Jõuluöö
Põhjala Brewery & Tap Room

Draft at Eebria. This is astounding, and it wasn't even their top recommendation. Inky black pour, with thick creamy head. Roasty, chocolate aroma, ashy. Taste offers some mild sweetness, then mellow bitterness. Truly lovely.

 

 

this is incredible beer, approaching epic, cannot believe the scores are not higher for it here on BA, it really is something, and i love these flavors and all this depth and body in a beer this modest in abv, really impressive offering top to bottom. chocolate and vanilla in this, aged on oak, silky smooth, massive texture, pure velvet. the head is tan and thick as shaving cream on it, an inch high and permanent, espresso crema look to it, the body of the beer is shiny and close to black, nice legs on the edges of the glass, dead sexy, ever so slightly intimidating. the nose is wild, powdered dry dark baking type chocolate and rich vanilla, not overly sweet to me, nutty too, hazelnut even, with a neat almost english yeast thats kind of baked in here and quite a lot of oak, giving it a cognac vibe, smooth and mellow but very complex. the flavor is chocolate before vanilla, wonderful depth to the malt build too, special dark, roasted barley, cocoa nib type bitterness, raisin, light smoke even, then the sexy vanilla woven through it, more of that as the temperature comes up, and as i hold it in my mouth. it isnt quite sweet enough to stay on my teeth and tongue which i like, but it has all the body in the world, especially with the oak, which seems new and robust in the taste. this is luxurious and gentle feeling, but its sturdy as they come, and no sign of the alcohol at all. this is amazing quality beer, unique in a samey space, and it makes me realize i have not had nearly enough beers from these guys. you can count on my buying all i see for awhile, this was money!

Pours a nice, slightly think dark dark. Thin and beautiful brown khaki head that dissipates pretty quickly. Aroma is subtle, bit malty, coffee, chocolate hints.

Taste is much more present: Chocolate cocoa, bit of boozy heat, vanilla, bit of raisin, bit of wood all together in a silky mix. All the tastes listed on the bottle. Citrus aftertaste. Might be able to pull out sour cherry but could be an illusion (sweet crossed with cocoa and malt?). Body is not overly roasty, but full. Not stout, still a porter, but a dessert porter to be sure. Slight oily texture, and coffee comes in as it warms.

8% Imperial Porter, French Oak aged with cacao nibs and fresh vanilla pods.
Literally silky, as indicated in the can.
Robust body, but suitable (perfect, in my opinion).
Beer with intense toasted scents (coffee, cacao nibs).
Wood.
Toasted.
Dark chocolate.
Vanilla (delicate, but elegantly perceptible).
Alcoholic note, reflective liqueur (almost cognac, but dry).
On the tongue, after the dry finish, there is a very delicate and pleasant vanilla flavor. Really valuable.
The toasted taste remains on the palate.

Poured an almost black body (could be the low lighting I was under) with a decent khaki head that quickly died. The aroma came across mostly has boozy with hints of dark fruits like chocolate covered cherry; other than that I can't say I got expected notes of woody, booze, chocolate, coffee et al. Conversely, the beer is fuller-bodied and dry with notes of roasted coffee malts and then just hints of chocolate on the finish that also has notes of booze.

 

Shared bottle, from Vinmonopolet Hillevåg. Black colour, tan head. Very sweet, with chocolate, vanilla, oak and a moderate roastiness in both aroma and flavour. This is a dessert beer, to satisfy your sweet tooth.

Bottle conditioned. Nearly black with a frothy tan head. Oily lacing.
Boozy aroma of chocolate, cocoa and vanilla. Quite woody.
Taste is similar to the aroma. Heavily roasted coffee provides a bitter bite.
A viscous feel with a tight carbonation.
A delicious start to Xmas day.

 

L: Black brew with a half-finger tan head fading to a partial cap with great retention and temporary spotty lace on the glass.

S: Vanilla and oak, and a bit of belgian dark ale and cherries on the nose. But the porter is in there!

T: Cocao comes in on the palate along with dark roast, oak, and vanilla. Quite good. Who says otherwise?

F: Good medium weight. Awesomely downable. And so silky smooth - I know that's not a porter trait but this is better for it. So wonderful. Love it so dearly. If all Porters felt like this they'd be my favorite style.

O: Judging across Põhjala brews or across BA Stouts or another disimilar style, it's not the best. Across Porters though this is rediculoulsy underrated. So smooth and so fine.

 

8 ball black with a moderately tall wavy tan head that retains well but dies to a creamy tan ring.

Taste is classically woody roast, contrasted by a smooth creaminess with accents of toasted nuts, semi-bitter cacao, and sweet vanilla before a cleanly semi-dry finish.

On the nose is cigar and dark roasted coffee with ribbons of vanilla, coming across as bitter espresso on the palate, but I don't get a terribly present level of oak in any regard.

From the 11.2 oz bottle in a snifter. This nice little porter
pours a pitch oily black with a light head of khaki foam
that settles to a thin ring, light dusty layer, and shows
faint lacing. Nose of coffee, light anise, and rich dark
fudge with hints of coffee. Flavors lightly exceed the nose
with dark cocoa, subtle oak, light anise, light booze, earthy
malts, and mild vanilla. Nice mouth feel; full body, slick, lightly
coating, light carbonation, and a rich roasted finish with light char
and bitter malt.

Overall, a solid little porter.

Cheers

 

 

Poured from a bottle, not much if a head. Smelled molasses quitt a bit, but with a bit of chocolate too. Tastes good. Thick mouth feel. Creamy with a good amount of carbonation.

Poured from a bottle: Dark with a small white head. Smells of coffee, chocolate and alcohol. The alcohol is not super evident in the taste but coffee and chocolate come through.