Friday, December 23, 2016

Ölbeat 160: Pôhjala Jôuluöö

Brewery: Pôhjala
Country: Estonia
Style: Imperial Porter
Abv: 8 %
@RateBeer
What about the beer?
Colour is black with a small beige head. Aroma has roasted malts, sweet chocolate and vanilla. Taste starts with sweet and bitter black coffee. Deliciously soft amd sweet coffee with chocolate, vanilla and bitter roast takes over. Near the finish chocolate sweetness, vanilla spice and oaky flavour rise above other flavours. Aftertaste has sweet mocca, dark chocolate and bitter roast.

Couldn't be happier about the fact that the actual Christmas spices are not present in this great seasonal brew. Vanilla, cocoa and oak really spice the Imperial Porter up amazingly. Real treat that'll be on my glass during the winter again.

Ölbeat

Even though it's hard for me to accept that this is an actual seasonal brew, I'll have to respect the beer's name. Of course it's a choice between Silent Night (in Finnish: Jouluyö, juhlayö) and O Holy Night (in Finnish: Oi Jouluyö). In the end, it's the timeless, soft voice of the performer that makes the latter the preferable one.  

By the way: Merry Christmas, everyone! Ölmönger's off to the holidays for a while. Will be back after the Boxing Day. 

Nat King Cole: O Holy Night (YouTube)

From the 1960 album The Magic of Christmas, the song was composed by Adolphe Adam and the English lyrics were written by John Sullivan Dwight.