pohjala – Let's Learn Beer!

breakfast in the dark

by Ceit
December 19, 2023December 11, 2023

Still on the lookout for smooth and soothing stouts, dark like the depths of night. Who’s going to make one better than a northern brewery, Scandinavian maybe, or Baltic? It’s been some time since I’ve sat down with a Pohjala, and maybe it’s about time to get reacquainted. This looks like one of the more special ones with it’s umlauted name – French Toast Bänger. It’s an imperial stout, not pastry, but it features maple syrup, vanilla and cinnamon. The color scheme on the label makes me think more of cocktails like Tequila Sunrise, but I guess it could also be reminiscent of bonfires and hearths, perfect for sitting around with a good stout that has a way of keeping the fun going.

It lets off a warm fancy breakfast aroma, cinnamony and syrupy. It might be a little heavy on the sweet side, with no bacon or hashbrowns to balance it out, but on chillier nights you might prefer something with a little more calories to burn. It’s not quite as sweet as expected, but it is smooth and milky. Banana surfaces in the taste. So it is like a deluxe pancake, with bananas, whipped cream, maybe a light dusting of cinnamon or cocoa powder. It has the robust body that I expect from northern stouts, and Pohjala has always been a good example. Although it doesn’t really get sweeter, it does seem to take on some stickiness as you go farther down in the glass. It’s not unpleasant but it might keep you a little less talkative than normal. For some people that might be a good idea; for some others it just means we enjoy the beer and our own thoughts in our heads.

Supplier: La Buena Pinta
Price: €7.70

cosied up

by Ceit
November 2, 2022November 2, 2022

One of the other dark beers pulled off the shelf at Hop Hop Hurra, Pohjala’s Cosy Nights Vanilla Porter. The shopkeep was impressed with the choice, saying he was just blown away by it. Pohjala is a very respectable source of beer, especially the dark beers I’ve found, and it looks like there will be some drizzly days ahead. Perfect for a porter at home!

Good color and fizzy head, looking on the slimmer side for feel. It has something of a vanilla ice cream aroma. The first sip is oddly tickly, with a tiny feeler of bitter, but then it smooths out into something more candy-like, and the vanilla is definitely leading the way. It has something more of a coating feel in the mouth, not a beer that slides on and disappears, although not sticky at first. There’s a shadow of licorice and coffee boiling up in the middle, fortunately for me the licorice remains just a whisper. It has a definite warming effect, very appropriate to being a winter porter, and just the thing when you’re suffering a little cold. After a while there’s some kind of banana flavor sneaking in, giving it even more of a pudding sensation. In the end, there’s much to recommend the beer, it’s tasty and it’s calming, it goes perfectly with its own name. A fine choice indeed.

Supplier: Hop Hop Hurrah

Price: €5.75