Craft beer is a world wide phenomenon. With a mix of new styles and old style, breweries are bringing better tasting beers to drinkers in their countries. Vakka-Suomen Pamino Osakeyhtiö joined the craft brewing world in 2008 and provide a mix of traditional Finnish styles, world styles, and the ever popular IPA.
Savu Kataja is their higher alcohol Sahti style beer. Sahti is a traditional Finnish farmhouse style that can be brewed with smoked malts, rye, unmalted grains, and then filtered/lautered through juniper bows. Yeast is often a fast fermenting bread strain. Scandanavian and Finnish farmhouse beers can often be fermented out to dry in only a few days.
Savu Kataja's origins come from the breweries base level sahti: Savu. The Savu Kataja was created as a special release for festivals and events. It has a longer conditioning time than the standard Savu. The smoked malt is dried using oak.
Appearance: Brown, tan head, ok retention.
Aroma: Smokey, chocolate, rum, woodsy, earthy, floral, fruity.
Taste: Spicy, smokey, chocolate, rye bread, floral.
Overall Impression: Savu Kataja is nicley malty with a nice level of smokiness that's well integrated into the whole. It's very present without being overwhelming to the beer or covering up the more delicate maltiness, yeast character, or the underlying woody/piney notes from the juniper. There was a complex mix of flavor and aromas from the combination of malt, yeast, and juniper. Prykmestar Savu Kataja is big on flavor and complexity but still well balanced with the smoke and yeast complimenting and countering the heavy dark malt sweetness.
Availability: In limited quantities. Imported by B. United International.
9% ABV
