Arctic Circle Ale - Malmgårdin Panimo

SolomonGrundy

California

3.55/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Go Packers...Go Bears...Go somebody!!!

Pours a hazy, deep rusty amber. Lightly carbonated. A short finger of head. Slight lacing. Deep aromas of orange peel, cinnamon, some piney notes. Very nice. Very sweet notes in there too, like honey. Flavor is big and robust, I get some cinnamon. Some alcohol (all through the drink, too), and it's only 7.3% ABV. Some other things in there too: caramel malt, some of the aforementioned orange peel. Finish has a nice, hoppy bitterness, but that may be the juniper used in the brewing process also. Not nearly as sweet as I thought it might be, either. Decent beer. $8.99/500ml bottle, though, so it's not cheap. Decent but I probably wouldn't buy it again.

What I like most: The nice, robust and uniquer flavor profile.

What I like least: The price and slightly astringent flavors.

Verdict: decent and unique, but a little pricey.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2011 20:59:37 | More by SolomonGrundy

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.55/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to TurdFurgison for picking up this bottle in Chicago at West Lakeview for me. Served in a Val-Dieu chalice.

Poured a fairly-dart brown with a thin light tan head that receded quickly without leaving too much lacing. The nose carried a bit of juniper and darker malts, plus a faint herbal quality. Flavor has a touch of roast and some darkened malt plus juniper and miscellaneous spicing. Not over the top in any direction. Light-medium body with good carbonation and a semi-dry finish. Pretty nice brew.

Serving type: bottle

09-19-2011 10:49:14 | More by Thorpe429

Gmann

New York

3.55/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a cloudy dark amber color with a small tight off white head that settles into a frothy ring.

The aroma is sweet with dark fruit. Lots of prune and raisin, reminds me of an old ale. Some toffee and caramel. Very sweet.

The taste is sweet, though not as sweet as the aroma. Lots of raisins and grapes, sweet toffee malt. I don't get a lot of twiggy juniper. Not sure if this is an old sample but the juniper faded, its not there. Perhaps a light sour berry from the juniper. Reminds me more of a lightly spiced old ale.

The feel is light to moderate with fizzy carbonation. Sweet on the palate but enough juniper to give a slight bitter balance. Drinks light and easy.

Definitely not as herbal and raw as the other that I have had. Seems more like a wheat old ale. Needs more juniper at a minimum.

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2011 02:30:03 | More by Gmann

Bendurgin

Maine

3.55/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

This one is a Christmas gift from Andy. Poured into a pint glass. This one pours a dark muddy brown color with about a finger of rocky beige head.

Pleasant to smell with sweet toffee and molasses aromas. Caramelized sugars in the aroma with a dark bready character to round it out. A pungent dark fruit aroma lingers in the background. Malty here with a dark German bread character to it. Juniper flavors with other berries and the likes of plumbs come through. The flavor losses the sweetness that the aroma has.

Medium body here and this is a mostly still beer. Very light carbonation is noticeable on the finish. A lot going on here. This is also my first of the style. This is enjoyable but I don't see how often I would want to drink something to this nature. Good for a change of pace, and I wouldn't mind sampling some other Sahtis.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2011 04:02:35 | More by Bendurgin

Ralphs66

New York

3.53/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pouring out like a still beer....hmmmm, wondering if there's a problem. No head at all. Got some molasses on the nose, and of all things, Brennivin (the black death national drink of Iceland). yeah, go figure. I like the flavor, but it seems muted. My second Sahti; DFH being the first and that beer was friggin over the top. I'm going to let it warm a bit and see what happens. Well, not alot of change after waiting 10 minutes or so. It's decent, and I'm enjoying it, but if I find yet another Sahti to try, I'll move on. No need to come back to this one.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2011 00:37:10 | More by Ralphs66

jrenihan

Ontario (Canada)

3.5/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Beer is dark brown with small, off-white head that dissipates to a film quickly.

Scent consist of floral and herbal notes. Juniper, something that I cannot place that is somewhat minty?

Taste is malt, caramel, herbs of some sort, juniper. Very 'natural' flavours. Not bad but not really my thing.

Medium bodied, moderate carbonation. Light for the ABV.

Overall? I have zero experience with the style. My first Sahti. I think it is OK as a beer, no real idea how it rates as a sahti.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2012 20:26:28 | More by jrenihan

TheGrunt

Finland

3.45/5  rDev -13.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Nice Sahti-type beer. Dark muddy colour, almost nil foam and light carbonation. For some reason I can't get anything special out of the smell. Nice, but somehow bland taste: it's without any special kick.

I think this is a nice Sahti-type beer. I'm no huge fan of sahti, so I don't get specially excited from this either. Sahti fans like this probably very much, that I can say.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2012 16:57:13 | More by TheGrunt

russpowell

Oklahoma

3.43/5  rDev -13.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Pours a crimson head mahogany with a sliver of tan head. Good head retention & lacing

S: Figs, cinnamon, & peppery notes

T: Dark fruit, some medicinal notes, & dryness up front. Leafy hops, raisins & more dryness as this warms. Finishes with woody hops, figs & dryness, just a bit of medicinal twang...

MF: Medium bodied, near zero carbonation

This is alright, the juniper is fairly muted. Had way better & (fresher?) American versions for much cheaper

Serving type: bottle

08-13-2012 03:49:08 | More by russpowell

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.3/5  rDev -16.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This brew pours out as a redish looking ale with some darker brown shadows in it. The lacing is pretty good. The smell is very herbal, and has a little bit of an earthy booze aroma too. The taste to me seemed a lot more like a barley wine than anything else to me. The mouthfeel was a little thick but not oily. The overall take I have on this is that it really wasn't what I thought it was going to be. Glad I tried it but found it to be a little too much for me.

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2011 21:38:07 | More by Knapp85