Armchair Detective
Põhjala Brewery & Tap Room

 

 

 

Bottle at Las Buenas Pulgas, served in a balloon glass. Black color, medium beige head with short retention and a bit of lacing. Aroma is smokey, cognac, burnt wood, liquorice, dried fruits and notes of coconut. Medium to full body, creamy texture, average carbonation. Sweet smokey finish. Taste follows the aroma, with more coconuts and nuts. Another great one from Pohala.

 

L- Superficially black, though ultra-dark ruby with a haolgen torch held on the back of the glass. Pours with 2mm creamy looking dark tan head. Fades soon/no lacing, the ABV% is too high to maintain it.
S- Pungent richness/liquor, roasty-toasty, smells intense.
T- Woof! ...WOW! this is hugely intense. I get wine+liquor, so brandy/cognac I imagine. I also get big dark cocoa. It might be way too much though.
F- One of the more full-on/intense beers I've ever had. The extreme of being a 'slow-sippin' beer', it's waaay too pungent to rush.
O- Occasionally I drink a beer and wonder if it's OTT, it's sooo impactful that 'more = less'. This for me is right out there. It's interesting to try but it's way OTT for me to wish to drink again. Pls note though I'm sure that this will find fans, those who enjoy quality beers from the very extreme end of the Richter scale. It's ironic that the ABV% isn't super-high at 12% (I've relished beers at ABV%15-16. 'Visit Iceland' and see for yourself hehe), it's the genuinely extreme pungency, of taste especially, that's challenging me. I don't know what liquor-barrel was used here, but I think it's been well over-done.
330ml bottle £7.50 BB: = 'See bottle', but I don't see it anywhere. Bought from TremblingMadness/York as part of a large pick-your own consignment to London.
ps. Now the review/rate is done^ I'll read the bottle for clues. 'Smoked multigrain Imperial Baltic Porter'. 'Aged in cognac barrels' - aha!