Rukkiväli
Põhjala Brewery & Tap Room

A - Dark brown pour with thin lacing.

S - Toasted cocoa and some nuttiness.

T - Toasted cocoa, a little bit of gritty chocolate, some nuttiness, overall nuance is subtle with light spice.

M - Medium body that's a little thin around the edges.

O - Middle of the road and not a standout from this brewery, but solid!

If spiced orange breads are a favorite treat of yours then this might work great for you. To me, it tastes like a holiday tradition that I would likely eschew most years. The orange flavor combines with the booziness to give an overripe/almost rotten fruit note and the spices and rye combine to come across a bit acrid. The whole thing just doesn't come together for me at all. I try to give credit for what the stated intentions of the brewer are but I didn't finish this one.

A classic black/brown stout. Head is fizzy and minimal.

Nose is spicy holiday bread all day, some boozy heat, some rye bite, some cinnamon and vanilla. A bit of bitter chocolate and a dense brown bread base supporting it all. Spices aren't at all overwhelming and it's subtle enough that it could be a very impressive malt expression.

Taste has a strong orange liqueur component leading with a cinnamon and rye second note. I suppose this may be what they're aiming for, but it comes across as an overripe orange mixed with mulled spices. The rye stout base is visible through the Mish mash but is well overshadowed.

Feel is nice and full but only edges into the sticky territory. Pretty well done on that aspect.

its been too long since i had something from these guys, but was stoked to find this at brewers haven in boise recently, felt like a good nightcap after an epic new years party, and before an attempt at a sober january. go out big right? this really sounded good to me on paper, a rye based imperial stout with ginger, orange, and caraway, how unique. the pour is real viscous, deep dark brown, coffee colored, and giving rise to a short and quick settling three quarters inch of mocha bubble head. the ginger runs out in front of everything else but the dark malt in here, and so this kind of drinks a little less complex than i hoped it would, in aroma and in flavor, i get a lot less caraway than i wanted, and i thought it would be so cool with the rye, but its hard to really appreciate that synergy. the next most prominent thing is the orange, essential oily and compatible with the ginger, bringing out a chocolate orange vibe with the roasted malt. i get some low end nuance from dark chocolate to light smoke, raisin, and even a honey sweetness in there. the rye malt is there but there is a little oxidation cutting in, and with the alcohol being a little warm, its tough to fully get the best of the rye, even if its robustly dosed, the roast runs over it a little too. its the caraway i miss the most, an accent at best in here, and while all these flavors are well integrated and super compatible, i wanted a little more uniqueness out of this overall. more caraway especially. silky full body, light on carbonation but it works, chocolate and light ginger spice to finish, sweeter than expected but not diabetic or overly desserty. the base beer is also just so fantastic i cant get lost in the extras, these guys are one of the best at the big stouts and porters, and this hits at that level. almost like de molen, my highest compliment. a minor yeast thing in here is cool too as this warms. neat last beer for awhile! love these guys.

Whoa! Dang near perfection here. Black as a Baltic autumn night. Thin head quickly gravitates to the rim. Aroma of fruitcake. Malty-rich flavor mediated by an elusive tang. Smooth as silk on the tongue. Bravo!

330 ml bottle, from Vinmonopolet Kvadrat. ABV is 10%. Pitch black colour, small brown head. Aroma of roast malts, black rye bread, only a hint of spices and orange zest. Medium sweet flavour, notes of roast malts, coffee, dark chocolate and dark rye bread, hints of caraway and orange zest. Ginger and alcohol warmth in the mouthfeel. Pleasant to drink.

 

 

Pours a pitch-black coloration with a tiny, fluffy, mocha-colored head. Smells of roasted, caramel malt, chocolate and hints of citrus zest and spice. Taste is great balance of roasted, caramel malt, distinct milk chocolate, lighter orange zest and mere hints of ginger and caraway, as well as accents of peppery spice. Finishes bittersweet, with a light bitterness and some roasted/caramel malt, milk chocolate, orange zest and spice lingering in the aftertaste. Full mouthfeel with a medium/rich body and medium carbonation.

My first impression of this was that I would have liked the spice to come out a bit more, although this certainly improved as this warmed up a bit. While the roasted, caramel malt and milk chocolate is most dominant here, with the rye not showing through all that much, the orange zest makes a distinct impression as well, with the spice staying a bit in the background without fading out too much though. Overall, having almost finished the bottle now, this certainly makes for a very well-balanced brew that is dominated by roasted, caramel malt, chocolate and orange zest, with a good presence of subtle spice as well.