Ölbeat 219: Bryggeri Helsinki Vuosi Sata

Brewery: Bryggeri Helsinki 
Country: Finland
Style: Doppelbock
Abv: 10 %
@RateBeer

What about the beer?

Colour is dark brown with a large tan head. Aroma has dark fruits, sugary malts, sweetbread and syrup. Taste starts with sweet-berried malty sting. Sweet berry-flavoured malts with gentle bitterness and slightly boozy bite take over. Towards the end caramel malts, sweet fruity bitterness and gentle alcohol burn get on top. Aftertaste has fruity malts and warm boozy bitterness.

Strong, tasty and very drinkable Doppelbock. Sweet fruity malts rule, bitterness follows and warming alcohol comes through in the end. The brew seems quite appropriate to be one of independent Finland's 100th anniversary beers. At least I enjoyed it.

Ölbeat

When they are brewing beer for the 100th year of independence, someone could expect something like Jean Sibelius' Finlandia. But no, not in this blog. Instead we take another perspective to Finnish independence and celebrate the times of recession in the beginning of the 1990's. The song's name in English goes "When Finland fell off the tree" and the song has several parodic references to bigger and smaller pieces of Finnish culture. Which always has its place - even in the most celebrated year of one century.

Ismo Alanko: Kun Suomi putos puusta (YouTube)

From the 1990 album Kun Suomi putos puusta, the song was written by Ismo Alanko.

Ölbeat 191: Prykmestar Talvibock

Brewery: Vakka-Suomen Panimo (in Finnish)
Country: Finland
Style: Doppelbock
Abv: 9,2 %
@RateBeer

What about the beer?

Colour is nut dark brown with a small tan head. Aroma has sweet caramel, dark fruits and malts. Taste starts with sweet malts and fruits. Caramel malts and sweet dark fruits take over with raisins and berries. Towards the end sweet fruits and berries get on top with some alcohol bitterness. Aftertaste has fruity sweet bitterness and some warming alcohol.

Sweet and delicious Doppelbock for warming up the cold winter nights. Malt and fruit flavours join to make a tasty treat. Vakka-Suomen Panimo seems to be the right Finnish brewery for German-style beers.

Ölbeat

If the was any consistency in the beer and music pairings, the right kind of choice would be a sweet soul or an spicy r'n'b song. Nah, consistency is boring. The brew is not, and neither is Rammstein.

Rammstein: Ich Will (YouTube)

From the 2001 album Mutter, the song was written by Rammstein.

Ölbeat 090: Ayinger Celebrator

Brewery: Brauerei Aying
Country: Germany
Style: Doppelbock
Abv: 6,7 %
@RateBeer

What about the beer?

Colour is thick dark brown with big tan head. Aroma has sweet malts and fresh dark fruits. Taste begins with smooth syrupy caramel malts and a slightly hoppy bite. The combination of caramel malts and sweet bitterness comes on strong. Near the finish we get raisins, plums and some bittersweet alcohol. Aftertaste has bitter malty sweetness.

So I stepped into the world of dobbelbocks and don't want to get out. The combination of malty sweetness, silky bitterness and dark fruits makes a delicious German brew. Excellent flavour and great experience.

Ölbeat

Since the brew is commercially described "great as a party drink with friends and family", the song mostly follows the idea. Instead of picking any grandiloquent orchestral piece, I went to a completely different direction. So, music for weekend and good times it is:

LMFAO: Party Rock Anthem (YouTube)

From the 2011 album Sorry For Party Rocking, the song was written by Stefan Gordy and Skyler Gordy.