Näkkai
Sisu Beer

incredibly unique usage of ingredients here, a strong stout with seaweed, certainly uncommon and intriguing, i was so pumped to try this one! i believe this may also have some chocolate in it. its deep brown color, not black, with a short and short lived burlap colored head from the tap, pretty tidy looking, not real heavy at all. the aroma is understated, especially when its cold, some familiar roasted barley along with a hint of black drip coffee and tobacco, its slightly dusty, deeply earthy, bready, and perhaps even slightly european somewhere in it, minerals yes, salt no, seaweed im not sure, i cant really perceive that, its not vegetal or fishy or anything, but maybe a light soy type umami, it opens a lot as it warms. the flavor also starts a little slow, like this doesnt jump out as a seaweed beer, but the longer i keep it in my mouth and kind of swirl it the more i can pick up on its uniqueness, definitely a light brine aspect, and i find myself appreciating the fact that this isnt super roasty and bitter and huge as a base beer, it seems well suited to let the seaweed come through on its own terms, which it does. salinity with minerals and faint tang, baking chocolate, tobacco, and absolutely zero sweetness, this is dry as a bone. a little something from the ferment adding depth, an almost calcium thing, some herbal character, almost a really high end green tea vibe, gone on the swallow. only medium bodied, not boozy in the least, and intriguing as they come. i feel like i have as many questions at the end as i did at the beginning, but this is way cool! love the uniqueness and the ambition!