Põhjala: Cellar Series Kamin (Estonia: Imperial Porter: 11% ABV)
Visual: Black and opaque. A thin dash of a head.
Nose: Medicinal notes. Olives. Slight brine. Meaty peat. Moss. Chocolate. Rum.
Body: Olives. Brine. Red cherries. Medicinal. Moss. Apricot jam. Black-cherry jam. Doughnuts. Milky chocolate. Peach. Cognac. Raisins to fruitcake.
Finish: Jam doughnuts. Apricot strudel. Raisins. Peach. Black-forest gateaux. Cream. Milky chocolate.
Conclusion:I’ve criticised many a beer for feeling like its base beer has been lost to the barrel aging. In a lot of cases I have still had fun with the beer, but I generally prefer to see some of the base beer shine through and stand up to the aging.
This then decides to play the barrel aging balance on hard mode by having not one but three barrels in the mix for the base beer to work against, not quiet ones either with cognac and Islay of all things in the mix. And you know what? Fuck me they managed it.
Ok the base beer that comes across is fairly simple, but still it is evident and well done – smooth, chocolate notes and some raisins to fruitcake. Nothing too fancy, but it is definitely there despite a huge amount of other influences.
The barrel ageings then work so well against each other, the aroma is very Islay, with medicinal notes, olives, brine – in fact at this point I was worried it was going to too much Islay and hurt the other influences but as you hit the body there is so much juiciness awaiting you to help cut through that. Apricot notes, black cherry, clearly there and in a very jam doughnut kind of way. It feels like the cognac and sherry and both adding the fruity doughnuts but pushing the particular type in different directions, adding so much fruity freshness. The Islay still is there, just settled in the back, adding a wisp of smoke to it, along with hints of those medicinal and olive flavours, way at the back.
Now, I haven’t tried whatever they used as the base beer for this without the ageing, but I would guess it probably had more character to it that is lost to the mass of barrels used here, but, as said the base is still there doing its work, and each of the ageings work is clearly visible. Somehow you have olives against black-forest gateaux and apricot jam and it all works out together in the end.
An utter masterclass of barrel aging and a great beer. I love it.
Background: Picked up from Grunting Growler, I had heard good things about this beer. Põhjala as a brewery I had also heard good things about, I’d encountered them in collabs before but never as the main brewer. This is an imperial porter that has been aged in Islay, Sherry and Cognac casks, so a heck of a proper first encounter. Also the wax on the bottle was a right pain to get off. Not as bad as the fucking wax topped can Maltgarden Vanilla More Cocoa More Coffee More Maple beer though. That is still the darn worst for opening, pity as it was such a nice beer. Thought I had done notes on it but cannot find any. Must just have drunk it. Was probably too tired to do notes after trying to get the fucking wax off. Anyway I digress. Went with History of Guns: Half Light as backing music for this as it had just been released.
