still robust with big smokiness, earthy heavy maltwork, powerful warmth, in a decently dry yet viscous medium heavy body. Very nice baltic porter, especially for late winter

In the dim light, the body looks very dark brown, perhaps black; relatively thin yet last head, dense and creamy, medium tan color. Rich, malty aroma; cocoa powder and charred caramel; suggestion of peanut brittle; mocha. Heavy sweetness; caramel, toffee, roasted nuts; moderate booziness; heavy roasted and slightly charred grain notes; deeply hidden suggestions of raisins and cherries. Heavy body; sludgy; lightly scratchy coarseness with its residual sugars; dull, earthy sweetness to the mouthfeel with just a touch of dryness

A powerhouse beer that exudes depth and richness. I honestly don't get much cognac or even barrel notes in this, but perhaps the mild dryness might account for sitting on wood. Regardless, this is a heady, exotic beer, intriguing and alluring, pretty straight-forward with it's heavy, dark malt backbone yet slyly hinting at earthy spiciness and brain-soothing booziness.

Pouring temperature: 52 °F; bottling data: BO 27012020 BB 270123

Bottled and I take it with the wax top this is going to be bottle
Pours a jet black body with decent tan head
Aroma is Black magic & Napoleon
Flavour is Black Forest gateau

First beer from these guys and going straight to a barrel aged.

Look is stellar fluffy, frothy 2 finger head

Smell is meh. Very meh. Definitely not a deep roasty stout im hoping for. Light, acidic, mostly getting red grape skin tartness.

Taste/feel im getting more roast than the nose leads you to expect. Very, very creamy but thin. The beer is strangely heavy and filling for the flavors it gives you. Getting zero indication this was ages in ANY sort of barrel. What was this supposedly aged in again?

Overall? Huge letdown and NOT an $11 beer. I would NOT buy again and likely won't finish this. It's solid, but not going to be worth drinking when I have so much other shit to explore.

My first beer from Estonia. 330 ml wax dipped bottle. Bottled on 06/22/2021. Looks beautiful in the glass with black fluid topped by a large mocha colored head. The smell is nothing extraordinary, just smells like a well made Baltic Porter. Cleanly fermented flavor caramel, slight char, oak, and a slightly vinous finish. The body does not feel as big as the ABV would suggest, but the carbonation gives a nice creamy feel.

De Labirratorium. En copa Teku. Jugando a Fornite. El aroma y sabor no está nada de mal, pero el abv y la madera toman el protagonismo

 

 

11.2oz wax sealed bottle. Poured out an opaque, jet-black color with a small, light brown head of foam. It left sudsy trails of lace on the glass. It smelled of oak, vanilla, chocolate, toffee and toasted caramel. Tasted slightly of cognac with oak, vanilla, chocolate and toasted caramel.

 

11.2oz bottle - Cognac Barrel Aged Imperial Baltic Porter.
Bottled 1-27-20. Opened 12-11-21.
2 finger tan head with very good retention - holds in some form or fashion the whole way through.
Black porter - no light shines through. Some spotty lacing that doesn't stick.
Big roasted malts, wood spice, some fruit and big dark chocolate char. Definitely boozy in the aroma.
Brown sugar, raisin, chocolate, spice, smooth and balanced with rich flavors...the barrel is complimentary.
Medium plus body with a smooth and velvety mouthfeel. Long, rich malty finish with a little lingering heat and sweetness.
Outstanding to World Class.

 

11.2 ounce red wax capped bottle, born on date of 09022021, best by date of 09022024 stamped on the top part of the bottle. Served in a snifter, the beer pours dark brown/black with not quite an inch tan head. Head retention is decent, and there's a small amount of lacing. I like the aroma, the brew smells like dark fruit, cognac, oak and some chocolate. For the most part I think the taste is similar to the aroma, but with the addition of roasted malt and some earthy flavors. I think the dark fruit stands out here compared to the other flavors. Mouthfeel/body is medium/full, it's coating and a bit creamy with a moderate amount of carbonation. I liked this brew, worth picking up if you get a chance!

Pours near-black with a persistent finger of tan head.

The nose is chocolate, cherry, apple, cognac, and sherry.

The taste follows. Chocolate and red fruit with hints of cognac and sherry. Medium sweetness.

The mouthfeel is on the light side of medium for the style.

Overall, tasty.

 

 

 

Look: It pours dark brown with a brown head. It has moderately low head retention.

Smell: It has aromas of chocolate, plums, and raisins. The dark fruits are very aromatic. There are also some dark cherries and hints of cognac. There is also a hint of licorice.

Taste: The taste has toffee, chocolate, and coffee flavors. There are notes of cognac and dark fruits with a bit of dark cherries. The dark fruits are not as pronounced in the flavor as in the aromas, but are still noticeable.

Feel: It has strong alcohol presence with pleasant alcohol warming. It has a full body.

Overall, an excellent beer with plenty of malt flavors and fruity esters.

A: Pours a deep mahogany, almost black, color with 2 fingers of head that quickly fades down to a thin cap

S: Roasted malt, cognac, dark fruit, dark chocolate, oak, and some caramel

T: Follows the nose. Roasted malt, cognac, and dark fruit up front. Picks up the dark chocolate, caramel, and oak. Some light vanilla present as well. Finishes with lingering roast, cognac, and oak

M: Medium-full bodied with moderate carbonation

O: A very good cognac-BA Baltic porter that makes for a nice sipper. Cognac is definitely present but not overpowering. Worth checking out

 

 

 

Look: black with a thin mocha head

Smell: chocolate, dark fruit, malt, barrel, super complex and delicious smelling

Taste: wow exactly like the smell, in the order listed too. This is delicious!

Feel: velvet smooth

I will definitely have this again, and look forward to trying more in Põhjala’s cellar series

330 ml red waxed bottle, from Vinmonopolet, Nettbutikken. ABV is 11.5%. Pitch black colour, large to moderate beige head. Aroma of roast malts, molasses, brown sugar, oak and cognac, hints of liquorice, vanilla and chocolate. Sweet flavour with the same elements as the aroma, moderate bittering hops.

L- I find most black beers are shades of very dark ruby-red when held right by a very bright lightbulb. This one however, in the lyrics of the 1977 disco hit by Belle Epoque; 'Black is black, oooh-ooh, I want my baby back'. Pours with 3mm fine-bubble deep tan head.
S- Toasted, raisons, some timber, and a mildest suggestion of an ABV%
T- Raisons>stewed-prunes, super-deep/rich malts, and now after several sips I see how the cognac/liquor note fits right in between the raisons and malts. Interesting how subtle the cognac is as a result...
F- It's pretty rich but the punchy ABV% brings balance. A lovely slow-sippin' special occasion beer, perfect for winter.
O- Shame it's so $$$ as this is a real treat. Big, bold, beautifully crafted and balanced. I'd very happily drink this again, especially if someone else bought it for me ;;
Bought from TremblingMadness/York as part of a large mixed consignment to London. £6.10/330ml bottle.
BO: 27/01/20 BB: 27/01/23 stamped in black in @ neck.

Cellar Series Oo XO Cognac barrel aged from Pohjala. $ 16.16 (Including shipping)/11.2 oz bottle ($1.44/oz). From Craftshack, San Diego, CA. Received 9/22/20. Reviewed 10/9/20.
Printed on label “Best before/Batch: see bottle”. On the neck in black ink below the wax seal “BO 27012020 BB 27012023” Stored at home at 42 degrees and served at 55 degrees (Per label instructions of 54 -60 degrees) in a hand washed and dried Jester King snifter. Final temperature 65 degrees.
Appearance – 3.
First pour – Amber brown (SRM 18), hazy.
Body – Black (SRM 40), opaque. When held to direct light, black but slight effervescence is noted.
Head – Large (Maximum 4.3 mm, aggressive center pour), earth yellow, initially fizzy but quickly settles to high density, short retention, diminishing to a five mm crown and no cap.
Lacing – None – not unexpected at 11.5% ABV.
Aroma – 4 – Initially strong bitter chocolate and coffee. No hops, no yeast, no cognac. As it warms to 60 degrees, the nose weakens and sweetens a bit as the cognac comes through.
Flavor – 4 - Begins strong, harsh, and slightly bitter with coffee and chocolate predominating. As it warms to 60 degrees, it mellows out, again with the cognac pushing to the top. No hops, no yeast. No alcohol (11.5% ABV, as marked on container) taste or aroma. No dimethylsulfide or diacetyl.
Palate – 3.5 – Medium, slightly syrupy, lively carbonation.
Final impression and summation: 3.75 Ordinary appearance for anything on the porter-stout spectrum. Aroma is decent over the temperature range but improves as the brew warms, as does the flavor. Overall, a decent brew but not exceptional. The suggested temperature range seems a bit low for optimum aroma and taste. Nearly a third of the price point is tied up in shipping.

 

Bottle at Las Buenas Pulgas, served in a snifter glass. Black color, medium beige head that fades slowly to a ring around the glass. Compact lacing. Aroma of chocolate, vanilla, some coconut, cake, cognac. Full body, sticky texture, good carbonation, sweet finish. Taste follows the aroma. Good, bur not the best of the cellar series.

Bought at a supermarket in Stein (NL) during lunch.

Bottle says: Öö XO, Cognac Barrel Aged Imperial Baltic Porter, A special version of Öö, aged in Cognac barrels.
The cap is covered in red wax.

Served in my trusty "Seef" tumbler. With hinesight, I better used a Tulip.
Pours a black brownish liquid. No abient adour noticable.
Head is a full, companct and creamy caramel brown. Retains at 0,5 cm.
Odour is marvelous. A combination of ripe fruits (blue berries, pear, blackcurrents, raisins), bitter dark chocolate, old wood, alcohol and vanilla. Floral overall.
Flavour is an explosion in my mouth. excessively rich bitter sweet. Real dark chocolate bitterness, latte macchiato, custard, coffee liquor (Sheridans pops to mind).
In the aftertaste the cognac becomes noticable. As a dry sweet and creamy mouthfeel settles in, the alcohol is present in the mouth as well as a moldy wooden flavour. It's warming as well.

One word, wauw! This is such a flavour bomb. It's so rich and in so many ways. It's more a liquor then beer. A true cameleon.