Ölbeat 344: Malmgård Imperial Oatmeal Stout

Brewery: Malmgård
Country: Finland
Style: Imperial Stout
Abv: 9 %
@RateBeer

What about the beer?

Colour is black with a finger-thick beige head. Aroma has roasted malts, espresso and cocoa. Taste begins with bitter espresso roast. Strong espresso, bitter roast and dark chocolate take over. Towards the end charcoaly roasted malts and bitter dark chocolate get the strongest grip. Aftertaste has mocha chocolate, bitter roast and cocoa-flavoured dryness.

Charred and chocolaty Imperial Stout. Shortly put, a well-made coffee-chocolate-roasty by the book impy, no tricks. Fits my taste almost perfectly. But that's Malmgård.

This beer was part of Alko's Finnish artisanal beer selection in spring 2018.

Ölbeat

Sadly, this majestic beer will probably not be added to the regular selection of Malmgård brewery but will only rule for the short availability period this spring. Almost similar case as their great Imperial IPA was, then. Or how will it be?

Battle Beast: King for a Day (YouTube)

From the 2017 album Bringer of Pain, the song was written by Battle Beast.

Ölbeat 272: Malmgård Eldorado Brown Ale

Brewery: Malmgård
Country: Finland
Style: Brown Ale 
Abv: 6 %
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What about the beer?

Colour is dark reddish brown with a medium-sized natural white head. Aroma has sweetish malts, gentle roast and pecan nuts. Taste starts with sweetish malty bitterness. Grainy and bready malts take over with bittersweet fruits. Towards the end citrus bitterness gets on top with a caramel-malty side tone. Aftertaste has malty-nutty dryness and fruity bitterness.

Fine fruity Brown Ale. Grain-bread domination turns to fruity bitterness and finish has dry nuts. Quality brew from a not-so-interesting style.

Ölbeat

El Dorado hops may have gotten its name from any of the United States cities, but I connect the name of the brew with the mythical city of gold in modern-day Colombia. The fresh approach to the beer style asks for a fresh song, so here we go.

Thea & The Wild: City of Gold (Video link coming up...)

Released as a single in 2017, the song was written by Thea Glenton Raknes.

Ölbeat 228: Malmgård Amarillo Tripel

Brewery: Malmgård
Country: Finland
Style: Abbey Tripel
Abv: 9 %
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What about the beer?

Colour is hazy golden orange with a small white head. Aroma has sweet spicy malts, orange and yeast. Taste starts with yeasty fruity bitter bite. Yeasty sweet malts and bitter citrus fruits take over. Towards the end sweet spicy orange flavours get through, as the slightly piny-turned yeasty fruity bitterness stays in control. Aftertaste has yeasty sweet orange, fruity bitterness and dryish alcohol warmth.

Interesting and exciting citrus-packed Tripel. It's there and there whether the beer goes over the limit to the unorthodox or even unholy side. And since it finally does, everything's fine. "It's still a Tripel" would've been a huge disappointment. Style barriers need to be broken now and then. This one's a success.

This beer was part of Alko's Finnish microbrewery craftbeer selection in spring 2017.

Ölbeat

One minute I thought that I would be forced to put an crappy song or its Finnish equivalent here, but I'm more than happy - and you are too - to have been saved by 2D, Murdoc & friends with this beautiful track. It was a good reminder about the virtual band's existence. It's not unprobable too see and hear Clint Eastwood here later. 

Gorillaz: Amarillo (YouTube)

From the 2010 album The Fall, the song was written by 2D (= Damon Albarn), Murdoc Niccals (= Albarn/Jamie Hewlett) and Emily Burton.

Ölbeat 224: Malmgård (Huvila) X-Porter & Malmgård Oak Porter

Brewery: Malmgård
Country: Finland
Style: Porter 
Abv: 7 %
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What about the beer?

Colour is black with a small tan head. Aroma has sweet roasted malts, espresso and spices. Taste starts with dark-roasted coffee. Strong coffee and heavily roasted chocolate malts take over with gentle bitterness. Near the finish dark chocolate with a bite of sweet alcohol comes through. Aftertaste has dry-turning roasted malts and bitter boozy coffee.

Delicious and diverse Porter. Nice roast, strong coffee, some bitter chocolate and slightly alcoholic finish. Everything is in its right place. Excellent brew from the Malmgård mansion once again.

...and since I had the chance to taste the Bourbon-oak chipped version from tap at Café Rooster Pub, Oulu, let's bring that on, too:

Malmgård Oak Porter

Brewery: Malmgård
Country: Finland
Style: Porter 
Abv: 7 %
@RateBeer

What about the beer?

Colour is black with a small beige head. Aroma has vanilla, chocolate and gentle roast. Taste starts with spiking spicy oaky roast. Dry-bitter roast and spiced dark-roasted coffee take over with oaky vanilla hints. Towards the end strong bitter roast comes in front and leaves dark chocolate in the background. Aftertaste has charcoal-roasty bitterness and oaky-boozy dryness.

Definitely this is X-Porter with bourbon barrel chips. Not over-barreled, just a twist of oak and vanilla mixed in the original. It would be rather easy to pull tricks, but I prefer keeping good things simple. Tasty, a bit twisted, and yet drinkable.

Ölbeat

So let's find something dark and gloomy here. Have to turn to Finnish metal music for a change. Since there were two brews, let's put a couple of songs here, too.

Mokoma: Kuu saa valtansa auringolta (YouTube)

From the 2006 album Kuoleman laulukunnaat, the song was written by Mokoma.

Timo Rautiainen & Trio Niskalaukaus: Hyvä päivä (YouTube)

From the 1999 album Lopunajan merkit, the song was written by Timo Rautiainen and Tomi Tuomaala.

Ölbeat 187: Malmgård Barley Wine

Brewery: Malmgård
Country: Finland
Style: Barley Wine
Abv: 10,4 %
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What about the beer?

Colour is dark reddish brown with a small tan head. Aroma has a strong malty scent, sweet dark fruits and some hops. Taste starts with strongly malty bitterness. Sweet caramel malts and bitter dark fruits take over. Near the finish bitter and slightly piny dryness gets on top with alcohol warmth. Aftertaste has lasting piny bitter dryness and a spike of alcohol.

Tasty Barley Wine with nasty attitude. Strength rolls over, unhidden and unleashed malty power fills the mouth. Supported by sweet fruits, biting bitterness and beautiful long dryness it makes this an unforgettable brew.

Ölbeat

For some reason I decided that this requires a great Nightwish song. Despite most of the songs have a female vocalist - Tarja, Anette or Floor - , my favourite tracks have vocals of the band's bassist Marco Hietala. One the favourites to match a great Finnish brew. Powerful ballad from the edge of the world.

Nightwish: The Islander (YouTube)

From the 2007 album Dark Passion Play, the song was written by Marco Hietala and Tuomas Holopainen.

Ölbeat 148: Malmgård American Pale Ale

Brewery: Malmgård
Country: Finland
Style: American Pale Ale
Abv: 5,5 %
@RateBeer

What about the beer?

Colour is dark orange with a medium-sized natural white head. Aroma has mango, orange and grapefruit with some malts and pine. Taste begins with fruits and gentle piny bitterness. Piny spiciness and bitter grapefruit take over with some malty, sweet and herbal flavours. Pine and a menthol-like herb take the upper hand near the finish. Aftertaste has piny dryness, bitter grapefruit and a menthol note.

Tasty and surprising American Pale Ale. Strongly piny and herbal bitterness in the end left me wondering whether I like it or not. Probably not very APA'ish but it gives the beer more character, and the taste turns more pleasant the nearer finishing the bottle is. Quality brewing once again by Malmgård.

Ölbeat

Malmgård Brewery is in many ways a special Finnish brewery. They have chosen their own path which includes using their own spring water and grain (spelt and emmer wheat) in brewing and avoiding releasing anything else than high quality products. This APA has the great uniqueness that can be expected from them always.

Stratovarius: I Walk to My Own Song (YouTube)

From the 2003 album Elements Pt. 2, the song was written by Timo Tolkki.

Ölbeat 084: Malmgård Emmer Tripel

Brewery: Malmgård
Country: Finland
Style: Abbey Tripel
Abv: 8,3 %
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What about the beer?

Colour is hazy golden orange with a small white head. Aroma has sour fruits, wheat and caramel malts and yeast. Taste starts with tenderly bitter hops and yeasty sourness. Spicy apples and grapes with slightly honeyed malts and a piece of funky yeast take over. Towards the end sour and bittersweet flavours of fruits get through. Aftertaste is fruity and bittersweet with a slice of alcohol.

Wonderful palette of sour and sweet on one scale, fruits and bitterness on the other. Extremely enjoyable brew with a full Belgian taste and the brewery's own tasty twist.

Ölbeat

Spicy, sour, sweet, fruity and bitter. I think it's time for unserious funky hip hop. This one's got some jazz vibe for the sour fruit and some fast rhymes for the sweet bitterness:

Don Johnson Big Band: One MC, One Delay (YouTube)

From the 2003 album Breaking Daylight, the song was written by Don Johnson Big Band.

Ölbeat 074: Malmgård Belge

Brewery: Malmgård
Country: Finland
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Abv: 8,5 %
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What about the beer?

Colour is dark copper orange with a small diminishing white head. Aroma has sour, yeasty, spicy and sugary elements. Taste begins sour, sweet and hoppy. Spicy sour banana and funky yeast flavours dominate firmly after the start. Towards the end sweet bitterness, dry citrus flavours and a bite of alcohol get through. Aftertaste is dry with a bittersweet twist.

Delicious and versatile experience. Multiflavoured and complex beer: every sip seems to bring a new level or an another layer to the taste. There's sweet, sour, fruit, bitter and dry separately and mixed in different ways. Lovely Belgian-aleish piece of Finnish brewing skill.

Ölbeat

Finnish breweries making anything else than sahti or tasteless lager can be out of their traditional territory, but anyone not Belgian brewing this kind of beer is surely out of his comfort zone. Like Wild Cherry was when recording this song and like the white boy in the song is. Result can still be excellent:

Wild Cherry: Play That Funky Music (YouTube)

From the 1976 album Wild Cherry, the song was written by Rob Parissi.

Ölbeat 059: Malmgård Imperial IPA

Brewery: Malmgård
Country: Finland
Style: Imperial IPA
Abv: 8,9 %
@RateBeer

Majestic beer from Malmgård mansion

What about the beer?
Colour is bright rusty orange with small white crown. Aroma has sweet fruits (mango and pineapple) with a hoppy note. Taste bites first with sweet hoppy bitterness. Fruity alcoholic bitterness with moderate grapefruit flavour follows. Near the finish piny dryness joins the party. When a bit warmed up, pineapple and mango show up in the taste. Aftertaste is bittersweet with a bite of alcohol.

Excellent not "down-the-same-pipe" Imperial IPA. Bitterness is smooth but powerful instead of a hop hit-and-run. Grapefruit aroma and flavours are almost completely replaced with sweeter fruits. Taste of alcohol is present but not unpleasant. Tasty brew from one of my favorite Finnish breweries. 

Ölbeat

With a royal beer we'll need some majestic rock. Since the guys in Malmgård have had their own way of brewing quality stuff, this is a perfect choice:

Queen: One Vision (YouTube)

From the 1986 album A Kind of Magic, the song was written by Queen.

Ölbeat 051: Malmgård Emmer IPA

Brewery: Malmgård
Country: Finland
Style: India Pale Ale
Abv: 6,2 %
@RateBeer

From an ancient grain to a modern Finnish brew

What about the beer?
Colour is hazy golden orange with light white crown. Aroma has sweet fruits: orange, pineapple and mango. Taste gives gentle but firm hoppy first bite, until malty citrus flavours of orange and lemon take over. Near finish the taste returns to hops ans is added grapefruit and pine. Aftertaste is hoppy bitter and piny dry.

Whether it's the Malmgård mansion's own Emmer wheat or just skillful brewing, the result is a damn fine fruity India Pale Ale. The chosen hops and malts support the smooth and delicate main taste without running it over or taking its power. The only visible danger here is that this comes a regular and turns into a "routine beer" - I'm taking that risk soon.

Ölbeat

Music with citrus fruit domination and a firm touch of smoothly bitter hops? We'll take a mix of soul and R&B. The artist is the simplest choice but when choosing the song it gets tough. This one matches with Emmer IPA:

Terence Trent D'Arby: Wishing Well (YouTube)

From the 1987 album Introducing the Hardline According to Terence Trent D’Arby, the song was written by D'Arby and Sean Oliver.

Ölbeat 048: Huvila Arctic Circle Ale

Brewery: Malmgård
Country: Finland 
Style: Spiced Ale
Abv: 7,3 %
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Northern brew spiced with rye and juniper

What about the beer?
Colour is thick dark brown with medium vanilla head. Aroma has sweet malts, mild toffee and vanilla. Taste starts with moderately hoppy first bite, but quickly turns to sweet malts with herbal notes (juniper?) and rye bread flavour. Toward the finish we get hoppy alcohol-twisted bitterness. Aftertaste has sweet bitterness and alcohol warmth.

Very enjoyable spiced malty ale. The juniper twigs and rye malt used in the brewing really come out and give plenty of unique taste to the beer. It was really fortunate that I managed to grab a bottle of this in February, since right now it's not available. But I'm sure we'll get more in fall. 

Ölbeat

Arctic Circle as an inspirator for and a theme of the brew made me look for a song that reminds me of the northernmost parts of the world. Despite the fact that this particular song was inspired by a solar eclipse in Europe, the Finnish band and the name of the song just popped up to be matched with the beer:

Nightwish: Sleeping Sun (YouTube)

From the 1999 MaxiCD Sleeping Sun (Four Ballads of the Eclipse), the song was written by the band's keyboardist-songwriter Tuomas Holopainen. The song was re-recorded and re-released in 2005 for the compilation album Highest Hopes.