Ölbeat 245: Thisted / Mikkeller Beer Geek Limfjordsporter

Brewery: Thisted Bryghus (in Danish) / Mikkeller
Country: Denmark
Style: Baltic Porter 
Abv: 7,7 %
@RateBeer

What about the beer?

Colour is black with a large beige head. Aroma has ash, charcoal and espresso. Taste begins with heavy ashy-charcoaly and bitter roast. Ashy and smoky dry malts take over with bitter burned bread flavour. Towards the end burned malts get espresso and liquorice tones. Aftertaste has extra dry smoky charcoal roast and bitter coffee.

Heavily ashy, smoky and bitter Porter. Both the roast and the bitterness go through the roof in this one. The flavour is powerful and intense. Raw and violent in a good sense. It's clear that this divides drinkers to lovers and haters. I liked it a lot, but love didn't start easy.

Ölbeat

The choice was made between two songs with the same name, one from David Bowie and the other from Faith No More. But it wasn't tough: Bowie's hit from 1980 still didn't hit the spot - Major Tom simply sucks. Instead, Faith No More's Album of the Year gets its second entry to the blog, which is simply great.

Faith No More: Ashes to Ashes (YouTube)

From the 1997 album Album of the Year, the song was written by Jon Hudson, Mike Patton, Mike Bordin, Billy Gould and Roddy Bottum.

Ölbeat 244: Põhjala Mel Gibson

Brewery: Pôhjala
Country: Estonia
Style: Scotch Ale
Abv: 12,2 %
@RateBeer

What about the beer?

Colour is dark coffee brown with a tiny tan crown. Aroma has chocolate, caramel, vanilla and liquor. Taste begins with strong booze-coated caramel malts. Vanillaish caramel and sweet milk chocolate take over with spicy-oaky liquor and hints of coffee and smoke. Towards the end both coffee and sweet liquor strike through with some bitterness lingering in the back. Aftertaste has sweet fruits, mocca chocolate and spicy alcohol.

Multigrain (barley, oats, wheat and rye malts used) Scotch Ale aged in Highland and Islay whisky barrels. Result is a strong and delicious hour-sipper. Sweet chocolate and caramel come out beautifully under the whisky coating. Spices and bitterness are also present. Barrel-aging seems to be Pôhjala's favorite art.

Ölbeat

Why would anyone name a Scotch Ale after an Australian actor? Since there has to be a reason, we have to look at the actor's filmography. Mad Max? No. Lethal Weapon? No. How about directing The Passion of the Christ? Jesus. No. The only logical answer has to be his most awarded film to date: Braveheart. This Gaelic folk song named after the movie was supposed to be the film's theme song, but was dropped out of the soundtrack for some reason or another.

Clannad: Croí Cróga (YouTube)

From the 1996 album Lore, the song was written by Ciarán Brennan.

Ölbeat 243: Thornbridge Valravn

Brewery: Thornbridge Brewery
Country: England
Style: India Black Ale
Abv: 8,8 %
@RateBeer

What about the beer?

Colour is black with a overflowing tan head. Aroma has mild roast, liquorice and slightly sweet fruit. Taste starts with biting roasty bitter citrus. Piny-grapefruity bitterness and heavy roast take over with salty liquorice. Towards the end roasted liquorice and sweet orange get added to the flavour. Aftertaste has bitter grapefruit, dry roast and a snap of alcohol.

Smooth Imperial India Black Ale. Bitter fruits and liquorice-flavoured roast get joined deliciously. Finish shows the strength of the brew gently. Worthy big brother to great Wild Raven.

Ölbeat

The Danish mythology behind the brew's name caught me this time. According to one folklore, when the ravens ate the remains of a dead king or chief on the battlefield, they became valravne, ravens with supernatural powers and human's intelligence. An electric folklore band from the Faroe Islands adopted the creature's name and performed mythical Scandinavian music from 2005 to 2013. This is just one song from the band's second album.

Valravn: Sjón (YouTube)

From the 2009 album Koder på snor, the song was written by Valravn.

Ölbeat 242: Pühaste Patt

Brewery: Pühaste
Country: Estonia
Style: Porter
Abv: 6,6 %
@RateBeer

What about the beer?

Colour is black with a large beige head. Aroma has sweet roasted malts, vanillaish chocolate and coffee. Taste starts with roasted liquorice. Bitter roasted malts and dark chocolate take over. Near the finish vanilla-spiced flavours get mixed to the dark chocolate. Aftertaste has dry charcoal and bitter cocoa.

Nice and soft Porter. Dark chocolate dominates, roast plays the bass and bitterness gives the drum beat. Wasn't the freshest batch, so there was a watery mouthfeel. Good brew from Estonia, still.

Ölbeat

This was almost purely a choice by the name. The Estonian word 'patt' means sin. But since the Estonian brewery was nearly new to me, I chose a song from a Swedish hard rock band that had been hiding from me before.

Sparzanza: My World of Sin (YouTube)

From the 2009 album In Voodoo Veritas, the song was written by Sparzanza.

Ölbeat 241: Ôllenaut Suitsu Porter

Brewery: Õllenaut
Country: Estonia 
Style: Smoked Porter
Abv: 5,4 %
@RateBeer

What about the beer?

Colour is black with a medium tan head. Aroma has fireplace smoke, charcoal roast and some malty hints. Taste begins with intense burned smoke. Smoke and charcoaly roast take over with some dry bitterness. Towards the end malty and roasty bitterness gets mixed to the flavours. Aftertaste has roasted bitterness and malty sweetness.

Tasty smoked Porter. Strong smoke in the start rounds up nicely to roasted malts and bitterness. Fine brew from Ôllenaut once again.

Ölbeat

For some reason, I had to get a Pearl Jam song to be paired with this one. The calmness after the start encouraged me to choose a ballad instead of aggressive grunge. Probably a love song fits the beer, I don't know. The reason has vanished into...

Pearl Jam: Thin Air (YouTube)

From the 2000 album Binaural, the song was written by Stone Gossard.