Ölbeat 341: Suomenlinnan Kealakekua IPA

Brewery: Suomenlinnan Panimo
Country: Finland
Style: India Pale Ale
Abv: 
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What about the beer?

Colour is hazy golden orange with a small white head. Aroma has pineapple, orange and grapefruit. Taste starts with piny grapefruit bite. Bitter grapefruit and spicy pine take over with sweeter fruity tones. Towards the end piny-fruity bitterness and sweet citrus get on top. Aftertaste has bittersweet grapefruit-orange juice and sour spicy dryness.

Fruity and piny New England -style India Pale Ale. Very nice bittersweet citrus bomb. But. The freshness factor could be clearer. Not excellent nor mind-blowing but still very tasty.

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

Ölbeat

Kealakekua Bay on the west coast of Kona Island in Hawaii is known for being the place, where Captain James Cook was stabbed to death by a native chief. Of course, that was after Cook and his crew had already achieved tension with the natives and tried to kidnap a Hawaiian chief to his ship. Things didn't really go the way they do in The Beach Boys songs, did they?

The Beach Boys: Hawaii (YouTube)

From the 1963 album Surfer Girl, the song was written by Brian Wilson.

Ölbeat 315 (BC17 #2): Suomenlinnan Helsinki Portteri

Brewery: Suomenlinnan Panimo
Country: Finland
Style: Porter
Abv: 5,6 %
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What about the beer?

Colour is black with a finger-thick tan head. Aroma has roasted sweet malts, espresso and liquorice. Taste begins with gentle charred roast. Spicy sweet charred malts take over with gently bitter chocolate flavour. Towards the end charcoal roast is joined by sweet spices and dark chocolate. Aftertaste has gently bitter coffee and lasting roasted malty dryness.

Gentle and sweetish Porter. Sweet spicy smoothly charred malts have the dominance but chocolate and coffee show up, too. No flaws, no tricks, just simple and tasty pleasure. Quality stuff from Suomenlinna.

Ölbeat

Helsinki, the capital of Finland. Gentle but dark-flavoured Porter. Guess I have to pick a Helsinki-based band and their Helsinki-themed song. The music style - defined by the band's singer Juha Lehti - is soft but gruff "keskiolut"-jazz but the dark lyrics tell about a stormy rainy night in Helsinki. Or about how "god punishes Helsinki tonight", as the name of the song goes.

Sir Elwoodin Hiljaiset Värit: Jumala rankaisee Helsinkiä tänä yönä (YouTube)

From the 1991 album Varjoissa vapaan maailman, the song was written by Juha Lehti.

Ölbeat 230: Suomenlinnan Zander Stout

Brewery: Suomenlinnan Panimo
Country: Finland
Style: Foreign Stout 
Abv: 8 %
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What about the beer?

Colour is black with a huge beige head. Aroma has rye bread, roasted malts and dark chocolate. Taste begins with roasted malty and bitter bite. Heavy charcoal-roast with bitter liquorice takes over with ryeish flavours. Towards the end roast and bitterness get heavier, dark chocolate gets in the picture with strong espresso. Aftertaste has strong malty dry roast and cocoa powder bitterness.

Holy shit. Now we have a clear winner of this year's Alko artisan beer round: Foreign Stout with strong roast, bitter, dark chocolate, malts and even espresso. Dark and powerful. Hits the button. Got to store one for later.

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

Ölbeat

Avoiding funny but stupid associations like "Zanderstruck" or "Zander and Lightning", the brew's name is the key. Bastion Zander in Kustaanmiekka has been the flag bastion of the Suomenlinna fortress throughout its history. The flag flies in the bastion every year from 12 May to 29 September. So, theme and mood of the brew help in selecting the style of the song.

HIM: This Fortress of Tears (YouTube)

From the 2003 album Love Metal, the song was written by Ville Valo.