Ölbeat 023: Ruosniemen Musta Lomittaja

Brewery: Ruosniemen Panimo 
Country: Finland
Style: Smoked Saison
Abv: 6,3 %
@RateBeer

This Black Stand-in gets hired

Ruosniemen Panimo, founded in 2011, is a microbrewery from Pori, Western Finland. The brewery's slogan is "Brewed by engineers". Despite lacking the skill of inventing attractive slogans, the brewery was Ratebeer's best new brewery in Finland in 2013. Having tasted most of their continous brews, I have to say that these engineers really know what they're doing. Hit is the rule, miss is a rare exception. Of the two good reasons for living in Pori, this is number two.

This beer was part of Alko's Finnish microbrewery craftbeer selection in spring 2016. 

What about the beer?
Colour is sizzling black with medium, immediately dissolving beige head. Aroma has meaty smoke and roasted malts with a slice of coffee. Taste gives roasted malts in very first bite. There's pretty high carbonation. Pure smoke flavour joins the party and grows quickly. By the palate sour lemon and mildly bitter hops are in. The night out gets finished with gentle smoky, sour and a bit salty aftertaste.

Smoke dominates here. Still there are sour and gently bitter elements of saison present. Clearly a fine "out-of-the-box" brew and a versatile experience.

Ölbeat

Pairing the beer with a song was easy in this case. Despite the fact that the product is actually bottled, similar kind of unordinary approach can be found here: 

Jamiroquai: Canned Heat (YouTube)

From the 1999 album, Synkronized, the song was written by singer-frontman Jay Kay. Canned Heat was originally - in the beginning of the 1900's - an alcohol-based fuel used in catering service to keep the food warm. Since containing alcohol the substance was abused, which was the story behind Canned Heat Blues by Tommy Johnson in 1928. The blues group Canned Heat that started in the 60's as named after the song. However, in Jamiroquai's funk-jazz song canned heat is something on one's shoe heels that urges him to dance. Whether it is the name of the song, the history behind the word play or just the funky music, I don't know, but it fits the mood of Musta Lomittaja perfectly.